The Park City Police Department in late September continued to receive reports of incidents related to wildlife, including at least one collision with a vehicle and other cases involving circumstances that are often associated with collisions.
The agency regularly receives reports of wildlife like moose, elk and deer. The recent cases were similar to those commonly reported to the police.
It seems likely the reports will continue with the daylight shortening and the eventual accumulation of snow at the higher elevations. Animals often move to lower elevations in search of foraging grounds when snow collects at the higher elevations. They are more likely to encounter roads at the lower elevations.
Some of the recent cases included:
- On Sunday, Sept. 28, at 6:50 p.m., a deer, described as injured, was reported near residences along Deer Valley Drive. Public police logs did not provide details about the injuries or how they were sustained.
- On Saturday, Sept. 27, at 9:23 p.m., a collision between a driver and an elk was reported on S.R. 248. The elk was “in the middle of the road” after the accident.
- On Thursday, Sept. 25, at 6:17 a.m., a deer carcass was reported in the area of Mellow Mountain Road and Stonebridge Circle. The carcass was in a travel lane and created a traffic hazard, the police said. Public police logs did not provide details about the animal’s death.
- On Monday, Sept. 22, at 7:32 a.m., a moose was reported to be at a worksite on Kearns Boulevard. The person who contacted the police was “wondering” how to “get it out safely” and did not want anyone to be hurt, according to public police logs.
The Police Department, meanwhile, at a little bit before 9 a.m. on Sunday, received a report of a person described as a hunter riding a motorcycle on a trail in Bonanza Flat.