Salmon swim upstream, penguins don’t see their newborns for a year and deer run across streets.

Of these strange animal mating habits, the deer mating season is causing the most problems for drivers this fall as police have seen an increase in deer versus vehicle accidents. The mating season, along with harvest, may be contributing to the rise of accidents with 18 deer accidents reported since Oct. 1 to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

Last year, about 100 deer-related accidents were reported, which made up about 12 percent of the total accidents reported, according a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office news release.

While deer accidents can occur at any time, the most frequent time for accidents is during dusk, early evening or before dawn, according to the news release. The accidents can happen anywhere but are frequently reported near woods, farm fields and waterways, according to the release.

“There is no real pattern,” said DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott about the locations of accidents. “They are pretty well scattered through the county.”

These accidents, which also frequently occur in the spring, normally flare up from October to December when they begin to slow down until spring, Scott said. The pattern is attributed to the fall harvest, where the deer’s cover and food is being taken away, causing the deer to search for other areas, Scott said.

Deer versus vehicle accidents can severely damage a vehicle’s front-end, and one accident this fall left the driver injured, Scott said.

“They can do terrific damage, depending on the speed of the vehicle and size of the deer,” he said.

A deer colliding with the front-end of a vehicle could cause about $5,000 damage, which is about the cost of the hood, fender and front-end parts, said Jon Bockman, owner of Bockman’s Auto Care, 705 E. Lincoln Highway. Typical damage consists of a dented fender, dented hood and damage to the front-end, Bockman said, who has seen two vehicles damaged by deer accidents so far this fall.

“It seems like every fall we go through a couple,” Bockman said. “Definitely more so than spring and summer. It doesn’t have to do a lot of damage to cost a lot of money.”

Deer crossing signs are posted at areas where accidents have a pattern of developing, and drivers are warned to pay particular attention while driving in those areas.