Finland is painting deer antlers with reflective paint (2014)

Status of the Reflective-Antler Trial

• Commenters note the antler-painting in Finland was only a limited experiment, reportedly run for about a year and then stopped.
• It was deemed ineffective mainly because the paint didn’t last on the antlers and did not measurably reduce the ~4,000 annual reindeer road deaths.
• Some argue that unchanged collision numbers don’t prove the intervention failed; without a proper baseline and confounders, it’s unclear whether it helped at all.

Domesticated Reindeer vs. Wild Deer

• In Finnish Lapland, reindeer are essentially livestock: almost all have owners, are herded, and are rounded up annually for ear-marking and other work.
• This makes painting them at least logistically plausible, unlike wild deer elsewhere.
• There is debate over whether there are any truly wild reindeer left in the area, but consensus that their number is negligible compared to herded animals.

Biology and Practicality of Painting Antlers

• Reindeer (both males and females) grow and shed antlers annually, with velvet-covered growth and scraping during rut.
• This means any coating would need to be applied in a short time window and would only last a few months.
• Scraping trees and weather quickly degrade paint or reflective coatings, which is cited as a key reason the trial failed.
• Several commenters question whether the article even addresses how this would be maintained year after year.

Other Mitigation Ideas

• Slowing traffic is repeatedly suggested; some say animals will still run into vehicles regardless of speed, but others stress that lower speed clearly reduces severity and reaction distance issues.
• Alternatives mentioned:
  • Game fences and wildlife crossings.
  • Camera-based detection systems that trigger special roadside signals.
  • “Virtual fences” that emit sounds and lights when cars approach.
  • Infrared cameras and driver-assist systems in cars.
• Experiences with fences differ by region; sometimes fences trap animals or are too low for deer.

Predators, Poaching, and Culture

• Concerns are raised that reflective antlers might make reindeer easier targets for wolves or hunters; others reply that reflection is directional to headlights and most predators avoid antlers anyway.
• Multiple comments discuss reindeer as domestic property: illegal to hunt them like wild game, but there are allegations of intentional vehicle strikes for meat or out of spite.
• A substantial side thread debates Sami identity, ancestry, historical discrimination, and reindeer herding rights, with sharply conflicting historical narratives and no clear resolution in the discussion.

Anecdotes, Humor, and Article Critique

• Many anecdotes describe deer and reindeer behaving chaotically on roads, including running into stationary vehicles and acting especially erratically during rut.
• Various humorous proposals appear: hi-viz vests for deer, bioengineered glowing antlers, AI robots to tag animals, and cars that detect or even “eat” deer.
• Several commenters criticize the linked article as shallow, lacking follow-up data and practical details, and note that it is old (2014) and does not state that the trial was ultimately abandoned.