With deer mating season underway, deer-vehicle crashes have seen an uptick this week in southeast Iowa. 

In Washington County, one deer-vehicle crash was reported on Sunday, one was reported on Monday, two on Tuesday, and four were reported on Thursday.

Earlier this year, Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee discussed the importance of watching your speed to stay safe when driving around deer, “We’re seeing that our motoring public seems to get faster and faster every day. When you’re going at a faster speed, it’s hard to react. Every time you go another mile per hour faster, your reaction time is a little bit slower.”

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, deer near roadways tend to increase this time of year due to peak breeding season, and crops being harvested and removed from fields.