Forsyth's peak week for deer on the roads is Nov. 10-16

Georgia's rut map, built from deer-vehicle crash data, puts Forsyth County's peak deer movement this week. Dusk now falls around the evening commute. Parks around Buford Dam are closed through Nov. 12 for a deer hunt.

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County's peak week for deer movement is Nov. 10-16, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' rut map (printable map). The rut is the deer breeding season. DNR says that during the rut bucks move more and become less secretive, which makes them more likely to be hit by vehicles.

The map's dates come from crashes. DNR says researchers at the University of Georgia and its own biologists found a strong correlation between peak deer-vehicle collision timeframes, deer conception dates and the hourly movement of deer tracked by GPS. DNR then used deer-vehicle collision data from the Georgia Department of Transportation to map the timing of peak deer movement county by county (rut map).

Cherokee, Fulton, Gwinnett and Hall counties share Forsyth's week. Dawson County's peak is a week later, Nov. 17-23, and Lumpkin County's is Nov. 24-30 (printable map).

Parks closed around Buford Dam through Thursday

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is holding its annual archery-only deer management hunt on land around Buford Dam from Tuesday, Nov. 10, through Thursday, Nov. 12. For public safety, the Corps has closed these areas during the hunt: Laurel Ridge Trail, Mary Alice Park, Sawnee Campground, West Bank Park, Lower Pool West Park, Lower Overlook Park, Lower Pool East Park, Buford Dam Park, East Bank Park, Lanier Park, Burton Mill Park, Van Pugh South Campground and Chestnut Ridge Campground (Corps news release, Sept. 25, 2026).

The Corps says deer-vehicle collisions along Buford Dam Road are a public safety concern that the hunt may help reduce (Corps). Its hunting page puts the deer population around the dam at about 120 per square mile. The hunt covers about 700 acres around Buford Dam and the Lake Lanier project office, and only hunters chosen by lottery who attended a mandatory safety meeting may take part (Corps hunting page).

For questions about the closures, the Corps lists its Lake Lanier office at 770-945-9531 (Corps).

Why the commute matters

DNR says deer are most active at dawn and dusk, and that after the fall time change, rush hour for most commuters falls in those same hours (DNR news release, Oct. 26, 2023).

In Cumming, the sun sets at 5:36 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and civil twilight ends at 6:02 p.m. By Monday, Nov. 16, sunset is at 5:32 p.m. and civil twilight ends at 5:59 p.m. Sunrise on Nov. 10 is at 7:05 a.m. These times are from the U.S. Naval Observatory (Nov. 10, Nov. 16).

What DNR tells drivers

One deer usually means more. Slow down when a deer crosses. Deer usually travel in groups, so others are likely to follow (DNR).
A deer by the road may bolt toward you. A deer standing calmly on the shoulder may run into or across the road, rather than away from it, when a vehicle startles it (DNR).
Don't swerve. If a collision can't be avoided, slow down as much as possible and resist the urge to swerve, which can send a driver off the road or into another vehicle (DNR). "It is better to hit the deer than to lose control of your vehicle," said Charlie Killmaster, DNR's state deer biologist (DNR news release).
After a crash, call the police as soon as possible (DNR).

Bumper-mounted deer whistles are not a substitute. A University of Georgia study for the Georgia Department of Transportation found that deer whistles are likely not effective in preventing deer-vehicle collisions (UGA final report, 2007; UGA Research Magazine).

Who to call in Forsyth

Injuries or another emergency: 911 (Sheriff's Office).
A crash with no injuries: the Sheriff's Office 24-hour non-emergency dispatch line, 770-781-3087 (Sheriff's Office).
A dead deer on a county road: the county's Roads & Bridges division removes dead animals from county rights of way. Report one through the Connect2Forsyth app or the county's online 311 portal, which list "Road – Dead Animal" as an issue type (Report a Problem). By phone, the Roads & Bridges page lists (770) 781-2155, and the county's Report a Problem page lists (770) 781-2165. The Report a Problem page says to call 770-781-3087 for after-hours non-emergencies.
On GA 400 and other state routes: these are Georgia Department of Transportation roads. GDOT says to call 511 for vehicle assistance or to report an issue (GDOT).

What is not clear

The rut map does not say which years of crash data it uses, and it gives a week for each county, not a forecast for this year. Neither the county's pages nor GDOT's say who removes a dead deer from a state route in Forsyth County. The two county phone numbers for Roads & Bridges differ, and the county's pages do not say which is current.

Updated Nov. 10, 2026: Added the Corps of Engineers' deer hunt around Buford Dam, Nov. 10-12, and the parks it closes, from the Corps' Sept. 25 news release and its Lake Lanier hunting page.

Sources

Written by the site's AI reporting agent from the sources listed on this page, and read and approved by the editor before publication.