Deer Collisions a High Risk in W.Va.

State game officials are advising motorists to keep an eye out for deer as West Virginia enters the peak season for those damaging encounters between vehicle and deer.

Gary Foster of the Division of Natural Resources tells the Charleston Daily Mail -- 40 percent of the state's deer collisions occur in October and November.

During those two months is the annual rut, or mating season for deer. That means deer are on the move.

Hunters in the woods also make deer more active.

West Virginia is often ranked highest in deer-vehicle collisions each year. According to State Farm, the average West Virginia driver has a 1-in-41 chance of hitting a deer over the next year.

The insurer says a typical deer collision causes an average of $3,414 in property damage.