Montana Drivers Hit Deer at Extremely High Rate, Second in the Nation

A new study by State Farm Insurance shows that Montana drivers are more likely than nearly all Americans to hit a deer with their vehicle.

"Each year we do a study on deer collisions across the country and during the findings this year, Montana ranked number two in the state rankings on states that you're most likely to hit a deer," said State Farm Insurance Spokesman Brad Hilliard." Your odds in Montana are a one in 65 chance you will hit a deer."

Hilliard said the statistics for the study were pulled from insurance claims as well as reports from state officials.

Montana took the number two spot in 2013 from neighboring South Dakota. West Virginia, though, managed to drive into the top spot for the seventh year in a row with a one in 41 chance of colliding with a deer. Over all though, deer collisions have been going down.

"We are seeing a slight trend down and Montana is no exception to that," Hiliard said. "We are down about six percent in deer collisions in the state. Nationally, we are down just about four percent."

If you're afraid of hitting a deer with your vehicle, the safest state to be in is Hawaii where the chances are less than 1 in 6,000.

Brad Hilliard: