Deer Collision Season in Tennessee
1 in 129 odds of an animal collision claim, 26th of 51 in State Farm’s 2025-2026 ranking. Tennessee deer range from the Great Smoky Mountains across the Cumberland Plateau to the farmland along the Mississippi River.
Odds of hitting a deer in Tennessee
1 in 129, from State Farm’s analysis of industry animal collision claims between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. That ranks Tennessee 26th of 51 (the 50 states and the District of Columbia), in the medium likelihood category, against a national figure of 1 in 145. That is a lower likelihood than 1 in 121 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 Tennessee by month
NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System recorded 39 fatal animal crashes in Tennessee from 2015 to 2024, about 3.9 a year, with 39 deaths. That is 0.4 percent of all fatal crashes in the state and 19th among the states by count. September is the month with the most fatal animal crashes in Tennessee, 11 of 39 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 Tennessee 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.
8,0362024 in Tennessee: deer-related crashes statewide (465 injury crashes, 5 fatal crashes, 7,571 property damage only)
“In 2024, there were just over 8,000 deer-related crashes statewide, including 465 injury crashes and five fatalities. The majority, 7,571, involved property damage only.”Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security / Tennessee Highway Patrol, quoted exactly.
Compiled 2026-09-21.
When the deer rut runs in Tennessee
The deer rut in Tennessee runs September 1 to February 28. Peak, as the agency describes it: November.
“November is historically the peak month for deer-related crashes in Tennessee.”Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, news release: It's Deer Season on Tennessee Roads, Too, 2025-11-13, quoted exactly.
Sunset in Nashville when the clocks fall back
On November 7, 2027, clocks fall back an hour and sunset in Nashville moves from 5:46 PM to 4:45 PM, putting the evening drive home in dusk and darkness.
Nashville, 61 minutes earlier by the clock.
Clock change: Uniform Time Act, 15 U.S.C. 260a, and 49 CFR part 71. Sunset calculated for Nashville and checked against the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department.
What state agencies tell drivers
“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.
“Use high beams when it’s safe to do so to help spot deer near the roadway.”Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security / Tennessee Highway Patrol, 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.
Questions people ask about deer collisions in Tennessee
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.