Oh Dear! W.Va. Leads Nation in Deer Collisions
Oh Dear! W.Va. Leads Nation in Deer Collisions Save Email Print
Posted: 2:26 PM Oct 8, 2008
 Last Updated: 2:32 PM Oct 8, 2008
 Reporter: The Associated Press
Email Address: news@wsaz.com
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - For the second straight year, data
gathered by State Farm Insurance shows that vehicles are most
likely to collide with deer in West Virginia - a one in 45 chance.

That's up from a year ago when the odds were one in 57.

The Bloomington, Ill.-based insurance company says Michigan came
in second again this year, followed by Pennsylvania, Iowa and
Arkansas. Virginia came in 10th.

Hawaii is the least likely state for deer-vehicle collisions,
with odds of more than one in 10,962.

State Farm said it used deer claims data from the last half of
2007 though the first half of 2008 to determine the odds.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Posted by: Brandy on Oct 10, 2008 at 10:51 PM
Brandy, my employment or lack of employment is no concern of yours. If you don't like my comments, don't read them. When you see "Posted by: Pablo" just skip it since you are so immature and can't handle someone else's opinion besides yours.
Posted by: wildboar on Oct 10, 2008 at 10:07 PM
acpl of months ago i went to a friends house....13 miles seen 43 deers !!!where did ky make the list ????? if you own land and dont hunt ....let one or two others hunt ...they are tooooooo !!!!! many deer...
Posted by: BRANDY on Oct 10, 2008 at 03:10 PM
I am curious if Pablo has a job? If he doesnt, then he needs to get one. If he does, then he is robbing his employer b/c he is always on here typing ridiculous comments
Posted by: citizen kane on Oct 9, 2008 at 10:40 AM
guess who, if the 18s only did the speed limit I don't think anyone would complain. They got away for years with being over the load limit. When the mobile weigh stations were in the area hundreds at a time would pull off the road and just wait on them to leave. Then a bill finally passed that would let them up the load limit. Haven't seen the mobile weigh stations in awhile now. The 18s do seem to be going the speed limit before midnight. If you happen to be on the road in the wee hours of the night, watch out! Also, the Charleston Gazette had reported back in 2000 that Gov. Underwood had specifically told the DOH to not enforce the weight limit laws on coal trucks at all. They've had their breaks, when will the rest of the state.
Posted by: reader on Oct 9, 2008 at 02:36 AM
I think something needs to be done to control deer population because deers leaping onto cars and running across road ways un-expected can cause dangerous wrecks! Deer may be one of the reasons year round that cause fatal accidents where people lose control of their vehicles for unknown reasons!
Posted by: Dave on Oct 8, 2008 at 11:34 PM
Come to Mason Co if ya want to hit deer all day.They are a dime a dozen here.I can't remember the last time my county has been out of the top 5 in deer kills.And the sad thing is we are still over populated.I think we can blame the DNR to a point by raising the price of a deer stamp every year.I remember when a doe stamp used to be 7 bucks.But now they are 10 I think.And a extra buck stamp has went up to.And farmers have to ask for a crop damage tag.The way I look at it if your crop is getting ate up by deer you should be free to take them out.They need to have a longer season like some states and let people hunt on Sundays.But you know those church goers will not stand for that.But that one day of not going to church could save ya from hitting a deer if ya kill one.BACK STRAP BOOGIE famous words from Uncle Ted
Posted by: Pablo on Oct 8, 2008 at 10:53 PM
Well, "guess who.....," I'm not going to bite on this one and let it pass without comment. You have a safe night.
Posted by: candle lady on Oct 8, 2008 at 10:38 PM
To guess who Maybe unlucky was going the speed limit. They didn't say they were on the interstate. My husband is a retired truck driver so I am not bad mouthing them but there are some that think they own the road. If unlucky was on a rural road the speed limit was probably 50 mph. Glad he wasn't hurt. But something does need to be done about the deer population in WV and also Ohio
Posted by: guess who ,,,,,pablo on Oct 8, 2008 at 09:13 PM
hey unlucky,,if you would at least do the speed limit most of those 18s would not get so close to you,,,while your already in your hometown close to family,,and in no hurry,,,them 18s has a job to do and wants to get home to there family too...no im not saying for them to just run you over ,but you all know what i mean,,,if you want to drive slower than speed limit,,why make faster drivers live up to your likings,,just move over or something,,cars tailgate trucks all the time,,,but the trucks are trying at least...i bet pablo will like this comment,,lol
Posted by: Pablo on Oct 8, 2008 at 08:53 PM
With due respect, I do blame the DNR. Game Checking Stations or the lack of them may be a problem, but it doesn't take a genius to know that there are too many deer in many parts of the state. All one has to do is drive on any road in the early evening hours. Or you can talk to the famrers who are having the deer ruining their farmland. But the best proof is the above article. West Virginia is #1 in deer/vehicle collisions. Killing bucks in not the answer. Killing does is the only thing that will reduce the deer herd. There are many good DNR people, in fact most. I don't know if its politics or what, but for some reason the DNR will not reduce the deer herd. So until they do, keep your automobile insurance premiums paid and hope all the is damaged is your vehicle. Good luck.
Posted by: cowboy on Oct 8, 2008 at 08:53 PM
as a deer hunter for 20 years,im tired of 70 degree days on the first day of deer season i know of alot of hunters that stay home you cant hang the deer more than overnight or the meat will spoil,all deer seasons need put back 30 days the seasons ara changing maybe global warming is the cause.doing this i thing would increse the deer kill having less collisions.
Posted by: this is the first on Oct 8, 2008 at 08:20 PM
DNR basically let the deer population get wiped out in several counties in the last few years. A few counties especially in our area actually have an increasing deer population again. I have seen more deer in the last six months than I have seen in five years. When I moved here 10 years ago, there were 20 deer in every field you looked. Last fall was the first time in a long time that the numbers have actually increased. A great number of people can't afford to hunt because of the increase in license. A great number of out of state hunters have stopped hunting too. When the truth be told, if farmers would allow people to hunt their 60 acre farms, things would be different. I can't hunt without permission.
Posted by: Anonymous on Oct 8, 2008 at 07:57 PM
In the last 3 months, on Rte. 37 my husband has hit 4 deer on seperate occassions. We are definitely beating the 1 in 45 chance.
Posted by: unlucky on Oct 8, 2008 at 07:54 PM
So what are the odds of hitting two deer at once?? Not to mention I was going 55 mph when it happened... and couldn't hit my brakes at all because a semi was about 3 feet behind me, tail gating me all the way down the road!
Posted by: Ano. on Oct 8, 2008 at 07:45 PM
The deer in jackson co. is terrible. my sister hit a doe when she was 9 months pregnant,and I hit a ten point buck just a week later...so I think we should have a longer hunting season or more people are going to be hurt or killed due to the deer in this area!
Posted by: Anonymous on Oct 8, 2008 at 07:13 PM
sounds like we need to have a longer hunting season or at least a doe rifle season in all counties with large amounts of deer
Posted by: controlling the herd on Oct 8, 2008 at 06:21 PM
We can not blame the DNR. How can they get accurate counts on the deer population when probably 1 out of 100 people check their deer in properly at the game check station? Not to mention that hunting season is at the first of every month when new flash light batteries are affordable. But, I can not blame the hunters or the DNR, when you have to travel 30 or 40 miles to find a place to check in your deer and there is not enough DNR or check in stations to get the job done properly.
Posted by: Bud on Oct 8, 2008 at 05:56 PM
My son hit a deer going to Marshall, near Huntington causing front end damage, My wife had a deer jump over her car near Hamlin, without leaving a scratch on the car, Last a turkey hit her windshield in the same area. What are the odds of this-
Posted by: Deer lover on Oct 8, 2008 at 04:19 PM
At least in WV if you hit a deer, you can take it with you and have it for dinner!
Posted by: Pablo on Oct 8, 2008 at 04:11 PM
More proof that the Division of Natural Resources are not doing their job controlling the deer population. Until the DNR gets the guts to stand up to the hunting establishment we will continue to have these collisions. The DNR has game biologists who will not or cannot lower the deer herd. Until they do, all West Virginians will continue to pay higher premiums on their auto insurance. We will continue to suffer injuries and even deaths in these collisions. And our farmers and homeowners will continue to see their crops and orchards ruined as well as our landscaping plants in our yards. Also, our forests suffer as the deer browse line is spreading over a larger and larger part of West Virginia. I am a hunter holding a lifetime hunting permit. I have several pistols, rifles, and shotguns. I love hunting. I am not against deer only excess deer. And I know the deer population is low in some counties, i.e., Mingo.
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