Deer Solution of Middle Tennessee is calling on property owners in Nashville, Gallatin, Hendersonville and Franklin to review their landscaping protection ahead of rut season, the fall mating period during which deer activity rises sharply across the region. The advisory, issued October 15, 2026, ties the seasonal warning to state crash data and university research linking breeding behavior to peaks in deer movement.
The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance notes that peak mating and migration seasons for many animals, particularly deer, fall between October and December. According to Tennessee Highway Patrol crash statistics, half of the state's deer-related crashes in 2023 occurred during those three months. Tennessee recorded 8,036 deer-related crashes in 2024, including 465 injury crashes and five fatal crashes. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security identifies November as historically the peak month for such incidents.
Research from Georgia reinforces the pattern. A 2015 study by researchers from the University of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources analyzed 45,811 deer-vehicle collisions recorded between 2005 and 2012, comparing the data against conception rates and deer movement patterns. The study found strong alignment among peak conception timing, peak rut movement and peak collision frequency. UGA Today reported that lead author James Stickles noted peak rut can occur anywhere from October to December depending on geographic location. An article from the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute further cautions that deer may enter a roadway from any direction during the rut.
Taken together, the Tennessee data and the research characterize fall as a period of heightened deer movement, making it a practical time for property owners to assess how their landscaping is protected. The implications extend beyond road safety: the same seasonal activity that pushes deer across highways also drives them into residential gardens, where shrubs, flowers and garden beds are vulnerable.
Deer Solution of Middle Tennessee provides a professional deer repellent service designed to protect plantings from deer damage. A Certified Deer Damage Expert® evaluates each property and recommends a customized treatment program based on the specific plantings present and the level of deer pressure observed. The company recommends year-round service, including winter months when natural food sources for deer become scarce.
"Fall is a period of increased deer activity in Tennessee, and it is a good time for homeowners to look at their landscaping," said a representative at Deer Solution of Middle Tennessee. "We build a customized program around each property's plantings and deer pressure, then work with the homeowner to adjust it over time when appropriate."
For homeowners in the affected Middle Tennessee communities, the convergence of state crash statistics and academic research offers a measurable window for action. The same October-to-December period that produces the year's highest collision counts is when landscaping faces the greatest browsing pressure, meaning protective measures taken now address both risks at once.
