The ‘Deer Sheriff’ Is Kent County’s Roadkill Cleanup Hero

October marks the start of deer hunting season, one of the state's most popular hobbies. Deer are most active in October and November, which is great for hunters, but it's also when the most deer-involved car crashes occur. In 2024 alone, over 58,000 deer-vehicle crashes occurred across Michigan, with 42% (25,037) happening in Oct-Dec alone.

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Nowhere in the state are there more of these incidents than in Kent County, and when a deer-vehicle crash happens, there's usually a dead deer. The Kent County Road Commission (KCRC) is responsible for taking care of the body, and one man in particular has done it more than any other.

Deer crosses road near pedestrian crossing sign

They call him the Deer Sheriff, and he has single-handedly removed over 50,000 deer carcasses from roads all across Kent County.  

Andy Albertson, the Deer Sheriff

Andy Albertson has been part of the KCRC for over twenty years, and he has one of the more unique jobs on the force. According to an interview with Michigan Public, each morning Albertson gets a list of debris, mainly roadkill, on the road that needs to be picked up, and that's how he spends his day. He dumps the carcasses at the landfill and keeps going until everything is picked up.

READ MORE: Michigan DNR MiHunt Map Gets Major Upgrade for Deer Season

His truck even has a "DEER SHERIFF" branding on the side. He's seen all kinds of animals in his time, but this time of year it's generally deer. The job originally started as a part-time position, but it grew into a full-time one over the years. One he's apparently quite good at.

In his own words, "It's certainly an interesting way to make a living." He hit 40,000 in 2022 and removed 10,000 deer in the last four years, an astonishing pace that speaks volumes about the number of collisions taking place each year.

Even with these numbers, sometimes hitting a deer is the right choice. Remember, "Don't Veer for Deer". The State of Michigan says if impact with a deer is unavoidable, swerving "to avoid a deer may cause a loss of control of the vehicle and a more serious traffic crash." You can view more driving tips from the state here.