Now in autumn, there are more accidents with wildlife. How to avoid them and what to do if it does happen, explains Josef Heßlinger, spokesman for the Bad Tölz District Hunting Association.
It happened to me a few days ago. The secret path leads about three kilometers through dense forest. To the left and right of the road, there is a narrow strip of green, behind which the undergrowth begins. I'm not traveling very fast. My eyes scan the roadside, I know what can happen here. Nevertheless, it cannot be prevented that evening: A deer shoots out of the undergrowth and crashes into the front of my car. I hold the steering wheel and hit the brake pedal. The car stands still 20, 30 meters after the bang, I get out. The right fog light hangs out on cable fragments. The corresponding cover is further back on the roadway. The bumper was hit badly, it is completely warped. The repair will cost 1400 euros. My luck: I don't have to be repaired. Unfortunately, the deer did not survive, I find it in the thicket. At least it was a quick death.
The number of accidents involving wildlife is higher than ever before, recently reported by the Automobile Club Verkehr (ACV). In 2019, almost 300,000 such collisions occurred nationwide, 27,000 more than in the previous year. Nevertheless, many drivers underestimate the risk. The ACV relies on prevention: with a startling video, the club wants to develop an awareness of dangers, especially among young drivers.
Steffen Frühauf took the trouble to unravel the number of accidents in the area of responsibility of the Wolfratshauser police station. The deputy head of the department counted 114 game accidents from January 1 of this year to October 26, "in the comparable period of the previous year there were 143". Frühauf even broken down the collisions by species. Roe deer and fallow deer were involved 83 times, and this year 15 foxes, 9 badgers, 1 bird of prey, and four small creatures such as hares lost their lives. A person was injured in a collision, the officer says, adding: "In Weilheim, where I used to work, there were felt more accidents with wildlife."
With statistics, "that's such a thing," says Josef Heßlinger, spokesman for the Bad Tölz district hunting association. “Strictly speaking, only found carcasses are considered to be accidents involving wildlife.” But animals would drag themselves into the forest, be injured, and only die there and end up in the stomach of a predator. Heßlinger himself has leased an area of around 1500 hectares near Oberfischbach. He records around 30 accidents there every year. Most of the animals die on the B 472, which cuts through the area between Bad Heilbrunn and the Blomberg. Why is that even though the game population in Germany has halved in the past 50 years? On the one hand, the volume of traffic is much higher, says the 56-year-old, and, on the other hand, climate change is playing a role. "The animals change from the shady side of the Blomberg over the B 472 to the south side, because even late in the year they can still find fresh grass thereafter a few warm days." Also: "It snows later, and the snowfall limit in my area in autumn is 100 meters higher than it used to be. That is why the game retreats into the depths of the forest later and later."
To avoid an accident in the first place, Heßlinger advises: "get off the gas, especially when signs indicate a deer crossing". If a collision can no longer be avoided, you should not try to evade, but keep in lane and brake. Anyone who has hit an animal is obliged to inform the police or - if known - the district leaseholder immediately. This is also important if the partial car insurance is to take over the damage later. A written confirmation of the accident - cost ten euros - by the police is required for this.
Dead deer may not be taken
If the deer is dead, the law forbids the driver of the accident to take it with him and place it in the freezer at home. Neither can he deliver it from its suffering if it is still alive. "That is reserved for the Revierjäger," says Heßlinger. In the past, this was strictly adhered to, but now the police are also pulling their guns. Early on confirms this: "We also shoot if we can end the suffering of an animal with it." Hessler himself left the coup de grace to a sports shooter who was well known to him when he called him immediately after the collision.
The Tölzer also reports on great dramas in the dark Tann. "A mother with her child in the car hit a deer and seriously injured it. She was dissolved and wanted to take it to the vet. And the child should think of a blanket for him." Heßlinger advises against approaching animals that have been run into. "As sad as it is, the driver involved in an accident usually cannot do anything. He should wait until we come"- but this is well secured, which means: park the car safely, turn on hazard lights, set up a warning triangle, and put on the safety vest.
Blue reflectors deter deer
The not undisputed blue reflectors, which you can see hanging on delineator posts or trees in some places, would certainly deter deer, says Josef Heßlinger. The reason: they can recognize blue and green tones very well, red not at all. "Which is why it is crazy that we hunters all run around in green," says the 56-year-old and laughs. He took part in a seven-year study, also to obtain a discount on the lamps, which are expensive in large numbers. The result: "With the reflectors, I had 50 percent fewer accidents involving wildlife in the area." Spraying delineator posts with a scented repellent that scares off deer also helps, believes the Tölzer. "I drove best with a combination of both."
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