Clock Change Raises Wyoming Deer Collision Risk

Drivers heading out at dusk now face more deer on Wyoming roads as animals move toward winter habitat.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Wildlife

Clock Change Raises Wyoming Deer Collision Risk

Live Poll

Do you think it is a good time to slow down for wildlife while driving?

Wyoming Game and Fish Department urged drivers to watch for wildlife after the daylight saving time clock change, as commuters now travel an hour later and evening darkness arrives earlier. A 2022 study found deer-vehicle collisions rose 16% in the week after the autumn clock change, and Wyoming roads see more than 7,600 documented wildlife collisions each year.

Why it matters

The clock change shifts commuting into the hours when deer are most active and drivers have less light, a combination that raises collision risk for Wyoming households on the road. Wildlife is moving through fall foraging and seasonal habitat shifts, and animals are not adjusting to the new traffic pattern.

Teton County recorded a 10-year average of 239 wildlife-vehicle collisions between 2014 and 2024. A State Farm insurance report placed Wyoming in the top 15 states for wildlife-vehicle collisions, with more than 7,600 documented each year.

The players

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

The state agency that manages Wyoming's wildlife and issued the driver warning about increased animal activity after the clock change.

State Farm

The insurance company whose report ranked Wyoming among the top 15 states for wildlife-vehicle collisions.

The details

Deer are foraging heavily to build final fat reserves before winter and are moving toward seasonal habitats as fall transitions to winter, so more animals are near roadways. The clock change moves commuters into the same hours that deer are most active, and the earlier darkness reduces the time drivers have to spot animals at the roadside. Because collisions are typically underreported, the documented counts likely understate the actual number of incidents on Wyoming roads.

The daylight saving time clock change occurred over the weekend before November 3, 2026.
Wyoming Game and Fish Department issued its wildlife driving warning in a press release on the Tuesday before publication.
The 2022 study recorded the 16% rise in deer-vehicle collisions in the week following the autumn clock change.
Teton County's 10-year collision average covers the period from 2014 to 2024.

The Home Front

The annual clock change follows a documented 2022 pattern in which deer-vehicle collisions rose 16% in the following week. Wyoming's roughly 7,600 documented wildlife collisions each year place the state among the higher-risk states in State Farm's national ranking.

Keep extra alertness on the drive during dawn and dusk commutes, slowing down in areas with deer activity. If your household has a vehicle involved in a collision, document the location and contact your insurer.

The takeaway

Commutes now run an hour later and into darker evenings, so Wyoming drivers should expect more deer on the road through the fall. Keep an insurance contact and a plan for reporting any collision on file.