Where Does Your State Rank for Deer Collisions

[Nice n Easy Rider]

Although this data is based on deer-car collisions it might still give some idea of the odds in each state of encountering one of our nemeses. NC ranks a surprisingly low 21st.

 

http://www.wral.com/state-farm-ranks-nc-as-no-21-for-deer-car-crashes/11691904/

 

[EffBee]

I don't see the problem. In WA it's one in 477. So when the 476th deer gets hit, I stay home the next day.

[Mike]

Wisconsin, where I do a fair amount of riding (and where we are building a cabin) is ranked #7. Sucks. You see a lot of dead deer along the roads there, and this time of year they're intent on taking out any motorized vehicle they can leap in front of.

[Kathy R]

I think NY's ranking would be lower were it not for the high human population of NYC. I wonder if WV's numbers are up due to an ever increasing deer population? Last winter was beyond mild.

 

 

[Hank in WV]

The deer population around here is out of control and has been for awhile. I hit 5 deer in a 7 year period. Luckily (I guess) in my truck and not on a bike.

[Selden]

There's a story that Ranger Arthur Woody re-introduced deer to the north Georgia mountains after his father killed the last one. Misguided bastard.

 

[upflying]

The deer population around here is out of control and has been for awhile. I hit 5 deer in a 7 year period. Luckily (I guess) in my truck and not on a bike.

 

Animal rights groups may have had some affect in the increasing deer population.

[Paul Mihalka]

I blame Walt Disney with Bambi. After that no real deer control of any kind can be put in place. Everybody loves Bambi.

 

Two bike/deer kills on record.

[David13]

I think there are just not enough hunters today. Or the 'animal rights' group is fish and game or the state agency responsible for issuing licenses to hunters.

Or the deer season is not long enough.

In Utah, they were saying a young lady had to wait 15 years on the waiting list til she got her elk license. But that's elk.

I don't know what the deer hunter license numbers are like.

I think the deer are getting smarter, too. They know when it's hunting season and they lay low.

dc

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Skewed data for a mixed region state. CA is 1 in 940 but, you aren't going to hit one in downtown LA or the suburbs of the Bay Area.

Just went past two tonight. One on the way out and one on the way back in.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

There's a story that Ranger Arthur Woody re-introduced deer to the north Georgia mountains after his father killed the last one. Misguided bastard.

 

 

That short list puts Michigan at #2, but George's link puts us at #5. Either way, it's way up there. Tough to say where the problem is. Da UP probably has more deer than we do down where I live, but there's also a lot less people up there, so it turns out they actually have fewer deer collisions; the worst areas are right next door to me, near Lansing and Jackson according to this 2008 map:

 

 

Here in AA I live on the edge of town, and often see deer wandering through a soybean field a 1/4-mile from my house. There are also significant patchs of woodlands within city limits; I've seen deer (living and dead) on city streets on numerous occasions.

 

I've had a few close calls on the bike, but luckily no collisions despite nearly fourteen years of riding at spirited paces through rural areas.

[upflying]

There is a definite move away from hunting in California.

Starting Jan 1, the California Department of Fish and Game will be called California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Seems as if "Game" implies hunting and that is offensive to some people.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/03/14200590-californias-department-of-fish-and-game-gets-a-name-change-and-controversy?lite

 

[tallman]

deer density map

clickable and zoomish

 

Like they said, state comparison is a start, areas in same state can differ.

[CVA-42]

Georgia ranks about in the middle but I came close twice last year, both times in broad daylight. The second time was so close that I was convinced I would hit him up until the last fraction of a second. I really have to laugh when someone tries to tell me that ABS has no place on a motorcycle.

[Dave_in_TX]

We have a very high deer population in central Texas and it's not just a rural problem. Parts of Austin have numerous deer. Six years ago, I hit a deer on my way to work in the morning. Totaled my bike and I ended up with five fractured ribs as well as a couple of sprains. Six weeks later, one of my riding buddies collided with one had had fractured ribs as well as a broken collar bone and shoulder bone. I have two other riding friends who had to be air flighted to the hospital after deer collisions and know of a few others whose injuries weren't so severe.

 

From the Texas Parks and Wildlife web site (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/habitats/hillcountry/):

"Some may best know the Hill Country as the Deer Factory of Texas, as it supports the largest white-tailed deer population in the state. Although deer hunting is a major industry in this region, the area where Mason, Gillespie, and Llano counties converge supports the highest deer density in the nation, with one deer for every 2-3 acres. "

 

That's unfortunate for Texas motorcyclists since the hill country is also the nest riding area in the state.

[leikam]

Rising deer encounters couldn't have anything to do with growing suburbs, could it?

[lkraus]

deer density map

clickable and zoomish

 

In Ohio, the high deer density areas are also the high twisty density areas.

 

Figures..

 

Larry

 

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

the California Department of Fish and Game will be called California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Seems as if "Game" implies hunting and that is offensive to some people.

 

Bob

I'm ok if they make the California Department of Corrections the California Department of Corrections and Game!

[ltljohn]

Rising deer encounters couldn't have anything to do with growing suburbs, could it?

That could be part of it but here in PA the deer population is high even in the suburbs. They are not hunted there and breed unchecked.

[OoPEZoO]

Not surprised that PA takes the crown. This time of year, I routinely see 2-3 fresh kills EVERY morning on my daily commute. Been lucky enough that I have never hit one......bike or cage, but I have had some really close calls.

[biometrics]

Had a close call this morning in my van. A 6-point buck lept out of the ditch in the median strip just a few feet from my left front fender attempting to cross the road. I went past as he took the second jump onto the roadway, and the third bound got him off the two lane into the right shoulder. The person behind me probably had to change their shorts when they got where they were going... They missed the deer by inches.

[taylor1]

I just watched on the news this morning that West Virginia is no. 1 and P.A. is ranked 5th Hit one in my car and came close many many many times. The county I am in, you can buy about as many doe licenses as you want. The buck regulations is what you have to watch. They are trying to get them really big racks.

[racer7]

I stopped killing deer with firearms a few years ago - stuff around here doesn't eat as well as northern deer due to diet so not as worth putting in freezer. It was 2 a day and 5 on a license when I stopped- and one could buy multiple licenses cheaply. My hunting club averaged about 11 deer killed by each hunter every year and we made not even a dent in the local population despite killing 550 the last year I hunted with them.

Humans have made life real easy for these rats. They browse young growth created by human activity and do badly in truly mature forests. Most of us don't kill them for food and we've effectively destroyed the predators that did. It would take major cultural changes to put herds back to levels that existed when Columbus got here.

We're close enough to rut peak now that road deer kills are noticeably up the past couple weeks as evidenced by roadside carcasses. There is a secondary dangerous effect of that- those kills attract buzzard flocks and we now have way more of those than many years ago. Those slow stupid birds have a way of also getting hit by bikes- they're too slow to react and gain altitude and they are often at low altitude and still over the pavement when you get to them. Around here, the buzzards leave only a few bits of fur and dismembered bones- takes them about 3 days to reduce a carcass to scattered little remnants.

Personally, I'd have no objection to licensed market hunting of deer - a good way to get protein that's out there going to waste otherwise, doing damage to life and property in the process. We "market hunt" fish that breed and mature far less rapidly than deer and they're better looking and do less damage.

[Quinn]

North Carolina odds 1 in 135. Realizing that we're talking about each ride having a 1 in 135 chance of an owie, that also implies that the average driver hits a deer every 135 days of driving (riding). If you commute five days a week, that's a hit every 25 weeks--about two a year. Since I've never hit a deer, that also implies that there some poor guy out there taking up my slack by bagging at least 4 a year. Oh, and according to Tallman's map, I'm in a 45 deer per square mile area of the state.

 

Our deer population is far enough out of control that Durham is allowing bow hunting in the city limits. By bow hunting they also mean crossbows. Lot of controversy; noone wants a wounded deer coming out of the woods to die in you front yard when then grandkids come over to watch Bambi.

 

Last random thought, wonder how much the level of collisions is effected by driver's abilities and attitudes. Are pickup trucks and SUVs more likely to hit deer than Priuses and Volvos?

 

----

 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

North Carolina odds 1 in 135. Realizing that we're talking about each ride having a 1 in 135 chance of an owie, that also implies that the average driver hits a deer every 135 days of driving (riding). If you commute five days a week, that's a hit every 25 weeks--about two a year. Since I've never hit a deer, that also implies that there some poor guy out there taking up my slack by bagging at least 4 a year.

 

They're not very clear on what "1 in 135" means. are those the odds per mile? Per ride? Odds per year? Lifetime odds? Seems unlikely to be per-mile or per-ride odds, otherwise (as you note) the average driver will score at least two deer hits per year. 1 in 135 for a year of driving seems more likely. If I look at the Michigan deer collision map (posted upthread), the total deer collisions for 2008 in Washtenaw county was 1187, and the county's population is 344,791; that amounts to one deer hit per 290 residents per year. You'd have to look at the number of licensed drivers instead of residents, so if just two out of three residents are licensed, then the odds start to look more like 1 in 200 per year, ending up in the same order of magnitude as the 1 in 135 cited for NC.

 

As with other riding hazards, there are things you can do to reduce your risk. Deer collisions skyrocket in late fall. Here's data for Kentucky:

 

Presumably it's similar in other states (data for Wisconsin here). If you want to dramatically trim your odds of a deerstrike, you might consider parking your bike during that time frame.

 

Time of day also matters:

 

Note there are two peaks, around dawn and dusk. But the dusk peak is higher and longer, implying that that's when the deer are most active. Nighttime is also quite a bit more dangerous than daytime. If you really must ride in November, you may want to avoid commuting, and just enjoy afternoon pleasure cruises on the weekend.

 

One more tip. If you do see a deer cross the road ahead of you, SLOW WAY DOWN. There's a good chance that deer is not alone, and his companion(s) will be crossing the road momentarily. As often as not, I've seen that happen, and approaching slowly (well below the speed limit) gave me a chance to see and avoid the extra deer coming out of the woods.

 

Lots more data here from the Federal Highway Administration.

[Glenn Reed]

One more tip. If you do see a deer cross the road ahead of you, SLOW WAY DOWN. There's a good chance that deer is not alone, and his companion(s) will be crossing the road momentarily. As often as not, I've seen that happen, and approaching slowly (well below the speed limit) gave me a chance to see and avoid the extra deer coming out of the woods.

 

My only deer strike, this is exactly what happened. Middle of summer, late at night, Subaru wagon taking my younger son back to camp on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. No ambient light whatsoever, and I saw a deer cross from one cornfield to the other, my left to right. Immediately hit the brakes hard, just as second one crosses directly in front of me and we take the full impact on the hood of the car. Bambi goes flying off into the cornfield, never to be seen again. Ever since then, I have been much more alert, and it has saved me a few times.

[Chris K]

There's a story that Ranger Arthur Woody re-introduced deer to the north Georgia mountains after his father killed the last one. Misguided bastard.

 

 

State Farm ranks GA 25th. One of these must be wrong.

[Nice n Easy Rider]

 

They're not very clear on what "1 in 135" means. are those the odds per mile? Per ride? Odds per year? Lifetime odds? Seems unlikely to be per-mile or per-ride odds, otherwise (as you note) the average driver will score at least two deer hits per year. 1 in 135 for a year of driving seems more likely.

 

The original report was giving the 'odds of hitting a deer in the coming year'.

[lawnchairboy]

deer near misses: very near the entrance to camp Lejeune, NC & on main st, downtown Ouray.

[autobahnracing28]

I have never hit one but have had two of them hit me. Both times at dusk and both times they slammed into the side of my car.

 

Never come close to hitting a Deer on a bike but I can tell from first hand experience that a ground squirrel will send you sliding across the road when you hit it while in a corner.

[leikam]

I'd never thought about this before, but

has a point. Why don't they move those deer crossing signs out of high-traffic areas?

[taylor1]

I think she is absolutely right! I think that she just missed the point of why those signs are not put in crosswalks with a walk and do not walk light

[Bill_Walker]

Hmm. Given that I'm about to ride cross-country in November, I think I'll be sure to stick to that 8:00-5:00 window!

[David13]

Actually lights and all may be an idea. At least it's an idea that Colorado has adopted thusly;

Riding west from Durango? or somewhere, the signs, which were light up variety, read 'deer detection area'. Then the signs blink and read "deer detected". I didn't detect any, but my eyes are bad. For all I know, the deer could have been standing on the detection sensor, in the hopes of obtaining some safety in crossing the road.

dc

 

[richs]

Good advice but will not always work.

 

I was in a car traveling in my neighborhood probably about 8am or so. I see a deer cross in the block ahead. Being the smart guy I think I am, I slow down to about 15mph because I know there will be others crossing. Wham! Deer runs into the side of my car.

 

I was on my bike about 4 or 5 in the afternoon coming up a steep hill. As I reach the top, I see several deer cross between me and an oncoming Suburban. The last barely clears the Suburban. I pull over to collect my thoughts and tell my buddy what just happened... he was following and may not have seen. As we are sitting on the side of the road, looking through my rear view mirror, I see about a dozen more cross the road. Yikes!

 

I have hit 2 others in a car, both at dusk or soon after. Never saw the one and the other I barely saw the head while checking my outside rear view mirror.

 

Lots of deer here in Central Texas...

[Paul Mihalka]

"I was in a car traveling in my neighborhood probably about 8am or so. I see a deer cross in the block ahead. Being the smart guy I think I am, I slow down to about 15mph because I know there will be others crossing. Wham! Deer runs into the side of my car."

 

It was still the right thing to do. Much better the deer running into your car at 15mph than you running into the deer at 30 or 50.

 

[Fubar]

The deer population around here is out of control and has been for awhile. I hit 5 deer in a 7 year period. Luckily (I guess) in my truck and not on a bike.

Remind me not to ride with you.

 

Everybody loves Bambi.

Yes, she was delicious.

 

So far, the only deer I've seen on the bike were in NC last year. One paralleled the road at almost 30 before crossing between me and the bike in front (who never saw it). I slowed a ton prior. Nearly a Depends moment.

[tallman]

We need to meet next time you pass thru this time of year.

Almost never ride w/out seeing 'em up here.

 

Avoide a couple due to ABS/telelever, and several becasue they were extremely smart and maneuvaerable deer.

 

One hit me in the dark, from the right, head clipped my upper arm,

bike stayed upright, too dark to see anything except the white flash of muzzle.

 

Numerous spottings riding in N Fl and S Ga, if you ride at night, particualarly the E/W panhandle roads eyes abound aglowing on the shoulders.

[SuperG]

Deer are dumb and people are dumb, so it is a bad combo.

 

Central Texas,(west) deer population is out of control.

Dumb people:

1) In Central Texas- they voted not to use: paid hunters, some sort of birth control method, and stop feeding the deer to thin the deer population. Trapping them in large numbers and taking them to Mexico to a ranch for game was considered. Tax payer would have paid for it partially.

2) natural predator killed to almost extinction - Coyotes.

3) majority vote voted down ban on feeding deer, most gas stations sell 40 pound bags deer feed corn- to general population- popular item to year around joy feeders that love to see young bambies in the spring time.

4)Deer is treated as pets where I live, they can be hand fed around and on the golf courses.

5) it is not population growth or humans taking area from the deer, it is people attracting and feeding poor diet to them. Deer does not eat natural diet but the junk corn fed by humans. they know they have plenty and they breed like crazy producing much smaller size deer. Our well manicured golf courses feed the pesky deer all year around and mild winter temps of TExas are heaven for deer.

 

Dumb deer. They stand on the side of the road and are so much used to people they don't even flinch when a car drives by at 40mph. SOme times get spooked and run in every imaginable direction zig-zagging from left to right some time even U turns back toward the car. Even run smack down center of side of cars. They are flee and tick infested, which can and does carry lime disease. It spreads to humans.

 

My vote goes for trap/kill and feed it to the hungry/needy or otherwise misfortuned people. Homeless can help with processing/distributing deer. It is a win-win.

[tallman]

I'll take the back strap.

[scout6]

Yup. Note my county, Kent, right there with the high numbers. One deer bike collision. I think we won, but it was close.

[philbytx]

Well,

Here's the rub......

If you have comprehensive coverage and someone has an "off" and says its because they overcooked a corner, hit some sand or leaves, there is the likelihood that they will get penalized with higher premiums.

 

However, if they report it as a deer incident, in most cases (and if they haven't a "history"!) they do NOT get penalized !

 

Just sayin'

 

 

[Fubar]

Although this data is based on deer-car collisions it might still give some idea of the odds in each state of encountering one of our nemeses.

http://www.wral.com/state-farm-ranks-nc-as-no-21-for-deer-car-crashes/11691904/

Woo-hoo! Florida - 1 in 991 - ranks in the bottom 5 (just like education ). Helps explain why I've only seen 2 deer in 24 years.

[tallman]

Depends where you are in Florida.

 

I ride one stretch where I may see deer almost every day and carcasses are common.

 

At night on Hwy 29 you just rode you see dozens of eyes light up...

 

When I lived in Tampa on the HIllsborough river I didn't see many.