Why You Don't See Many MnDOT Minnesota Deer Crossing Signs

Why did the city put a deer crossing sign on 6th Street, just up the hill from St Marys? They didn't. So who did? I reached out to Megan Moeller, the Rochester MN Public Works Communications Coordinator, she did some digging (because she's awesome!) and told me in an email ,

Sign belongs to a homeowner as the City of Rochester does not use these signs. (Nor does Olmsted County or MnDOT.) While this isn’t the City’s document I did find the something from MnDOT that explains why these signs are not used:

And, like you, I was today years old when I learned they aren't putting up any new deer crossing signs. Why? Because deer read and never used the crossings designed just for them. ((rim shot))

No, but for real, MnDOT says,

Research has shown that deer crossing warning signs do not reduce deer-vehicle crashes. Signs alone are ineffective at slowing people down or changing driver behavior.

There are still old signs up, but Rochester, Olmsted County, and MnDOT no longer use 'em, so they're being taken down as they wear out. So what do you do instead?

The MnDOT campaign for deer-vehicle safety is "Don't Veer for Deer!"