It’s well into harvest time for Tri-State farmers, and with the corn stalks coming down, the number of deer-vehicle collisions will start going up.
Cornfields provide both safety and food for deer, so when the combines roll, the deer get more active, looking for food sources to get them through the winter. Combine that with how many of those fields are a stone’s throw from major highways, and you get a recipe for wrecks.
Deer hunting, harvesting and mating season
“It’s harvest season, mating season and hunting season in the fall, so it all sort of comes together to get the deer running around,” said Sgt. Todd Ringle, a spokesman with the Indiana State Police, told the Courier & Press in 2021.
Insurance giant State Farm lists Indiana in the middle of the pack in terms of the risk of having an animal-vehicle collision, with a driver’s risk at 1 in 102 (25th among all states). Kentucky is a bit higher with a 1-in-98 chance (23rd), while Illinois is lower at 1 in 170 (34th). The worst risk is in West Virginia, where drivers have a 1-in-40 shot at hitting an animal.
(Some context: Your odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are one in 1.22 million. There’s a 1-in-220 chance you’ll be audited by the IRS, and a 1-in-6 shot you get food poisoning in any given year.)
When are you most likely to hit a deer?
Joe Caudill of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said deer collisions start to increase in September and peak in mid-November.
At the high point, there are about three times the number of collisions daily compared to the rest of the year. Then, the numbers decline until they return to a normal level in January, Caudill told the Courier & Press in 2021.
The number of daily collisions in Indiana have two peaks each day – about 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Caudill said.
Be alert for movement on the side of the road that might indicate the presence of animals, particularly in areas with deer crossing signs.
What should you do if a deer runs into your path?
Let’s say a deer prances onto the roadway as you approach. According to Ringle, the worst thing you can do is swerve. The best move is to hit the brakes and hope for a good outcome.
“We see far more issues (in terms of injuries) when people attempt to swerve to miss the deer,” Ringle said. “When you’re travelling at highway speeds – whether that’s 50-55 mph on a road or going 75 on an interstate – and you try to swerve, a lot of times you lose control of the car.
“The odds of you regaining control at those speeds when you’ve left the roadway are slim to none. People end up hitting guardrails and trees,” Ringle said.
More: Here’s how hunters can apply to take part in controlled deer hunts at Indiana state parks
In 2023 in Indiana, there were 16,448 collisions involving deer, according to Indiana State Police statistics. Those collisions resulted in 497 injuries and seven death. In just the October-to-December timeframe, there were 7,289 collisions resulting in 237 injuries and two deaths.
Locally, during the October-December window in 2023, here’s how the numbers looked by county:
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Vanderburgh County: 56 collisions, two injuries.
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Warrick County: 123 collisions, four injuries.
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Posey County: 55 collisions, three injuries.
What should you do if you hit a deer?
First: If you can, get your vehicle off the highway, if it’s safe and manageable, Ringle said. One wreck can quickly turn into two accidents – or a pile-up – if drivers don’t see the mess ahead of them.
“A lot of people feel like if they move the car, the police will consider that leaving the scene. We don’t,” Ringle said. “Get to a safe location and call the police.”
If your car has sustained such damage that it can’t be moved, try turning on the blinking hazard lights, Ringle said. If you can get to a safe location away from the road, do so. If the area is less hospitable to standing outside the car, stay in it with your seatbelt fastened.
Also, and Ringle can’t stress this enough: If the deer survived the collision, do not get near it.
“The deer is going to be injured and it will panic and be aggressive,” he said. “The main thing we see is people getting kicked.”
About that carcass …
It’s not unusual for a local to claim the deer after a wreck, if there’s enough of the animal left to process for food.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources officials say a possession (road kill) permit can be issued by any law enforcement officer or DNR property manager.
And if you’re a hunter, know that the claim doesn’t count against your annual tag limit.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: What happens if I hit a deer with my car?
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