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THEBACHA/FORT SMITH - Motorists are being warned about the danger of bison on certain stretches of NWT highway.

The majority of collisions occur in the fall.

There are two main areas of danger - a section of Highway 5 to Fort Smith and Highway 3 between Fort Providence and Yellowknife.

So far this year, there have been four incidents of bison being hit on Highway 5 inside Wood Buffalo National Park.

In late October, a pickup truck hit and killed four bison in one incident.

"That's never happened in the park before," said Mike Vassal, a park warden.

In all, seven bison have been hit and six have been killed.

"The seventh one we weren't able to find," Vassal said. "We certainly searched for it."

The warden said, fortunately, no drivers or passengers have been seriously injured in any of the collisions.

"In most cases, the vehicle hasn't been drivable," he said.

The park has increased warnings about bison-vehicle collisions have spiked in the past year.

In 2008, there were 13 collisions, which was a record for the past 20 years.

"It really brought the problem home," Vassal said.

The previous record number of collisions on Highway 5 was four in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Before that, the highest recorded number was three.

Almost all of the collisions occur between August and January or very close to that time period.

Vassal said the main area of concern in the park is a roughly 60-kilometre stretch of highway between Nyarling River and Sass River.

"We're asking people to be especially vigilant on that stretch of highway," he said.

Vassal said there are a number of reasons for more collisions in the fall, including less daylight which makes the dark bison much more difficult to see. "They're very hard to see at night," he said.

The warden said bison use the highway corridor year round, but more frequently in the fall in search of grazing areas.

Vassal advised motorists to travel during daylight hours if possible, not to outdrive headlights and to remain vigilant.

The park has also taken a number of steps to increase safety. It has erected more warning signs.

In addition, the drivers for a delivery company which use the road call the park when they spot a herd. The information is passed on to CBC radio to alert the public. A poster campaign is also being developed.

The Department of Transportation is also loaning the park two mobile electric signs to place on either side of the most dangerous stretch of Highway 5.

Earl Blacklock, manager of public affairs and communications with the Department of Transportation, said, besides Highway 5, bison-vehicle collisions are also a concern on Highway 3 between Fort Providence and Yellowknife and on Highway 7 to Fort Liard.

On Highway 3, there have been a few recent collisions.

Blacklock said the most dangerous time is from mid-August to mid-December.

This fall, there has been a large concentration of bison along Highway 3 between Fort Providence and Behchoko.

"That's when we try to get the word out on it," Blacklock said.

Since 2000, bison have also been moving closer and closer to Yellowknife, he said. "That's the thing most people don't realize."

In recent years, a vehicle-bison collision has been recorded as close as 70 km from Yellowknife and bison have been spotted as close as 30 km from the capital city.

"The entire Highway 3 is bison country," Blacklock said.

On Highway 7, there was only one vehicle-bison collision recorded in 2007.

The Department of Transportation will be mailing out information this month containing 10 suggestions to avoid collisions with bison. The information is also available on the department's website.