Nearly 10,000 deer were hit and killed on Norwegian roads or railways in the 2021/2022 hunting year. This is the highest number since 2017/2018, according to figures from Statistics Norway. Figures from Smøla, Enebakk, Lyngen and Karasjok municipalities are missing. But far from everyone reports wildlife encounters, as one should. And as was done when Sondre Felde Ravnestad (16) crashed with a deer and was thrown off the light motorcycle in an 80-zone in Sunnfjord. This is what you do if you hit a deer: Call 113 in case of personal injury or urgent need for health care. Put on the hazard warning lights and secure the place. Look for the animal in or near the road. Call the police on 02800. To avoid hitting a deer or other animals, you should slow down and be careful. If a deer crosses the road, there is a good chance that more will come. – It was really scary. It happened so fast that I didn’t have time to think about it, says Ravnestad. A motorcyclist is vulnerable in traffic. From 2002 to 2021, 18 drivers died in collisions with deer. In the same period, 276 drivers were injured. This is shown by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s database (see table at the bottom of the case). The hunting year 2021/22 produced the second highest number of roe deer (green line), deer (blue) and elk (black) hit. Never before have so many deer been hit. Photo: Statistics Norway While unfortunate Ravnestad feared serious injuries and was lying on the road, his comrades called the emergency services – who in turn notified the wildlife commission. Fortunately, the 16-year-old escaped without serious injuries. He only got scrapes. The deer, on the other hand, died instantly from the collision this August evening. Several members of Ettersøkjager Stein Mortensbakke believe that there are dark figures on deer collisions. Photo: Nikolai Akse Helgås / news The deer population is growing in many places, and traffic is increasing. It also increases the risk of unwanted collisions between the four-legged and road users on wheels. So far this year, the West police district has received reports of 550 deer collisions. This corresponds to 2.3 messages per day. The peak year 2018 was the corresponding number three. Most game drives take place from October to December. Detective in Sunnfjord municipality, Stein Mortensbakke, believes that people in general have become better at reporting collisions after it was included in driving training. – But we think the dark figures are quite large. Throw the deer off guard and there is little damage to the car, so I think many will drive on. A deer is found later that is dead, he says. An animal can walk for several days before it dies from its injuries after a collision. – Everyone can be unlucky, but … Both the Animal Welfare Act and the Traffic Act state that you must notify the police on 02800. They in turn notify the Game Board and other relevant actors. It is not a criminal offense to drive an animal. – Everyone can be unlucky, but it is a criminal offense not to tell if you are unlucky. There is a completely inescapable rule that you have a duty to report, says search officer in Sunnfjord municipality, Stein Mortensbakke. The abandoned deer had to be euthanized on the spot. Photo: Jøte Toftaker / news A few weeks ago he went out and found a badly injured deer near the road in Redalen in Sunnfjord. It turned out that the animal had two fractures in its back and internal bleeding. Little is more provocative for Mortensbakke. – The animal was leased and had to be euthanized immediately. It is a criminal offense not to report when you have run over an animal, says Mortensbakke. Going on the road that the light motorcycle was speeding hard in the encounter with the deer. Photo: Nikolai Akse Helgås / news While an encounter with the king of the forest, the moose, in the worst case also results in personal injury, it is usually the car that takes the brunt of the encounter with the deer. It may look small, but the thousands still get wheels on. Mortensbakke has the following advice for those who are unlucky: – Secure the place, put on the hazard warning lights and get the car out of the way if it has happened right around a bend. Look for animals on the road and in the vicinity – and call the police on 02800. In Førde, Ravnestad was hit in the collision, but he wants to get back on the road again. The light motorcycle has been sent for repair. – A few scratches in the paint I can tolerate driving around with, says the 16-year-old.
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Sondre (16) is one of many thousands who have driven a deer – news Vestland
