Drivers must stay vigilant to avoid collisions with deer

Autumn has arrived. It’s the time when deer are more active. Crops are being harvested, and deer breeding season is in full swing. Nebraska drivers must be vigilant on the roads.

Bucks are more actively searching for does. They are bolder, less wary and more susceptible to collisions with vehicles. Deer are more active between dusk and dawn, but their movement peaks near dawn and dusk.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has tips to help drivers avoid deer-vehicle accidents and lessen the risk of injury or vehicle damage.

• The harvesting of crops could push deer out of an area and toward a road or highway. Anticipate the possibility of a deer on the road. Prepare to stop suddenly but know braking too sharply or swerving may cause you to lose control and roll your vehicle.
• Wear your seat belt.
• When driving near shelterbelts, woodlots, rivers or creeks, especially during evening or early morning, slow down and watch for deer. Keep your headlights on high beams if there is no approaching traffic.
• When you spot a deer, assume there will be others in the same area.
• Deer often appear to be disoriented by headlights. Some react by freezing in the light, some dart into the path of the vehicle and others bolt away. Honk your horn and flash your high beams to frighten deer away. If there is other traffic on the road, activate your emergency flashers and tap your brakes to alert other drivers to the potential danger.
• Many places where deer-vehicle collisions occur are posted with “deer crossing” signs. Pay attention in these areas.

The driver may take possession of a struck deer but must contact the Game and Parks within 24 hours and have 48 hours to receive a salvage tag from a conservation officer or designee. To see a list of conservation officers, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov and search “Officers.”

Regardless, call a law enforcement officer if you strike a deer as the animal could pose a potential hazard to other drivers. Move your vehicle to the side of the road, if possible, and turn on your hazard lights.

It pays to be vigilant behind the wheel. According to a State Farm Insurance report, 1.6 million auto insurance claims involving animal collisions were filed across the nation from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The report also says U.S. drivers, on average, have a 1 in 145 chance of colliding with an animal. In Nebraska, the odds are 1 in 161.