The scene of the crash in Middletown. Photo Credit: Middletown Fire Department
By Kat Leslie
As hunting season opens across New York and the Northeast, outdoor enthusiasts take to the woods in search of venison, camaraderie, and the long-standing traditions that bind families together. But each year, the influx of hunters — along with the seasonal surge in deer movement — also brings with it a trail of unintended consequences. Some become near-miss tales retold around campfires; others end in tragedy.
Two separate incidents reported this week reveal the starkly different “trophies” left behind when hunting season intersects with unpredictable wildlife and human conflict.
A Midnight Collision Leaves a Vehicle Crushed Under a Pole
In Middletown, a driver heading down Genung Street early Sunday, Nov. 23, struck a deer just before 3 a.m., according to the Middletown Fire Department. The impact sent the driver’s vehicle careening off the roadway and into a telephone pole at the entrance of Ruth Court.
By the time first responders arrived, the car was on its side with a damaged pole lying directly across it. Photos released by the department show smoke still rising from the shattered utility pole — a reminder that not all hunting-season encounters with deer involve rifles or tree stands.
This time, officials have not yet released the driver’s condition. But deer-related crashes are an annual hallmark of late fall: mating season pushes deer into roadways at all hours, making November the peak month for vehicle collisions nationwide. In Orange County alone, first responders routinely handle dozens of similar incidents each season — some resulting in injuries, others in costly property damage, and occasionally, catastrophic outcomes.
A Hunting Trip Turns Deadly: Brothers Killed in Cabin Fight
Hundreds of miles northwest, in Allegany County, the calm of hunting season fractured in an even more devastating way. New York State Police say three brothers staying at a rural hunting cabin got into a violent physical altercation, state police announced on Monday, Nov. 24.
During the fight, 65-year-old Scot D. Thompson of Englewood, Florida, allegedly retrieved a rifle and fatally shot his two older brothers — 70-year-old Mark B. Thompson of Canterbury, Connecticut, and 69-year-old David E. Thompson of Port Charlotte, Florida.
Scot fled the cabin in one brother’s vehicle before being located by Livingston County deputies and Geneseo Police. He was taken into custody without incident and now faces two counts of second-degree murder and criminal use of a firearm. Autopsies for the victims are pending as investigators continue piecing together the events that unfolded in the remote Botsford Hollow Road cabin.
For the Thompson family, what began as a traditional fall hunting getaway became a tragedy spanning three states and shaking a small upstate community.
While hunting remains a deeply rooted American tradition — and statistically, one of the safer outdoor sports — the season routinely generates a wide spectrum of unintended outcomes. Experts often point to three recurring categories:
Wildlife on the Move: Crashes, Close Calls, and Unexpected Visitors
Deer-vehicle collisions spike each November, particularly during twilight hours when visibility drops and deer cross roads in herds. New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation warns motorists each year and advises hunters that large-scale deer movement is both a blessing and a danger.
Beyond collisions, rural police logs regularly include:
- deer crashing through storefront windows during rut
- hunters startled by injured deer charging from brush
- homeowners finding bucks locked in combat on their lawns
These encounters make for dramatic photos — and hefty insurance claims.
Accidents in the Woods
While rare, accidental shootings and falls from tree stands remain among the leading causes of hunting injuries. Last season, New York reported several such incidents, including:
- A hunter airlifted after falling 20 feet from a stand when a strap broke.
- A teenager was wounded when a fellow hunter mistook movement in dense brush.
- A bowhunter impaled on his own equipment after tripping over exposed roots.
Safety officials stress that most accidents stem from momentary lapses — equipment left unchecked, poor visibility, or simple miscommunication.
Family Fights and Cabin Conflicts
For some, the hunting camp is less about the hunt and more about the reunion — which can mean long-simmering disputes resurfacing after decades. Alcohol, isolation, and firearms can form a volatile mix.
Over the past decade, seasonal cabin conflicts have led to:
- A Pennsylvania hunter charged after firing warning shots during a dispute over property lines.
- A Vermont man arrested after allegedly pointing a rifle at relatives during a card-game argument.
- A Michigan cabin brawl in which one hunter used a deer antler as a weapon.
Few incidents rise to the level of the Thompson brothers’ case — but law enforcement officials say fights among long-estranged family members are more common than most hunters admit.
For most New Yorkers, hunting season is a positive tradition passed down through generations — a time of stewardship, conservation, and community. But for emergency responders, November is also a month of unpredictable calls: overturned cars, accidental shootings, domestic disputes in remote woods, and wildlife-related chaos.
As the season continues, authorities across the state urge drivers, hunters, and cabin-goers to take extra precautions — because not every trophy earned in November is worthy of a mount or a brag.
