Where Are Deer vs. Car Collisions Most Common In Minnesota?
A difficult reality of living in Minnesota is that deer-related accidents with vehicles on roadways are something you need to be on the lookout for throughout the year. November is one of the worst months for deer-related accidents, but they are a considerable risk all year long.
From a young age, many drivers learn to exercise extra caution while driving - especially during mornings, evenings, and at night, as deer tend to be most active and hardest to see during these times.
While deer-related vehicle accidents are something every driver in Minnesota needs to be aware of and actively be on the lookout to avoid, not every county sees the same number of deer-related crashes.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety issues an regular report that analyzes just how many deer-related accidents happen in each county throughout the year.
READ MORE: Minnesota law enforcement warn of uptick in deer-related crashes
I decided to look at the most recent data, spanning from 2018 to 2022, to see where the most deer-related vehicle accents tend to happen.
While some counties have seen hundreds of accidents over that 5-year span, there are amazingly some counties that have seen a very small number.
As you'd guess, they are rural counties like Norman, Lake of the Woods, Traverse, Mahnomen, Koochiching, Kanabec, and Roseau Counties - all seeing less than 10 deer-related crashes over that 5-year period.
Not all of the counties that have seen the highest number of accidents are tied directly to major population centers like the Twin Cities, Duluth, St. Cloud, and Rochester, however.
READ MORE: These are the deadliest and most dangerous counties for deer-related vehicle accidents
Here's a breakdown of the counties with the highest number of deer-related accidents aross the state of Minnesota:
Minnesota Counties Where Deer vs. Vehicle Collisions Are Most Common
Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper