BANGOR -- Contractors are taking steps during the thinning of trees near I-95 in northern Maine to avoid attracting deer.

Last year, the Maine Department of Transportation hired a contractor to cut trees back from the interstate north of Bangor. But the project coincided with a harsh winter, and hungry deer were lured to the felled trees. Many of them ended up as road kill.

MDOT spokesman Mark Latti says the contractor ran out of time to complete the project before the spring thaw brought an end to logging.

This year, the project will be completed by March, and green treetops will be removed within 24 hours of being felled to avoid attracting deer.