PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management is advising motorists to be on the alert for roving deer, particularly at dawn and dusk.

The deer mating season is currently underway, and will continue through November. As a result, deer tend to move around more frequently during this time. More than 525 deer have already been killed by automobiles this year, and November is typically the peak period for road kills. With shorter daylight hours, and the turning back of clocks on October 31, commuters are on area roads during the dawn and dusk hours, when deer tend to be most active. The deer herd in Rhode Island remains healthy and continues to grow; deer are found in suburban and urban areas, as well as in sparsely populated sections of the state.

According to DEM's Division of Enforcement statistics, 568 deer were killed by automobiles in Rhode Island in 1998, 733 in 1997, 773 in 1996, and 603 in 1995.