Deer Collision Season in Kansas
1 in 89 odds of an animal collision claim, 11th of 51 in State Farm’s 2025-2026 ranking. Kansas has white-tailed deer along its river bottoms and mule deer in the west, and long straight rural highways cross the ground between them.
Odds of hitting a deer in Kansas
1 in 89, from State Farm’s analysis of industry animal collision claims between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. That ranks Kansas 11th of 51 (the 50 states and the District of Columbia), in the high likelihood category, against a national figure of 1 in 145. That is a higher likelihood than 1 in 103 in the 2024-2025 edition.
Source: State Farm, How likely are you to have an animal collision? (2025-2026). Compiled 2026-09-21.
Fatal animal crashes in Kansas by month
NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System recorded 45 fatal animal crashes in Kansas from 2015 to 2024, about 4.5 a year, with 52 deaths. That is 1.2 percent of all fatal crashes in the state and 17th among the states by count. May is the month with the most fatal animal crashes in Kansas, 11 of 45 across the ten years. FARS counts crashes with any animal; the insurance claim season, October to December, is shaded.
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), first harmful event Live Animal, 2015 to 2024. Compiled 2026-09-21.
When the deer rut runs in Kansas
The deer rut in Kansas peaks mid-November.
“Deer can be spotted near roadways any time of the year, but motorists should be especially vigilant in the fall. Deer breeding season (rut) peaks in mid-November, and this marks the period when deer-vehicle collisions are most frequent.”Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Wildlife Vehicle Crashes page, quoted exactly.
Source: Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Wildlife Vehicle Crashes page.
Sunset in Wichita when the clocks fall back
On November 7, 2027, clocks fall back an hour and sunset in Wichita moves from 6:26 PM to 5:25 PM, putting the evening drive home in dusk and darkness.
Wichita, 61 minutes earlier by the clock.
Clock change: Uniform Time Act, 15 U.S.C. 260a, and 49 CFR part 71. Sunset calculated for Wichita and checked against the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department.
What state agencies tell drivers
“If you cannot avoid hitting a deer with your vehicle, brake firmly and stay in your lane. Avoid sudden swerving, which can result in a loss of control and a more serious crash.”Wisconsin Department of Transportation, quoted exactly.
“If a deer runs in front of you, do not swerve. Brake firmly and stay in your lane.”Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security / Tennessee Highway Patrol, quoted exactly.
“Don’t swerve to avoid hitting a deer. Swerving can cause motorists to lose control and travel off the road or into oncoming traffic.”Missouri Department of Transportation, quoted exactly.
Questions people ask about deer collisions in Kansas
Fatal animal crash counts compiled 2026-09-21 from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). State Farm odds, agency counts and quotes compiled 2026-09-21 from the pages linked above, quoted exactly.