Oh Deer, Iowa Ranks Third in Potential Collisions with Everyone's Favorite Four-Legged Obstacle

Here's one ranking that Iowans won't mind falling in.

Iowa ranks number three on State Farm's list of states where motorists are the most likely to have a collision with a deer, with the probability that one out 72 Iowa motorists will hit a deer in the next year. Iowa fell slightly from its old space of number two last year, which is now held by South Dakota (one out of 68).

West Virginia continues to be the number one most likely state to hit a deer, at one out of 40 motorists.

This probability was calculated by State Farm using its claims data and state licensed driver counts from the Federal Highway Administration.

October through December is the most dangerous period for deer to car collisions as white-tail deer enter into their mating season and have other things on their mind instead of watching for vehicles. There have been three reported accidents involving deer in Waukee already this month.

So, be on the look out for deers on the side of the road, especially near areas such as cornfields where they could use for cover. Here are some safety tips if a collision with a deer is unavoidable.