Night Watch for Deer: Cuyahoga Valley National Park Schedules Spotlight Survey Along Valley Roads

Anyone driving through Cuyahoga Valley National Park after dark next month may come across trucks creeping along the roadside with bright lights pointed into the woods. That activity is a planned deer survey by the park, and local police want the public to know about it ahead of time. The Sagamore Hills Police Department shared the park’s survey protocol summary with residents this week. The document lays out when the counts will happen, what the vehicles look like and how crews will avoid disturbing neighbors. Survey Dates and Hours Park crews will complete five full spotlight counts between Monday, Nov. 2, and Thursday, Nov. 12. Counts are limited to Monday through Thursday nights, with no more than four in any one week. Work starts a half hour after official sunset. Crews typically wrap up three to five hours later, though finishing times can vary. Bad weather will cancel a night’s count. Rain, fog, high winds or any condition that limits visibility or makes driving unsafe will keep the teams off the road. Spotting the Official Survey Trucks Each team uses a crew cab pickup truck. Two observers sit in the back seat and scan out of both side windows. Look for the National Park Service logo on the vehicle, plus extra reflective signs. Emergency flashers will stay on throughout the survey for safety. Two teams will work each night. One handles a northern route, while the other covers a southern route. Inside the Count Together, the routes cover 32 miles of roadway, which includes nearly every road inside the park. Teams will also travel 8.5 miles along the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Trucks move at 10 mph as observers sweep handheld spotlights across opposite sides of the road. Once deer are found, the vehicle stops so the team can count them and check for antlers. Observers use a laser range finder to estimate each deer’s distance from the road. They also log which side of the road the animals were on and the mileage point along that stretch. The driver handles the paperwork while parked and does not help look for deer beyond positioning the truck. Keeping Lights Away From Homes and Traffic According to the protocol, spotlights will not be aimed at houses or swept across residential lots in ways that could bother residents. The summary also refers to areas up to 100 feet from either side of occupied homes. Crews will not point lights at passing vehicles or at people walking. The park also states it will make every effort to keep the survey from being confused with illegal night hunting.