Large Herd Of Elk Cause Traffic Disruptions In Southwest Oklahoma

Oklahomans say three things to their loved ones before they head out on the road:

1. Bye.
2. Love you.
3. Watch for deer.

We all know someone who has either hit a deer or been hit by a deer while traveling down the Oklahoma highways. There are certain times of year where these accidents are more prevalent, usually in the colder months and through the spring time. But these types of accidents can happen year-round, they're usually not fatal, but they can be, and they most certainly cause a lot of damage.

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Southwest Oklahoma now has a little twist on the third parting words: watch for elk.

Recently, the Indiahoma Fire Department has been warning drivers of a large herd of elk that has been crossing US HWY 62 between Indiahoma, south of the highway, on to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, north of the highway. Indiahoma sits south of HWY 62 between Snyder and Cache, and there's a lot of open land in this area, which the elk enjoy. You can see in the video below that the elk are crossing the highway in broad daylight.

Often these sightings happen at night, which makes it difficult to see the elk. And if you're driving the speed limit of 70 mph or higher on the highway, you may see an elk in the ditch and then the next minute you're colliding. The Indiahoma Fire Department responded to a similar accident on February 10 and posted about it on its Facebook page, warning drivers to take extra caution.

No matter what Oklahoma highway you're on, keep your eyes peeled for critters!

All kinds of critters can cross Oklahoma highways, some may not seem like they could cause a lot of damage, but anything can cause an accident. So if you're traveling down HWY 62 near Indiahoma, stay safe and watch for elk!