Since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took office, Michigan motorists have been involved in more than three-quarters of a million deer collisions, with 57 Michiganders losing their lives.

The most recent 2023 data from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning show Michigan motorists reported 58,806 vehicle-deer crashes in 2023 that left 1,725 people injured and 19 dead.

The crash figure marks an increase of roughly 6% since 2019, while the 2023 death toll is up 73% from the year prior.

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“The past two years were the two highest years for deer-related crashes in a decade,” Erin McDonough, executive director for Insurance Alliance of Michigan, told MLive. “We need all drivers to stay focused on the road, especially at dawn and dusk, so they stay safe and help prevent collisions. No matter where you are driving in the state, the danger of a collision with a deer is real.”

With about $130 million in damages annually, Michigan’s car-deer problem ranks among the worst in the nation.

A recent analysis by State Farm Insurance found “Pennsylvania had the highest number of claims out of all the states, with more than 150,000 claims” between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.

“Michigan is second in terms of highest claims counts with approximately 131,000,” according to State Farm. “It is followed by North Carolina (98,000), Texas (92,500) and Ohio (82,500).”

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In terms of the likelihood of hitting an animal in Michigan, the odds are 1 in 59, the third highest rate in the U.S. behind Montana at 1 in 54, and West Virginia at 1 in 40, based on the 2023 data.

Nationally, the odds of hitting an animal while driving was 1 in 128 in 2023, down from 1 in 127 last year.

In Michigan, the problem has grown significantly in recent years. In 2019, Michigan reported 55,531 crashes and 12 fatalities, which dipped to 51,103 and five fatalities during the pandemic in 2020.

In 2021, total crashes spiked to 52,218 with 10 deaths, before jumping to 58,984 and 11 deaths in 2022, then to 58,806 and 19 deaths last year.

In total, Michiganders reported 276,642 crashes between 2019 and 2023, resulting in 57 Michiganders losing their lives.

“Motor vehicle-deer crashes occurred most often in Michigan’s heavily populated southern counties,” according to the MOHSP. “Kent County had the highest number with 2,171 in 2023.”

A breakdown of the data shows more than a quarter of the crashes in 2023 occurred between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., and 43.4% occurred during the final quarter of the year.

The problem stems in part from decades of declining hunter numbers, which have dwindled from over 800,000 two decades ago to about 550,000 today.

“There are more than 2 million deer in the state, and one way to manage the population and reduce the number of crashes involving deer is through hunting,” said Amy Trotter, CEO for Michigan United Conservation Clubs, told MLive. “The more hunters we have in Michigan and the more success they have, the more we can reduce the deer population where necessary and help prevent crashes.”

Earlier this year, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission adopted several recommendations from the Department of Natural Resources to liberalize deer regulations in the northern Lower Peninsula in an attempt to better control the deer population.

“For the last several years we’ve been trying, particularly in southern Michigan, to encourage hunters to take more antlerless deer, when we talk about declining hunter numbers, increasing deer populations,” Chad Fedewa, the DNR’s deer, elk and moose management specialist, told the Detroit Free Press. “We’re trying to encourage hunters to at least go one-to-one: If you shoot a buck, shoot a doe.”

The DNR is also pursuing federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation to study areas where wildlife cross roadways and develop plans to mitigate crashes.

The $467,000 request, along with $116,844 in matching funds, would be a “key step in ensuring wildlife have safe passages to reach critical habitats they need to prosper,” Jared Duquette, a human-wildlife interaction specialist for the DNR, told MLive.

The declining hunter numbers are also having an impact on the DNR’s budget, which comes mostly from hunting and fishing license sales, and federal excise taxes tied to those sales.

Legislation pending in the Michigan House would increase the cost of most licenses by about 50%, while lowering an existing senior discount from 60% to 25%. The legislation is making its way through the legislature during the lame duck session, alongside other bills to increase registration fees for pontoon boats and other small vessels.

Some Republicans opposed to those measures, as well as another to switch to an opt out system for state park passes, argue that increasing costs for folks who fund the vast majority of Michigan’s conservation efforts will backfire, and ultimately convince more hunters to hang it up.

“Higher fees will discourage people from purchasing licenses and participating in these outdoor activities, which will lead to lower revenues for the DNR and worse conservation outcomes,” House Republicans wrote in a letter to DNR Director Scott Bowen in early December.

“We urge you to explore alternative funding mechanisms that are honest and do not place the financial burden solely on the shoulders of outdoor enthusiasts,” the letter read. “We are confident the DNR can find a balanced approach that upholds Michigan’s conservation goals without creating financial barriers for residents.”