Odds are high that you'll hit a deer in Iowa this year

[TBoneTX 43,020]

Odds are high that you'll hit a deer in Iowa this year

Lauren Ehrler, lehrler@dmreg.com

5:17 p.m. CDT September 19, 2016

You are more likely to hit a deer in Iowa than in most other states — but you probably already knew that.

New claims data from State Farm Insurance show that Iowans have a 1 in 68 chance of hitting a deer in 2016, higher than national odds of 1 in 164.

Iowa's odds aren't good, but it could be worse. Iowa ranks No. 4 on the list of top five states a driver was most likely to have a claim from a collision with a deer, elk or moose.

Which state is No. 1?

Read more: http://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/2016/09/19/odds-high-youll-hit-deer-iowa-year/90703564/

[CarlosAndSveta 808]

Wow! It's hard to believe that buck in the video was able to run away after being hit by the police car.

[TBoneTX 43,020]

My thought too was, "Oh, deer," and then I read the benign outcome in the caption.

It would be interesting to see various states' rules about being able to keep roadkill deer, if you hit one.

[Boiler 43,396]

Depends where you are, where I am is very different to Denver.

Couple of years ago, 2nd rifle, all the Hunters were bemoaning lack of targets.

Monday after it finishes local lady driving to work smacks an elk, car a total loss, no carcass present when the tow truck arrives.

In Colorado belongs to the State and can not be sold, can only be taken with a tag.

[yuna628 9,527]

Happens all the time here. If you hike the trails, they will dart in and out behind you without fear, and usually in the late fall through the winter, they will boldly approach the houses and help themselves to any food left out for the birds. This year they have decided to have fun with our sunflowers. As for keeping roadkill, I don't know.. but I'm pretty sure people take advantage of it. There was a youngin' laying out on the road about four days ago, and it was only about 45 minutes until it had mysteriously disappeared. I believe if you obtain some sort of tag for it, you can legally claim it, but I highly doubt people actively spend time doing that. In the last hunt they culled about 84k deer.

[TBoneTX 43,020]

Interesting -- thanks. Would like to hear from others, as well.

[eieio 1,594]

This year I have hit two deer so far. Luckily not much damage as both were fawns. You can keep deer you hit provided you call the MNDNR and get a permit for it.

I would think Minnesota or Wisconsin would have the most deer/ vehicle collisions.

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

As far as I know, in CT it's fine to keep the deer after a collision, as long as police attend to the collision. My sister-in-law's dad kept us all in venison the year he hit two.

[cdneh 3,112]

After two near misses, I put a deer whistle on the car. I've just returned home from driving from AR to BC and back, and the three deer that came anywhere near the road, turned tail and ran in the other direction. Apparently, it also works on antelope and elk. They cost less than 5 bucks (no pun intended) and really seems to keep them away.

We had a deputy on the way to a job traveling under lights and sirens here in AR, he hit a deer at speed. The funeral was yesterday. You would think a cheap bit of plastic that could have prevented it would be standard issue.

In AR, if you kill a deer, you call the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to report it. You can keep it for meat.

[Dashinka 23,202]

I know in Michigan the police or other agencies can issue a kill tag to allow the deer to be taken for processing. I think the accident victim is given first right of refusal, but when I was on the fire department several of my colleagues took deer that way after an accident.

[TBoneTX 43,020]

Can one get these tags on the scene, or otherwise in time before the meat goes bad?

[OriZ 3,157]

While I've personally never hit one, I've had plenty jump, run or walk right infront of me(and at times with some bambis too), and seen plenty of deer roadkill on our freeways and highways. Here we get both deer and moose so gotta be really careful especially with our unlit freeways and highways at night. However, I've actually seen more deer everywhere else BUT the road(like right in the back yard many times) much more often back in WI.

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

Illinois :

• A motorist who hits and kills a deer with a motorized vehicle can legally claim the deer to salvage the meat, hide, and antlers. Write down the date the deer was taken, the sex of the deer, the location of the accident, and the method by which the carcass was disposed. Keep this information on file.
• If the motorist who struck the deer does not claim it, any other Illinois citizen may legally claim the deer. Otherwise, the municipal, county or state roads department can remove the carcass.
• If the deer is to be taken to a taxidermist or tannery, contact an Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police Officer to obtain a tag before delivering the deer.

If the deer is killed, the driver has priority in claiming the carcass for his or her use. If the driver does not want the deer, any Illinois resident may claim the animal. Anyone possessing a deer killed by a vehicle must keep a record of the date claimed, sex of deer, location of kill and place where the deer or parts are stored.

• Persons planning to take a deer to a taxidermist or tannery must first obtain a tag from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division

• Those taking deer to a meat processor, or processing the animal themselves, need not obtain a permit.

[yuna628 9,527]

Can one get these tags on the scene, or otherwise in time before the meat goes bad?

I did some digging, and we actually have some regulations about this. If you personally strike a deer and can prove it to an officer, it is yours to take (they issue you a tag). However if you have found the deer laying somewhere it is illegal for you to take the deer, or to remove it's head or rack unless you call someone to the scene (either officer or DNR) to inspect it and they can issue you a roadkill tag. If not they consider you somewhere akin to a poacher. They say they take this very seriously, and it is kind of sad when I see very clearly people who have removed a head from a carcass... but they haven't much respect for anything in this county.

[TBoneTX 43,020]

method by which the carcass was disposed.

This brings to mind one that I've probably posted before, but...

A farmer went to the railroad office to file a claim for a cow that had been killed on the tracks. He paused when he came to the line "disposition of the carcass" and finally wrote, "kind and gentle."

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It's good that so many states allow people to keep their personal roadkill (keep the stories coming), but I wonder how many people are prepared to do so "then and there," or when the meat is still edible. It might be at night, or out in the country, or with severe damage to the vehicle that hit the critter.