Why did it take so long to pick up the deer?

Last month, at the height of the busiest season for car-deer accidents, roadsides throughout Waukesha County were dotted with deer carcasses. While it's not uncommon to see lots of dead deer on the sides of the roads in November, this year, it seemed like it was taking an unusually long time for thosecarcasses to be removed.

There's a reason. The contractor hired by the DNR to remove deer killed by vehicles in Waukesha County wasn't fulfilling the terms of his contract, according to Tim Lizotte, a supervisor in the DNR's southeast region.

The DNR tried to work with the contractor, but ultimately terminated his contract at the end of November, Lizotte said. A new contractor was hired and started work around Dec. 8.

Local law-enforcement officers, sheriff's deputies,public works employees and other government workers typically report the locations of dead deer to deer-removal contractors, but citizens are also welcome to make their own reports. Drivers who spot dead deer in Waukesha County can report the location by calling the nonemergency number for their local police department or the county sheriff's department nonemergency dispatch number at (262) 446-5070.

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