"I Brake for Animals" is an old bumper sticker, but appropriate for this time of year. Most wild creatures bear or hatch their young in late winter or spring. Many young are now being introduced to the world in which they'll live, hopefully long enough to play a role in the future of their species. Because our freeways, highways and county roads have divided so much of the landscape into a patchwork of habitats, people and wild creatures have lots of close encounters at this time of year, not all of them pleasant.

Just a few weeks ago, while driving on the service road near my office, the car ahead of me braked for no apparent reason. Then a car in the oncoming lane slowed to a crawl, too. Within seconds the reason was clear. A hen mallard was leading a procession of a half dozen ducklings across the road. Traffic in both directions stopped long enough for them to pass safely.

On one side of this busy road is an office complex with lots of green space. On the other is a golf course with lots of grass, plus ponds and connecting channels, where ducks can retreat for sanctuary, and find the water-borne foods common to their diet. These particular ducks had no idea how close they had been to becoming road kill.

This spot has proven unhealthy for ducks before. Last fall I found a fully-plumed mallard drake dead at the edge of the road. Judging by the lack of any visible trauma, he was most likely a victim of a low-altitude collision. Being a "waste not, want not" kind of guy, I collected him for his plumage, which I will use to make lures for fishing. I stopped short, however, of making him part of the family menu.

Deer are at risk of fatal encounters with vehicles at any season, but I seem to see the most evidence in spring, when deer numbers are at their highest, and the new crop of fawns is inexperienced. Over the course of an early-May trip to Central Iowa, the body count in dead whitetail deer was well into double figures.

Being primarily nocturnal, deer often aren't seen by drivers until they're "in the headlights," and it's too late to slow down and avoid a collision. Drivers are cautioned not to make radical maneuvers to avoid hitting deer, for fear of going out of control. But I suspect it's a rare driver who doesn't instinctively react and try to avoid a collision, despite the warnings.

One of the most heart-wrenching deer collision incidents I've seen was on this very trip. It happened on Interstate 35 in northern Iowa. As my car and others sped along through the darkness, my headlights illuminated what I immediately recognized as a deer lying on the shoulder of the road.

There were no stopped vehicles, so I can only assume the collision caused little or no vehicle damage. But as my car whizzed past, I could see clearly that the deer's head was lifted up, off the ground. Whether it was just momentarily stunned, badly hurt and unable to get up, or in its final moments, I'll never know. Heavy traffic made stopping impossible, and there was no exit for miles. I'm not sure what, if anything, one could have done for the animal; but I guess it's human nature to wonder.

On this trip, too, almost a month ago, roadside ponds both in Iowa and in Minnesota showed adult Canada geese with their broods of goslings in tow. I'm sure there were plenty of duck broods, too; but, at a distance, ducks are far less conspicuous than families of geese.

Ducklings and goslings may be thriving, but here in the heavily forested region of Minnesota, we're entering a time that will be critical to the success of this year's crop of ruffed grouse. In addition to the danger from predators, June's weather plays a key role in whether grouse will successfully raise their broods to maturity, and makes a contribution to the huntable fall population. Periods of cool weather and heavy rain at this time can wipe out entire broods, and - at least on a localized basis - keep bird numbers down for the year.

Fortunately, grouse are less "urbane" than ducks and geese, are at home in more rural settings, and should be less likely to come to grief under the wheels of human commerce. But grouse are not immune. I've seen several grouse corpses along rural roads this spring. Both adults and young birds are at some risk, particularly when they are gathering grit for their crops, which they conveniently - or inconveniently - find at the edges of dirt roads.

Wild creatures large and small, bird and mammal, cross paths with us often. Sometimes too often for their own good. Be watchful, and when possible, do as we're instructed to do for highway workers: "Give 'em a brake."