MADISON, WI (WTAQ) - Hunters won’t be the only ones killing deer this fall.

Drivers will kill their share of animals as well.

The state DOT reminds motorists that October and November is the mating season for deer – and they get more active between dusk and dawn when they go back and forth from their feeding and bedding areas.

Thousands of vehicles are often in their path. Wisconsin had just over 18,000 car-deer crashes last year. Dane County had the most with 846, followed by Shawano County with 762. Deer accidents represent over half of all traffic crashes in Shawano and Green Lake counties.

State Patrol Major Sandra Huxtable says drivers must pay attention and be cautious at all times – and if you see one deer, there’s probably at least one more behind it.

If you cannot avoid a deer, Huxtable says it’s safer to slow down and hit the deer, instead of swerving to try and miss it – and take the risk of losing control.

Motorcyclists must be extremely careful. Huxtable said all but one of last year’s five deer accident deaths involved motorcycles.