Every Wisconsinite, along with drivers in the other 49 states, knows the white knuckled, cautious, eye darting, nerve wracking, palms sweating drill of driving during the times of year when deer are most active. And these days, that would be everywhere and always.

Deer are the 3rd most commonly struck object in Wisconsin (striking another vehicle and striking a fixed object ranking first and second).

It's often reported that Fall is the most likely time of year to collide with this adorable yet clueless state symbol. It's mating season and bucks are likely to be much less cautious, they've got one thing on their mind. Making more deer. So they can make more deer. And on it goes.

But did you know that June also sees a dramatic increase in deer crashes? The females the bucks were pursuing are busy looking for places to give birth and young deer get separated from their mothers.

Generally speaking deer are most active in the early morning and early evening hours. As more accidents occur at twilight due to our eyes being slow to adjust to the changing light, the odds are increased even more.

April to August the peak deer vs. auto collisions occur between 8PM and Midnight. October to January, 5PM – midnight and 5-7 AM.

Dane, Waukesha, and Shawano counties had the highest number of reported deer crashes. "Reported" being the operative word, as DOT officials suspect that a far greater number go unreported for a variety of reasons.

For a list of tips on sharing the road with our state animal click here.