Donal Hickey: Sounding a warning about the stags

There are upwards of 300 reported accidents per year involving deer and the animals may have accounted for some unexplained fatal crashes

When stags lock antlers, injuries can be inflicted, though reports of stags being killed in fights are rare. File Picture: Sam Boal

It's one of the primal noises of autumn —the roar of male deer as they seek out females during the annual mating (rutting) season. As the deer population has grown nationally in recent years, it’s a distinctive sound that will be heard in many areas. You might also hear the clashing of antlers as stags fight one another for control of groups of hinds (harems).

The deer are at their most active and that means motorists need to be more careful. As the stags pursue hinds, and chase away rivals, deer can cross roads, with the most dangerous times being dawn and dusk. There seems to be an increasing number of deer warning signs on roads around the country and drivers would be well advised to heed them.