Iowa drivers beware: October and November worst for deer crashes

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is urging drivers to stay alert for deer this month and next as farmers harvest their crops and fall is in full swing.

Jace Elliott, a deer biologist with the Iowa DNR, said October and November mark more deer-related traffic crashes due to the harvest season changing Iowa’s landscape, cooler temperatures sparking more deer movement and deer entering their mating, or “rut,” season.

A study by Iowa State University’s Institute for Transportation found that about 21 percent of all deer collisions in Iowa between 2013 and 2022 were in the month of November. The second highest month was October, with 13 percent. August was the month with the lowest reported deer collisions, with just 4 percent.

The study also found that about 13.5 percent of all reported motor vehicle crashes in the state were related to animal collisions. Most of those collisions were with white-tailed deer.

There were about 8,000 animal-related traffic collisions in 2023 for all Iowa roadways, which is on par with past years, Elliott said.

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“The number does fluctuate, but it tends to be around 7,000 to 8,000 crashes per year,” Elliott said, noting that Iowa DNR’s numbers are for all animal-related collisions but “most” involve deer.

The Iowa Department of Transportation tracks the number of animal-related collisions by their severity, but an Iowa DOT spokesperson said they do not specify the types of animals involved.

Elliott said that deer-related collisions happen most often where the most driving occurs — rather than in just areas with higher deer populations.

“Where people are driving more (is where) they're more likely to hit deer, not necessarily where the deer populations are the highest,” Elliott said. He said that Polk and Johnson counties are two examples of where this tends to occur most.

Michel Brower, a spokesperson for State Farm, said data collected from the insurance company shows Iowa is No. 7 of the 10 worst states where drivers are most likely to hit an animal on the road.

Brower said Iowa drivers have 1 in 68 odds of hitting an animal while on the road. Iowa is one the higher-risk Midwestern states for animal collisions, according to State Farm, showing only Wisconsin and Michigan in the Midwest with slightly greater odds. Outside the Midwest, West Virginia remains the most riskiest state, with odds at 1 in 40 of a driver hitting an animal, the survey found.

“Deer counted for the majority of damage to vehicles from animals followed by rodents, dogs, raccoons and coyotes,” Brower said in an email to The Gazette.

Brower said December is another top month for deer rashes. The ISU study found that 10 percent of the deer-vehicle crashes in its Iowa study period were in the month of December.

“Nationally, the insurance industry paid for an estimated 1.8 million animal collisions over the past 12 months,” Brower said, between July 1, 2023, and June 30. “Claim costs for animal collisions can vary wildly, ranging from a bumper scratch to a total loss, depending, among other things, on the size of the animal that you strike.”

What can drivers do?

Elliott said people should vigilantly be watching for deer as they drive. “The best thing drivers can do to keep deer-vehicle collisions down is to make sure you're scanning from ditch-to-ditch while you're driving through areas that might have more deer habitat, like wooded areas, creek beds,” Elliott said.

The Iowa DNR also recommends drivers reduce their speed and increase the following distance between cars.

Elliott said the worst thing drivers could do if a deer runs into their lane is veer.

“It's actually much better for a driver to just try to come to a controlled stop without adjusting their direction, even if that means hitting the deer,” Elliott said. “By veering, it's very well established that it's more likely to cause more property damage or more vehicle damage, as well as injuries by veering rather than just hitting the deer.”

Elliott also said that when drivers see one deer, assume there are more following it.

“Oftentimes, a deer will run across the road and drivers think that they're in the clear,” Elliott said. “But then there's deer following it that weren't observed initially.”

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Comments: (319) 398-8370; olivia.cohen@thegazette.com