Deer & Drivers in Iowa

The number of deer killed on rural highways increased by about 5 percent in 2011, according to the Iowa DNR’s Trends in Iowa Wildlife Populations and Harvest, published October 2012.

State Farm Insurance recently released an annual study concluding that the odds that an individual driver in the United States will crash into a deer during the next year have declined by 4.3 percent.

However, Iowa moves up one spot to third, meaning 1 in 73 drivers are projected to hit a deer this year.  To read more on these annual reports, visit the links below.

Double check with your insurance provider to make sure your current auto insurance policy would cover damage sustained from deer-vehicle accidents.

The DNR reports that it uses four methods to trend deer populations in Iowa, including aerial surveys, spotlight surveys, a record of the number of deer killed on Iowa's rural highways throughout the year coupled with annual highway use estimates, and the bowhunter observation

Survey.  The DNR reports that deer populations in Iowa seem to be decreasing overall, but could just be shifting population densities to different counties and so on. To counter the efficiency of deer reproduction, the DNR implements a certain number of deer that can be harvested per year.  The reported kill for the 2011 through 2012 season was 121,407—about 4.5 percent lower than in 2010.

Although difficult to obtain an average estimate for deer-vehicle collisions, the most common reported damage costs between $1,000 and $3,000.  The annual DNR report states that deer are adaptable and will roam many different types of habitats as long as the area provides adequate cover. Examples of these types of areas include brushy areas, marshes, grassy areas and standing corn. Drive especially careful in these areas.

• Additional Resources

DNR trending report
KCCI review of annual State Farm report
State Farm press release 2012 annual report
KCCI article woman hits deer

Melinda Warren
Jones Insurance & Associates Contributor