SouthCoast Town Leads All of Massachusetts for Deer Strikes

It is deer rutting season on the SouthCoast, which means this is the time of year when deer tend to mate.

Why is this important to you? Because during rutting season, bucks can become more aggressive as they pursue does, leading to an increase in motor vehicle accidents.

AAA Northeast advises being particularly mindful of deer activity around dawn and dusk. As the days shorten and light becomes more scarce, this can trigger hormones in both bucks and does, causing them to become more active, aggressive and mobile.

This heightened activity can result in deer darting out of brush or woods and into the path of an oncoming car.

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For years, we've reported on how common this type of accident is on the SouthCoast. According to data compiled by AAA Northeast, the towns in and around the SouthCoast are where most deer crashes occur.

Interestingly, towns with less traffic tend to see more deer strikes. That said, Dighton is the SouthCoast town with the fewest deer strikes. Considering Dighton is full of remote, country roads, it's surprising that the numbers aren't higher.

In 2023, there were only 16 deer strikes – not bad for a town like Dighton. Who would have thought that driving on some of Dighton’s back roads would be among the safest ways to avoid hitting a deer? However, that's what the numbers suggest.

Here are the Top 25 local towns ranked by deer strikes. One SouthCoast town is far and away the leader for deer strikes. Can you guess which one?