Colorado Roads Take More Mule Deer Than Hunters Do, and US 50 Is One of the Worst Stretches

If you've driven US 50 toward Delta after dark, you know the move. Foot hovering over the brake, eyes scanning the ditch for a pair of glowing eyeballs. Turns out that's not paranoia. It's math.

CDOT logged 7,770 roadkill reports statewide in 2025, and deer made up 61% of them, according to the Post Independent.

Colorado State Patrol data reported by the Denver Gazette shows the wildlife crashes troopers investigated climbed from 2,296 in 2021 to 3,904 in 2025. That's a 70% jump in five years.

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Western Colorado Leads the State in Deer Crashes

It gets more local. The Western Slope accounted for 68% of all those roadkill reports, and 73% of the deer reports, per the same CDOT data. So yeah, this is our problem more than anybody's.

CPW even estimates about 2% of Colorado's mule deer die on the road every year, according to Sky-Hi News. That's more than hunters take.

Why Fall Is Peak Deer Season on Colorado Roads

And we're right in the thick of it. State Patrol says October through December is peak season, with herds heading to lower ground for winter. Then clocks fall back November 1, and the drive home lands right in the dark.

It's not cheap, either. The average cost of hitting a deer tops $23,700, based on a 2023 Montana State University study cited by the Post Independent.

So where are you most likely to run into trouble? Here's what State Patrol and CDOT data point to.

Read More: What Colorado Wildlife Does Every Fall to Prepare for Winter

US 50 From Mesa County to Gunnison

This is the one closest to home. In CDOT's 2024 northwest-region data, US 50 through Mesa, Delta and Gunnison counties had the third-most deer roadkill reports, and a 20-mile stretch in Gunnison County accounted for 71% of them, according to the Vail Daily. State Patrol also flags Blue Mesa Reservoir and Gunnison to Parlin as high-risk. Out east, 50 shows up again from Pueblo to the Kansas line.

Highway 550 From Montrose to Ouray

The road to the Million Dollar Highway is on State Patrol's high-risk list, along with the stretch north of Durango. Great scenery. Watch the shoulders anyway.

I-70 Through Garfield and Eagle Counties

In CDOT's northwest region, I-70 had the most deer roadkill reports in 2024, per the Vail Daily. The 10 miles from the Garfield-Eagle County line to Gypsum led the way. Closer to Denver, State Patrol also flags Floyd Hill and Mt. Vernon Canyon.

Highway 82 From Carbondale to Basalt

This Roaring Fork Valley stretch logged high roadkill numbers in 2025, according to the Post Independent. If you commute it, you already know.

Highways 13 and 40 Around Craig

Northwest Colorado gets hit from two directions. Highway 13 from Craig to the Wyoming line had some of the state's highest roadkill reports in 2025, per the Post Independent. Highway 40 from Craig to Steamboat made State Patrol's list, along with Tabernash and Berthoud Pass.

Highway 160 Around Durango

Both directions out of Durango made State Patrol's high-risk list, toward Pagosa Springs and toward Mancos.

Highway 24, I-25 and US 285

It's not just a Western Slope problem. State Patrol also flags Highway 24 from Riverside to Buena Vista and Newett to Johnson Village, I-25 from Castle Rock to Larkspur, and US 285 near Morrison.

How to Avoid Hitting a Deer in Colorado

Slow down on the Redlands, on 50, and anywhere the sagebrush meets the shoulder. Don't swerve. Brake firmly and stay in your lane.