Oct 16, 2026 · 16 min · 10 segments
### Dozens of volunteers across the state have now signed up to help tally wildlife they observe either dead or alive along Oregon’s roadways. That might mean, for example, taking out their phone to…
Dave MillerHostSo, uh, data has shown that, um, wildlife collisions, uh, can increase, uh, around 16% just in the week following the time change.
Some species like deer and elk are in rut, so they're moving around more than normal looking for mates.
Uh, another is that there's actually just less daylight, and it's harder to see when it's darker.
And, uh, another reason why it's important to do this in the fall is that, um, you know, the, the time change itself, we change our clocks by an hour.
You know, we're, we're crossing the same roads at different times literally overnight, um, which can cause a lot of really big problems for wildlife.
Uh, and, you know, at the same time, like I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of reasons why we're out on the roads, whether it's trying to squeeze in that last hike of the season or seeing the fall colors or just normal, you know, day-to-day driving, we're still out there, so.
What have you learned from similar surveys that have been done recently by affiliate groups in other states?
So we don't have the full data set, um, from the national count that was done.
Um, but in Minnesota, really every state that has participated in this type of project, it's just really critical data that allows, uh, people to see, you know, the bigger picture.
Uh, like I said, most people have an experience seeing, you know, one, uh, roadkill, you know, a deer on the side of the road, um, or having hit one themselves.
Uh, and being able to take that data and present that not only to the community but also to decision-makers or agencies, um, really allows them to make informed decisions and, and try to move forward strategically in terms of how we can, you know, help wildlife thrive on our landscapes that are, you know, where their habitats have just been fragmented by these roads.
So, uh, data has shown that, um, wildlife collisions, uh, can increase, uh, around 16% just in the week following the time change.
Some species like deer and elk are in rut, so they're moving around more than normal looking for mates.
Uh, another is that there's actually just less daylight, and it's harder to see when it's darker.
And, uh, another reason why it's important to do this in the fall is that, um, you know, the, the time change itself, we change our clocks by an hour.
You know, we're, we're crossing the same roads at different times literally overnight, um, which can cause a lot of really big problems for wildlife.
Uh, and, you know, at the same time, like I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of reasons why we're out on the roads, whether it's trying to squeeze in that last hike of the season or seeing the fall colors or just normal, you know, day-to-day driving, we're still out there, so.
What have you learned from similar surveys that have been done recently by affiliate groups in other states?
So we don't have the full data set, um, from the national count that was done.
Um, but in Minnesota, really every state that has participated in this type of project, it's just really critical data that allows, uh, people to see, you know, the bigger picture.
Uh, like I said, most people have an experience seeing, you know, one, uh, roadkill, you know, a deer on the side of the road, um, or having hit one themselves.
Uh, and being able to take that data and present that not only to the community but also to decision-makers or agencies, um, really allows them to make informed decisions and, and try to move forward strategically in terms of how we can, you know, help wildlife thrive on our landscapes that are, you know, where their habitats have just been fragmented by these roads.
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