Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: netcoyote on October 31, 2012, 10:11:33 AM

Title: Deer are pretty safe in WA
Post by: netcoyote on October 31, 2012, 10:11:33 AM: Found this interesting study today by State Farm insurance. They compared the risk of a vehicle/deer collision for the 50 states.
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure/2012/10/29/washington-ranks-43rd-in-country-for-deer-vehicle-crashes/ (http://blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure/2012/10/29/washington-ranks-43rd-in-country-for-deer-vehicle-crashes/)
WA ranks 43rd in risk. I guess I'm not the only one who thinks there is a low density of deer per area. Now a lot of variables could produce some of the disparity among states. Population size, total square miles, number of drivers, total miles of roads, habitat, etc. You might guess that lower population and more habitat and less roads would reduce the risk. Makes sense that a higher density state like Ohio would have higher risk. Not so if you compare WA with states like Montana and S Dakota both with 1/7 or less population but a lot higher risk of collision.

Not sure this would come as a shock to any of us, but it's just interesting to see the statistical data in black and white.

...or it could be that we just have smarter deer.

Here's a chart:
[smg id=11751]
Title: Re: Deer are pretty safe in WA
Post by: Ripper on October 31, 2012, 11:00:14 AM: Wow, that is interesting!
Title: Re: Deer are pretty safe in WA
Post by: Special T on October 31, 2012, 11:16:48 AM: Interesting, I wonder what correlations the states share? What things are common about deer in those states that have low/ high collisions?
Title: Re: Deer are pretty safe in WA
Post by: Thefisherman83 on October 31, 2012, 11:59:12 AM: Apparently the one I hit the other night didnt get the memo :bash:
Title: Re: Deer are pretty safe in WA
Post by: pianoman9701 on October 31, 2012, 12:17:31 PM: This makes sense to me. Blacktails are pretty reclusive as compared to whities and mulies. The bulk of our population is in the west, as is the case with OR and CA. Once you move east of the Cascades you start having much lower population density and higher chance of hitting deer.
Title: Re: Deer are pretty safe in WA
Post by: Bean Counter on October 31, 2012, 12:23:47 PM: State Farm also put out the statistic that there are nearly 150 human fatalities from deer collisions each year in the U.S. :yike:
Title: Re: Deer are pretty safe in WA
Post by: pianoman9701 on October 31, 2012, 12:26:31 PM: Quote from: Bean Counter on October 31, 2012, 12:23:47 PM
State Farm also put out the statistic that there are nearly 150 human fatalities from deer collisions each year in the U.S. :yike:

We must do something, but if we outlaw deer, only outlaws will have deer.
Title: Re: Deer are pretty safe in WA
Post by: Bean Counter on October 31, 2012, 12:31:25 PM: no we just need to be more careful where we put the deer crossing signs... :rolleyes:

Please Move The Deer Crossing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI8UPHMzZm8#ws)
Title: Re: Deer are pretty safe in WA
Post by: clindsayrun on October 31, 2012, 12:48:36 PM: Some states, Utah comes to mind, have put in extensive deer fencing and over/under pass animal crossings in high mortality areas. WA did this for sheep on the 97A.
I'd like to see the rate Utah was at before the fences. Driving some of those highways there's a dead deer every hundred yards, then you come to a section with fence and there's nothing laying on the side of the road.

I bet if they did a breakdown for WA most all the deer strikes are in eastern WA and likely most in Okanogan County. Lord knows my car is pretty banged up... most running right into the sides...