Like usual, Steve Wellman was driving through Marengo on his way to work hours before the sun started its day. His headlights illuminated an occasional mailbox along North Galena Road and, more faintly, the expanse of farmland lingering beyond his truck’s side mirrors.

Then it happened.

Three doe darted across the road in front of him. Traveling at 50 miles per hour, he just missed them — unfortunately a bigger deer followed in their wake.

“Thud and I hit a nice, big 10-point buck,” said Wellman, a Morrow County resident.

The deer, which was so hefty he and a deputy couldn’t lift it, smashed into the truck’s bumper and hood before rolling along the side of the vehicle causing further damage. Wellman, 55, made it through the accident unscathed.

This type of accident is all the more common during autumn.

“Breeding season for deer is anywhere from October to January, but November is the big time when they are moving around and people are more likely to hit them (with their cars),” said Lindsay Linkhart, spokeswoman for Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s Division of Wildlife.

There were 476 deer-related crashes in Delaware County last year, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and November was by far the most dangerous month for them, accounting for nearly one-fourth of all accidents. The total number of deer-vehicle accidents in the county, however, decreased 12 percent in 2008.

“We are encouraged to see that fewer people had deer-related crashes last year but this does not mean we can let our guard down this year,” said Delaware County Sheriff Walter L. Davis III.

The drop in the number of crashes throughout the county may not tell the whole story. At least part of the decrease is likely due to changes in reporting rates because most insurance companies no longer require an accident report and motorists may be less inclined to complete them except in the case of personal injury, according to ODNR’s Summary of 2008-2009 Deer Seasons.

There were 20 injuries reported in Delaware County as a result of deer-vehicle accidents in 2008 and that number is fairly steady over the last five years, according to ODPS; only one fatality has occurred in the county during that time period.

As of mid-October, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 66 crashes involving deer this year.

Crashes in the county involving deer are disproportionately reported between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. as well as between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., according to ODPS.

“The premiere time we will see them (deer) is at dusk and at dawn – that’s when they tend to be most active,” said Elizabeth Fields, senior naturalist at Highbanks Metro Park in Lewis Center.

Statewide, 24,590 deer-related crashes were reported in 2008, down 6.5 percent from the previous year.

There were six fatalities and 979 injuries caused by these collisions last year; this compares to 10 fatalities and 1,022 injuries reported in 2007.

State Farm, the largest insurer of autos in the U.S., estimates there were 2.4 million deer-vehicle accidents across the country from July 2007 through June 2009 ­– an average of 100,000 per month and an 18 percent increase from the same period five years ago. Ohio saw an even greater increase in deer-related crashes during the same time comparison: a 27 percent jump.

Using its claims data, State Farm predicts the likelihood of a deer-vehicle collision over the next year at 1 in 161 in Ohio; this compares to the U.S. likelihood of 1 in 208.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, vehicle damage from deer collisions averages about $3,000 per claim nationally.

Most insurers cover these losses under the “other than collision” portion of an auto insurance policy, less the deductible, according to the Ohio Insurance Institute. OII officials note that insurers normally do not single out deer-vehicle collision losses in determining future premium adjustments so experiencing this type of accident should not increase premiums.

Any type of accident is certainly still undesirable, as Wellman can testify.

His deer-related crash happened a week-and-a-half ago and Wellman’s once-pristine ’06 Chevrolet truck is still in the shop. If there is any consolation in the matter, Wellman — who is a hunter — said one good thing did result from the accident.

“The guy (deputy) asked me if I wanted it (the deer) and I said, ‘Yes.’ It’s cut up and in my freezer right now,” he said with a chuckle.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the driver of every motor vehicle that has caused the death of a deer by striking the deer on a roadway may take possession of the deer, provided that within twenty-four hours thereafter, the driver reports the accident to a wildlife officer or other law enforcement officer.

bbullock@delgazette.com