The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, along with a Kansas University Environmental Studies field class, today will conclude a three-day whitetail deer census survey in a tri-county area.

The trophy buck above was spotted Tuesday north of Lawrence.

The route that is being surveyed is 15 to 20 miles long in Douglas, Jefferson and Leavenworth counties. Areas also include some of KU’s field station tracts at the Nelson Environmental Study Area and the Fitch Natural History Reservation. The survey may become an annual event, according to the department.

Late October and November are when deer are most active, according to the department. It is also mating season, and while deer are nocturnal, they move at all times of day and night during mating season. This can cause problems for motorists. KDWP and the Kansas Department of Transportation encourage motorists to be on high alert during the week or two before and after Nov. 17, historically the day deer-vehicle collisions peak.

According to KDWP, 9,417 deer-vehicle collisions occurred in Kansas in 2007, up slightly from last year.