Pennsylvania’s deer hunting is among the best in the nation, but this state has finished in first place in the nation for another ranking: colliding with animals.
That’s according to Dave Phillips, senior public affairs specialist for State Farm Insurance.
Drivers ranked first for the number of animal collision claims from Pennsylvania July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, with more than 155,000 filed. In the 2021-2022 recording year that ended in June, Pennsylvania ranked sixth in the country.
Deer hunting creates bonding opportunities for family and friends, and venison is a high quality source of protein. But on the larger landscape, the Pennsylvania Game Commission depends on hunters to manage the size of the deer population. Having too many deer leads to deforestation, agricultural crop losses and accidents with vehicles.
Rifle-hunting deer season will be under way Nov. 26- Dec. 10, following a variety of early deer seasons this fall.
Anyone traveling in the last month would notice more dead deer on the roads than at other times of the year. Deer are more active in late October and November during their mating season and their ongoing travels lead to more collisions with vehicles.
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Deer made up the majority of damage to vehicles from animals.
A study over the last year found Pennsylvania drivers have a one in 57 chance of colliding with an animal while driving. The national average is 1 in 116.
As of November. 17, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is aware of 7,829 deer being killed on the highways this year. It also issued 1,115 consumption permits for additional deer that people found along the road wanted to harvest for meat.
In all of 2021, 11,176 deer were reported as being hit by a vehicle.
The actual number is much higher as people aren’t legally required to report these incidents to the agency. Many times when an animal is hit by a car, it’s able to leave the scene and return to the forest.
In addition to deer, the agency is aware of 639 black bears and 14 elk being killed by vehicles this year. Last year, motorists killed 60 elk and 536 black bears in Pennsylvania.
Without hunters reducing the number of big game animals, these numbers would be even higher. Last year, the Pennsylvania Game Commission sold 857,964 general hunting licenses, and hunters bagged 376,810 deer.
Travis Lau, communications director for the Game Commission, said interactions with motorists are something they take into account when planning hunting seasons.
“While we don’t track the number of road kills, we do regularly survey citizens about their attitudes on deer and whether the population where they live is too high, too low or just right. Road kills have an impact on the way people feel about deer. In areas with lots of them, survey respondents are more likely to say there are too many deer. In that sense, road kills do show up in management decisions in that manner, though not directly,” he said.
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If your car hits a deer
The Game Commission offers the following advice to motorists involved in a collision with a deer: A driver who hits a deer with a vehicle is not required to report the accident to the Game Commission. If the deer dies, only Pennsylvania residents may claim the carcass. To do so, call the Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-HUNT or 1-833-PGC-WILD and an agency dispatcher will collect the information needed to provide a free permit number.
A resident must call within 24 hours of taking possession of the deer. A passing Pennsylvania motorist also may claim the deer, if it went unclaimed by the driver whose car hit it.
Those taking possession of road-killed deer also are advised of rules related to chronic wasting disease (CWD) that prohibit the removal of high-risk deer parts – essentially the head and backbone. Those parts must be removed before the deer is transported outside of certain areas. For maps of these areas, the complete list of high-risk parts and other information on CWD, visit www.pgc.pa.gov.
To report a dead deer for removal from state roads, motorists can call the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation at 1-800-FIX-ROAD
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Avoiding animals on the highway
Experts advise motorists to drive at slower speeds where and when they believe animals will be on the move, such as between dusk and dawn. Lau said drivers can reduce their collisions with deer by staying alert and better understanding deer behavior. Just paying attention while driving on stretches marked with “Deer Crossing” signs can make a difference.
Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him atbwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on your website’s homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook@whipkeyoutdoors.