Driver Beware: Deer, Wildlife Can Cross Anywhere in Saratoga

Caltrans maintenance supervisor Russell Ellingworth says up to seven dead deer can be scooped up on any given day on either highways 9 or 17.

Bill Cooper, co-owner of Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards, on rural Garrod Road, has said bobcats are seen on a regular basis on his property, along with coyotes.

His wife, Doris Cooper, often posts the sightings on social media, because the wildlife is abundant on Saratoga's hillsides.

The vineyards are located on Garrod and Mount Eden roads, which back up to Fremont Older Open Space abundant with California Oak Chaparral and other types of native grasses and plants on the hillside.

According to Saratoga resident Pamela Bradley, a nail technician who lives at the Saratoga Springs Picnics and Campgrounds facility at 22801 Big Basin Way, wildlife is all too common in the Saratoga hills.

Bradley spotted "two really big coyotes" in January.

The result, however, means deer, coyotes, bobcats and even ducks and wild turkey roaming local roads can be killed by motorists.

Nationally, there are about 29,000 human injuries and 200 deaths a year from accidents involving deer.

So how do drivers reduce the risk of crashing into a deer and other wildlife that suddenly darts into the roadway?

Caltrans and the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) reminded motorists last fall during “Watch Out for Wildlife (WOW) Awareness Week” to remain alert while driving to improve safety for travelers and wildlife alike.

“It’s important that motorists, when driving through areas frequented by deer, elk and other animals, do all they can to protect themselves as well as some of California’s greatest natural resources – our wildlife,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty.

In California alone, the California Highway Patrol reported more than 1,800 wildlife-vehicle collisions in 2010. Approximately $1 billion in property damage is also caused by these incidents.

The Defenders of Wildlife, a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting native animals and plants, reports more than 200 people are killed in collisions with deer, elk and other wildlife each year with an estimated 1.5 million animals hit annually.

Caltrans, DFG and the Defenders of Wildlife offer a few tips for motorists: 

• Be alert when driving.
• If you see an animal cross the road, know that another may be following.
• Don’t litter. It could entice animals to venture onto the road.