MITCHELL COUNTY, Iowa (KIMT) – Street signs are designed to alert drives of what lays ahead, but a new deer crossing sign in Mitchell County has some believing it crosses a line.
The sign reads “Suicidal Deer, Next 2 Miles.” It is located just outside of St. Ansgar on Highway 105, just off of Sally Hertel’s property.
“I think it is a little insensitive,” says Sally Hertel.
Sally says there has always been a sign near her yard and she sees a clear need.
“Anywhere between Carpenter and here, which is about 7 miles, there’s a lot of deer,” says Hertel. “It is just part of living in North Iowa.”
Though Hertel is use to looking out her window and seeing a sign she says this one has some issues.
“Suicide? That makes it look like a joke, and myself, I have never had anybody close to me decide tot take their own life, but I’ve had a lot of friends and other people who have and I know it is a sensitive subject.,” says Sally.
“We saw a sign like this one in Illinois, and thought it would be an affective way to warn people of deer,” says Stan Walk, a Mitchell County Supervisor. “We did not intend for it to be hurtful, but we will stand by the idea that it is an affective warning method.”
Hertel believes there is a better way to solve this issue.
“I was driving back form Austin, and there was a sign that was white and orange, it had a deer jumping, it caught my attention,” says Hertel.
Walk says the county has purchased more signs, but have no set date on when they will be put up.