Deer Collision Season in Missouri
1 in 97 odds of an animal collision claim, 15th of 51 in State Farm’s 2025-2026 ranking. Missouri deer are thickest where Ozark woods meet farmland, and MoDOT names October and November as the months deer are most on the move.
Odds of hitting a deer in Missouri
1 in 97, from State Farm’s analysis of industry animal collision claims between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. That ranks Missouri 15th of 51 (the 50 states and the District of Columbia), in the high likelihood category, against a national figure of 1 in 145. The odds were the same, 1 in 97, 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 Missouri by month
NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System recorded 57 fatal animal crashes in Missouri from 2015 to 2024, about 5.7 a year, with 57 deaths. That is 0.6 percent of all fatal crashes in the state and 8th among the states by count. September is the month with the most fatal animal crashes in Missouri, 9 of 57 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.
Deer crashes Missouri reports
State counts include crashes that injured no one, so they run far higher than FARS, and each state defines and counts them its own way.
2,9522024 in Missouri: crashes with deer (MSHP reported crash data)
420 injuries, 4 deaths in the same count.
“In 2024, there were 2,952 crashes with deer, with four deaths and 420 injuries reported.”Missouri Department of Transportation (citing Missouri State Highway Patrol), quoted exactly.
Compiled 2026-09-21.
When the deer rut runs in Missouri
The deer rut in Missouri peaks mid-November.
“Most deer strikes with vehicles occur during October and November and between the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.”Missouri Department of Transportation, Watch Out for Deer Along Roadways in October and November, quoted exactly.
Source: Missouri Department of Conservation, White-Tailed Deer field guide page.
Sunset in Kansas City when the clocks fall back
On November 7, 2027, clocks fall back an hour and sunset in Kansas City moves from 6:12 PM to 5:11 PM, putting the evening drive home in dusk and darkness.
Kansas City, 61 minutes earlier by the clock.
Clock change: Uniform Time Act, 15 U.S.C. 260a, and 49 CFR part 71. Sunset calculated for Kansas City and checked against the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department.
What state agencies tell drivers
“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.
“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.
Questions people ask about deer collisions in Missouri
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.