Hearing a report of 17 deer rambling around and along Folks Road, north of Sixth Street, comes as no surprise to Sgt. Steve Lewis of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department.

Especially at sunup and sundown, when he spies plenty of others, too.

“Just out of my kitchen window two days ago, I saw seven deer jumping over the gravel road I take every day,” Lewis said.

Worried about deer? Lewis offers some advice:

• Look ahead. “The best thing to do is keep scanning the horizon, left and right, left and right,” he said.

• Don’t overreact. If you see a deer in the road, slow down and stop. Otherwise, “brake as rapidly as you can and honk your horn a lot,” Lewis said. Serious accidents occur when drivers swerve to avoid a deer, then hit an oncoming car or flip into a ditch. “It’s imperative that you at least try to maintain your lane,” he said.