ST. PAUL, Minn. – Nobody knows how many drivers hit deer. Many collisions are unreported. But all 87 Minnesota counties had at least one vehicle-deer collision reported to authorities over the past five years. A study found a total 177 deer-vehicle collisions statewide in 20222. Insurance claims for vehicle damage averaged $6,300. These are data reported for southeast Minnesota counties for 2022:
> Fillmore: Total crashes 2 — two injuries, zero fatalities.
> Goodhue: Total 17 – four injuries zero fatalities.
> Houston: Total 8 – five injuries, zero fatalities.
> Mower: Total 4 — one injury, zero fatalities.
> Olmsted: Total 10 – six with injuries, zero fatalities.
> Wabasha: Total 4 – two injuries, four fatalities.
> Winona: Total 3 — zero injuries, one fatality.
The most dangerous counties for 2022 were Sherburn (Elk River county seat), 126 vehicle-deer collisions reported; Stearns (St. Cloud), 115; Hennepin (Minneapolis), 102; and Anoka (St. Paul), 94.