Deer

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. -- Before Franklin County's white-tailed deer start mating this fall and before hunters take to the woods, the commonwealth is warning motorists to beware of deer. Last year, 2,797 crashes statewide involved deer, resulting in 636 injuries and 11 fatalities, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The Pennsylvania Game Commission hopes that by educating residents, this year more people can stay out of harm's way and the way of deer.

A young whitetail deer scampers across the entrance Thursday at Whitetail Resort near Mercersburg, Pa. Several deer were feeding on apples fallen from a tree when they were spooked by an automobile on the road.

Editor's note: Each Sunday, The Herald-Mail publishes "A Life Remembered. " This continuing series takes a look back -- through the eyes of family, friends, co-workers and others -- at a member of the community who died recently. Today's "A Life Remembered" is about Theodore Maxwell Mills Sr., who died April 7 at the age of 69. His obituary was published in the April 9 edition of The Herald-Mail. When he wasn't working, Theodore Maxwell Mills Sr. of Big Pool liked to hunt and play pranks.

ANNAPOLIS -- The killing of two dogs in Williamsport has prompted a bill being considered by the Maryland General Assembly that would make it illegal to kill a dog that is chasing deer. The Washington County delegation voted Wednesday to enter the bill. The law is in place in at least seven other Maryland counties. Jeffrey Hurd, of 11845 Camden Road in Williamsport, was found guilty in November of two counts of mutilating an animal and two counts of malicious destruction of property under $500 for killing dogs on his property in 2007 and 2008.

Hagerstown Police Lt. Tom Alexander took this photo of several deer in a local field. One of them appears to be primarily white, a rarity among deer in this part of the country.

FORT LOUDON, Pa. -- Business was a bit slow at Mac's Taxidermy early Monday afternoon as Scott Akers scraped the flesh off a deer hide, but at that moment, another customer was heading his way from a successful first day of deer season. Akers was working on a hide for a head mount for his nephew, Josh Pluta of Greencastle, Pa. "He killed a pretty good eight-point on state game land," said Akers, who hunted with Pluta that morning. Bear were scarce during the just completed season, he said, but Pluta spotted a mother and three cubs as he was gutting the buck.

A historic landing, a memory to treasure and a scene captured after a chance glance are among the subjects Tri-State-area photographers submitted to The Herald-Mail. The Herald-Mail runs readers' best recent photographs taken in the Tri-State area on this page. Quality is key. Sharp, large, color images look best. Close-up photos show detail better. If the subject is small, get close or use a telephoto lens to make the subject appear large in the photo. Digital photos must be sharp, at least 6 inches wide and have a resolution of at least 300 dots per inch (dpi)

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- Robert Chanyi saw a nice six-point buck Saturday morning at Greenbrier State Park, but left the woods with a doe. "I went to squeeze the trigger and the safety was on -- never fails," the Boonsboro resident said while gearing up to return to the park's 500-acre hunting area with rifle in tow. Just once, he would like to leave the woods with a trophy buck, but Chanyi said it doesn't really matter in the end. ...

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- Maryland's most popular hunting season starts Saturday, and Sgt. Kenneth Turner of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police said officers are expecting a busy weekend. The two-week period for deer hunting with modern firearms runs through Dec. 13. During the 2007-08 deer hunting seasons -- which included bow, modern firearms and muzzleloader -- Washington County hunters bagged 7,205 deer, according to state data. Of those, 5,448 were killed using modern firearms and muzzleloaders, and 1,757 were killed during the bow season.

EASTERN PANHANDLE, W.Va. -- Deer kill on the first day of West Virginia's two-week gun season for bucks was off to a rousing start in the Eastern Panhandle, with dozens of the animals taken to game-checking stations Monday. When Jean Gilbert was asked how many deer were checked into the Country Roads General Store along W.Va. 51 in Middleway by early afternoon, she responded, "Oh, my goodness. " "I would say at least 25. I had three books going at one time here today," Gilbert said.