The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation is launching the second half of its 23rd annual public safety campaign “Give Wildlife a Brake".

Chelsea Walters – Director of Communications with the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation explains what the campaign is all about.

"It's an annual public safety campaign that we do yearly just reminding about vehicle collisions with wildlife, primarily moose and deer. Spring is particularly bad, but this is actually the worst time of year, this is the time of year that there is a rut, so bucks are actually more concerned about finding mates than they are about avoiding cars."

Rut, or breeding season, takes place for moose in the second half of September and in late November for deer. During the rut, both species are much more mobile, especially the males who are actively seeking out females in new territories.

"Mostly we just recommend that people take a little extra time getting to their destination. Especially if they are in an area of active wildlife corridors like valleys, and also at twilight and dusk when there isn't much light."

In 2018, there were over 12,000 collisions with deer in Saskatchewan, and over 500 with moose, resulting in 3 human fatalities and almost 400 injuries

"We always say to go for a glancing blow, so try not to hit it head-on if possible, and aim your car in the direction that the animal has come from instead of where it is going. In the event that you do hit a deer, you're going to want to pull over. If the animal is still alive you can call a conservation officer, but never go over and assess if the animal is alive. They can be aggressive."

Darrell Crabbe, Executive Director for the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation says in a press release sent out by the SWF “Public feedback from the campaign has been very positive. We get encouraging comments from people all over the province. In fact, we’ve even had agencies from other jurisdictions contact us for information on how we put our campaign together”.