5 Safety Tips for Upcoming Deer Season

City council voted last fall to expand allowances for deer hunting within the city to 93 days out of the year/Chris O'Donoghue

It's deer season, and, per an expansion to a city ordinance that went into effect last fall, it will be legal to bow hunt deer within city limits for an upcoming 93 days out of the year. The season, as a result, can have a number of different impacts on city residents.

Bow hunting was originally permitted within city limits by an ordinance that city council passed back in 2007, in order to control the growing deer population in the area.

Although deer can be found on most streets in Fort Thomas, Memorial Parkway, Route 8, Chesapeake, and Newman seem to be the most dangerous areas, according to Fort Thomas Lt. Rich Whitford.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind during deer season:

1. Look for the pack. 

Deer usually travel in a pack so if you see one, there are probably two or three behind it. Take it slow if they are on the side of the road. "They will run right out in front of you," says Whitford.

2. Be aware. 

AAA suggests being especially attentive at dawn and dusk when visibility is low an deer are more active.

3. Control your vehicle. 

"If you pull into oncoming traffic or swerve, it could be fatal," says Whitford adding that a driver is better off hitting the deer at a slow speed. A mother and son recently spent the night in a creek bed in Falmouth after swerving to miss a deer (read story at WCPO).

4. Avoid distractions. 

"Driver distraction is an issue," says Whitford. He suggests not messing with the radio or cell phone.

5. Avoid stray arrows in Fort Thomas. 

You never know when someone might be hunting in your neighborhood.