If you’re new to South Fork, let me introduce you to one of our most beloved annual traditions: deer rut season. It’s the time of year when the majestic mule deer migrate from the quiet safety of the mountains… straight into town, where they reinvent themselves as free-roaming, car-dodging suburbanites.
Why do they leave their mountain mansions?
Simple: hunting season.
When the orange-clad hikers show up, the deer grab their suitcases, pack their families, and move into South Fork like they’re checking into a wildlife Airbnb.
And once they arrive, every street in town turns into the video game Frogger.
Except this time, you’re the one behind the wheel, and the deer—well, they play fast and loose with physics.
Driving Tip #1: Eyes Up. Head on a Swivel. Coffee Optional but Recommended.
Think you’re a focused driver?
Wait until a buck with antlers the size of a coat rack sprints across the road like he’s late for a meeting. You’ll discover new muscles in your neck from checking every angle at once.
This is the season where even the most seasoned locals slow down, sit up straighter, and mutter things like, “Don’t you dare, Bambi… don’t you do it.”
Driving Tip #2: Expect the Unexpected (And the Uninvited)
These deer don’t just cross the road.
They linger in the road.
They pace the shoulder like they’re waiting for an Uber.
They launch out of the brush like caffeinated jack-in-the-boxes.
One minute you’re admiring the fall color…
The next minute you’re negotiating with a doe about who actually has the right of way.
Hint: she thinks she does. She always thinks she does.
Driving Tip #3: They Travel in Packs
Where there’s one deer, there are usually… five to seven more.
All making questionable life choices.
So if a doe crosses the road innocently, don’t relax.
Assume she brought friends.
Assume they’re behind her.
Assume one of them is the chaotic cousin who sprints last-minute without signaling.
A Final Word of Wisdom
This time of year, it’s not a matter of if you’ll see deer — it’s how many and how dramatic they’ll be. So slow down, stay alert, and embrace the annual reality of living in a mountain town where wildlife occasionally forgets that traffic laws exist.
And hey…
If you make it through November without adding an antlered hood ornament to your vehicle?
Congratulations. You officially “won” Deer Frogger.
