New York recorded 126,321 reported deer crashes from 2021 through 2024, and the risk is most concentrated in rural Upstate counties. November alone accounts for 23,097 crashes.
New York police crash records list 126,321 deer crashes from 2021 through 2024. The raw count is largest in populous and suburban counties, but the per-capita burden is concentrated in rural Upstate New York, where long drives, high-speed roads, and deer habitat overlap.
Where deer crashes hit hardest
Reported deer crashes per 10,000 residents, by county, 2021 to 2024. Hover or tap a county, and the full ranking is below.
Counties marked with a dagger recorded fewer than 100 deer crashes over four years, so their rates are sensitive to small changes.
| County | Deer crashes 2021–24 | per 10k residents |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis | 1,818 | 683.0 |
| Hamilton | 303 | 593.9 |
| Livingston | 3,461 | 562.0 |
| Genesee | 3,136 | 541.2 |
| Wyoming | 2,116 | 529.3 |
| Yates | 1,270 | 515.5 |
| St. Lawrence | 5,192 | 481.7 |
| Schuyler | 828 | 466.5 |
| Chenango | 2,171 | 465.0 |
| Franklin | 2,134 | 453.4 |
| Ontario | 4,699 | 418.0 |
| Greene | 1,972 | 414.7 |
| Columbia | 2,523 | 412.0 |
| Jefferson | 4,493 | 386.9 |
| Allegany | 1,773 | 377.0 |
| Steuben | 3,472 | 373.2 |
| Delaware | 1,635 | 367.0 |
| Seneca | 1,202 | 362.9 |
| Schoharie | 1,085 | 361.9 |
| Otsego | 1,991 | 333.3 |
| Madison | 2,108 | 312.0 |
| Wayne | 2,812 | 308.6 |
| Essex | 1,100 | 296.7 |
| Tioga | 1,380 | 286.9 |
| Cayuga | 2,104 | 278.8 |
| Cortland | 1,234 | 265.9 |
| Herkimer | 1,540 | 257.0 |
| Clinton | 2,023 | 256.2 |
| Cattaraugus | 1,890 | 247.1 |
| Fulton | 1,169 | 221.5 |
| Sullivan | 1,731 | 218.7 |
| Oneida | 5,019 | 218.6 |
| Tompkins | 2,082 | 202.4 |
| Chemung | 1,622 | 195.9 |
| Montgomery | 956 | 193.3 |
| Warren | 1,232 | 187.9 |
| Orleans | 742 | 187.0 |
| Ulster | 3,302 | 181.3 |
| Washington | 1,103 | 181.2 |
| Oswego | 2,079 | 176.3 |
| Chautauqua | 1,964 | 155.5 |
| Rensselaer | 2,156 | 134.5 |
| Broome | 2,648 | 133.9 |
| Orange | 5,124 | 126.9 |
| Saratoga | 2,684 | 113.2 |
| Niagara | 2,048 | 96.9 |
| Dutchess | 2,608 | 87.8 |
| Onondaga | 3,661 | 77.6 |
| Monroe | 5,450 | 72.3 |
| Albany | 1,845 | 58.5 |
| Schenectady | 835 | 52.3 |
| Rockland | 1,617 | 47.7 |
| Putnam | 456 | 46.5 |
| Erie | 3,987 | 42.0 |
| Suffolk | 3,268 | 21.4 |
| Westchester | 1,152 | 11.6 |
| Nassau | 214 | 1.5 |
| Richmond † | 63 | 1.3 |
| Bronx † | 25 | 0.2 |
| New York (Manhattan) † | 6 | 0.0 |
| Kings † | 4 | 0.0 |
| Queens † | 3 | 0.0 |
† Small sample, fewer than 100 reported deer crashes over four years. Rates for these counties should be read with caution.
Rural counties carry the per-capita risk
Lewis County ranks first at 683.0 deer crashes per 10,000 residents, followed by Hamilton, Livingston, Genesee, and Wyoming. By count, Monroe leads with 5,450 crashes, but its population keeps the rate far below the most rural counties.
Analysis. The map shows why raw crash totals can mislead. Deer collisions are not only a suburban problem near large population centers. Adjusting for population shifts the hotspot pattern toward the North Country, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, and other counties where residents spend more time driving through deer habitat.
The rut-season spike is unmistakable
Reported deer crashes by month, 2021 to 2024.
| January | 10,065 | 8% |
|---|---|---|
| February | 7,593 | 6% |
| March | 7,711 | 6.1% |
| April | 5,368 | 4.2% |
| May | 8,755 | 6.9% |
| June | 11,765 | 9.3% |
| July | 7,755 | 6.1% |
| August | 6,179 | 4.9% |
| September | 8,202 | 6.5% |
| October | 16,574 | 13.1% |
| November | 23,097 | 18.3% |
| December | 13,257 | 10.5% |
November is the peak month with 23,097 reported deer crashes, followed by October and December.
Why autumn matters
The autumn increase lines up with the deer breeding season, when deer travel more and cross roads more often. DMV and DEC warn drivers to be especially cautious in October, November, and December, and the four-year crash record follows that pattern closely.
If you were hurt by a drunk or negligent driver in New York, the team at Porter Law Group can review your crash and your options at no cost. There is no obligation.
Methodology
Crash counts come from the New York State DMV Motor Vehicle Crashes Case Information Four Year Window dataset. Deer crashes are records where event_descriptor equals Deer and year is 2021, 2022, 2023, or 2024. County rates divide each county count by the Census ACS five-year 2023 B01003 population estimate and multiply by 10,000. One crash record had an unknown county and is included in the statewide total but excluded from county rates. Counties with fewer than 100 deer crashes over the four-year period are marked as small samples. The data reflect reported police crash records and may omit unreported animal strikes.
