More Harpswell motorists have collided with deer in recent years, leading law enforcement and town officials to recommend heightened vigilance on local roads. Some are urging more residents to hunt the animals or allow local hunters on their land.
Harpswell Road Commissioner Ronald Ponziani said he is often contacted when a local motorist hits a deer. He has noticed an increase in such collisions, although no town-specific data exists.
“There are a lot more deer getting hit by cars than I’ve seen in the past,” Ponziani said in an interview. He urged drivers to be on the lookout for deer, especially around dawn and dusk.
If a motorist strikes a deer on a state-owned road, such as Routes 24 or 123, Ponziani calls the Maine Department of Transportation, which schedules a pickup to dispose of the animal. If it occurs on a town-owned road, Ponziani has a list of locals willing to remove the deer.
Ed Robinson, of Orr’s Island, is an author of two books about Maine wildlife and writes the “Harpswell Naturalist” column for the Harpswell Anchor. Robinson said the recent spate of warmer winters has led to a deer population boom in Harpswell and southern Maine.
In addition to being a road hazard, he said, the growing population also promotes the spread of tick-borne diseases and consumes new growth in forests and gardens, reducing the ability of plants and young trees to regenerate.
Robinson said the state has expanded its issuance of antlerless deer permits to encourage more hunters to help manage the herd. Without those permits, hunters are limited to deer with antlers at least 3 inches long.
He noted that in Harpswell, a local ordinance limits big-game hunting firearms to shotguns or black-powder guns, with archery also permitted.
Robinson said hunting is the only effective tool for managing deer populations, although local deer have continued to flourish despite the state’s efforts.
“The biggest problem … is that deer are amazingly adaptable,” he said. “Over the years, they have learned to live — very effectively — close to humans and our developments.”
A recent Maine Department of Transportation study of highway crashes involving animals counted more than 6,000 deer-related crashes statewide in 2024 and more than 30,000 from 2020-2024.
Cumberland County had the most crashes involving deer in 2024 and throughout the five-year study period, at 827 and 4,061, respectively. In both Cumberland County and statewide, more than 90% of all collisions with large animals involved deer.
The study estimated $1 billion in statewide economic losses related to deer collisions from 2020 through 2024. Moose-related crashes were the deadliest statewide, with five fatal crashes in the five-year study period, compared with two fatal crashes involving deer.
