There are a lot of deer, but how likely are drivers to hit an animal in Washington?

Are you more likely to hit an animal while driving in Washington or California? How about West Virginia or Alaska?

According to recent data published by State Farm, Washington may rank lower than expected in terms of the likelihood of drivers hitting an animal with their car.

According to State Farm, the Evergreen State ranks 44th in terms of the likelihood of hitting an animal with your car.

The insurance company brands Washington as a “low-risk” state for hitting deer and says drivers have a one-in-258 chance of striking an animal while driving in Washington.

It’s a different story for nearby Montana, which ranked second highest in the country for animal-involved collision rates. Coming in first was West Virginia, and Hawaii has the lowest rates. For the record, California ranked 47th, while Alaska was 45th.

Bellingham seems to have an abundance of deer, and that even swayed Bellingham resident Susan Kane-Ronning to observe trends in carcass removals and an attempt to decrease the number of deer and vehicle collisions by strategically placing signs around the city.

If you love Whatcom Wildlife

Join us in our Facebook group Whatcom Wildlife. The Bellingham Herald created this group because we know so many people love to take pictures and videos of the animals around us. And while we might want to publish a photo from the site, we’ll always ask the photographer’s permission first.

This story was originally published October 28, 2019 at 5:00 AM.