What to Do After Hitting a Deer in Jackson Hole

Hitting a deer is jarring and frightening. If it happens to you on the roads around Jackson Hole, follow these steps:

Pull Over Safely

Move your vehicle to the shoulder or a safe pulloff. Turn on your hazard lights. If the collision happened at night — which is when most deer strikes occur — be especially careful about other traffic as you slow down and pull over. Jackson Hole's rural highways have limited lighting and narrow shoulders.

Check for Injuries

Ensure all vehicle occupants are uninjured. Airbags may deploy in higher-speed deer collisions, particularly if the deer impacts the windshield area. Seatbelt injuries (bruising, shoulder pain) are also common. If anyone is hurt, call 911 immediately.

Stay in Your Vehicle

Do not get out of your vehicle until you have confirmed it is safe — check for approaching traffic and look for other animals nearby. Deer often travel in groups, and if one crossed the road, others may follow within seconds.

Do Not Approach the Deer

An injured deer is dangerous. Their hooves are sharp and powerful, and a panicked animal can cause serious injury. Do not attempt to move, help, or put down the deer. Report it to authorities and let professionals handle it.

Proper reporting and documentation are essential for your insurance claim and may be required by Wyoming law.

Contact Law Enforcement

• Teton County Sheriff — (307) 733-4052
• Wyoming Highway Patrol — (307) 777-4301 or 911
• Within Grand Teton National Park — (307) 739-3300 (NPS Dispatch)

Report the location, describe the animal, and let the dispatcher know if it is still alive and in the roadway. A police or incident report may be required by your insurance company.

Report the Animal

Contact Wyoming Game and Fish Department at (307) 733-2321. They track wildlife-vehicle collisions and may send someone to assist with the injured or deceased animal. In some cases, they can issue a road-kill permit if the animal is salvageable.

Document the Scene

Using your phone, photograph:

• All damage to your vehicle from multiple angles
• The location and road conditions
• The animal, if visible (from a safe distance)
• Any skid marks, fur, or debris on the road
• Your vehicle's position relative to the road

These photos are important evidence for your insurance claim and help establish that the damage was caused by a wildlife collision rather than another type of incident.

Deer collisions are covered under the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance policy — not the collision portion. This is an important distinction with several benefits:

• No-fault event — A wildlife collision is considered an act of nature. It typically does not raise your insurance premiums the way an at-fault collision would.
• Lower deductible — Many policies have a lower comprehensive deductible than collision deductible. Check your policy for the specific amount.
• No other party involved — There is no other driver to deal with, no fault determination needed, and no third-party insurance to negotiate with.

Filing Your Claim

• Call your insurance company and report the deer collision.
• Provide the police report number and your documentation photos.
• They will assign a claim number and an adjuster.
• Bring your vehicle to Mike's Body Shop for a professional damage assessment and estimate. We submit the estimate directly to your insurer.

What If You Only Have Liability Insurance?

If your policy is liability-only (no comprehensive coverage), deer collision damage is not covered. You would need to pay for repairs out of pocket. Given how common wildlife collisions are in the Jackson Hole area, comprehensive coverage is strongly recommended.

While you cannot eliminate the risk entirely, these strategies can significantly reduce your chances of hitting a deer in the Jackson Hole area:

• Be most alert at dawn and dusk — Deer are most active during the twilight hours (6-9 AM and 5-9 PM depending on season). This is when the majority of deer-vehicle collisions occur.
• Watch for deer crossing signs — WYDOT places deer crossing signs at known high-frequency areas. Slow down in these zones, especially during fall migration (October-November) and spring green-up (April-May).
• Scan the road shoulders — Look for eye shine (reflections from headlights in deer eyes) on the road shoulders. If you see one deer, slow down and expect more — they rarely travel alone.
• Use high beams — When there is no oncoming traffic, high beams extend your visibility significantly, giving you more time to react to an animal in the road.
• Do not swerve — Safety experts recommend braking firmly rather than swerving. Swerving can send you into oncoming traffic, off the road, or into a rollover. Hitting the deer is usually safer than the alternative.
• Reduce speed at night — Driving slower gives you more time to spot and react to deer. On rural Jackson Hole roads at night, driving 5-10 mph below the speed limit can be the difference between a close call and a collision.
• Know the high-risk corridors — Highway 89/191 through the valley, Highway 22 near Wilson, the Moose-Wilson Road, and roads near the National Elk Refuge are all high-frequency areas for deer and elk crossings.