Pennsylvania motorists have a 1-in-63 chance of striking a deer at some point during the coming year.

One out of 63.

Those are the odds that a Pennsylvania motorist has of striking a deer some time during the year.

Those chances are even higher at this point on the calendar.

“The whitetails are at their peak activity in early to mid-November,” Pennsylvania Game Commission publicist Travis Lau said. “It's not just the rut season. This is the time of year when displaced yearlings go off on their own.

“They leave the herd in search of a new range to call home. They will roam dozens of miles while doing so, and that's crossing a lot of roads.”

Motorists strike deer more often than Pennsylvanians in only two other states. Odds of hitting a deer in Montana are one in 41 and the chances in West Virginia are one in 58.

Lau said an insurance company annually computes those odds nationwide and “Pennsylvania is always among the leaders.”

Other reasons deer become more mobile at this time of year include people taking part in outdoor activities that may flush them from forested areas and the fact deer are more actively feeding to store energy for winter months.

Lau said that motorists striking a deer should contact the Game Commission if the deer's carcass is on or near the road.

“Even if it's wounded, the fact the deer remains near the road could pose an additional traffic hazard,” he said. “Those situations need to be swiftly dealt with.”

Any motorist striking and killing a deer on the road is entitled to claiming that deer for its meat. To do so, the motorist must call the Game Commission region office representing the county where the accident occurred to secure a free permit number.

Any motorist passing by a deer carcass along the road may do the same thing.

“It's a fairly common practice,” Lau said. “They are prohibited from keeping the antlers, however.”

Any motorist whose deer kill is actually laying on the road is required to call PennDOT at 1-800-FIX-ROAD

Deer kills by vehicle average $4,000 damage to the car.

“With daylight saving time arriving, more motorists will be out at dusk and the dark,” Lau cautioned. “Deer kills are going to happen.

“People need to heed the deer crossing signs and generally be more alert and cautious to lessen those odds.”