Virginia has cracked the top 10 states where people are most likely to have a deer/vehicle collision. We were 12th last year (2010-2011) and now we’re No. 10. But we’re not nearly as likely to plow a whitetail as our neighbor to the west.

For the sixth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where an individual driver is most likely to run into a deer. Using its claims data and state licensed driver counts from the Federal Highway Administration, State Farm, calculates the chances of a West Virginia motorist striking a deer over the next 12 months at 1 in 40, compared with 1 in 48 the year before.

Considering Virginia had 5,402,347 licensed drivers in 2010 and there were 52,369 deer/vehicle collisions on Virginia roads in 2011-2012, State Farm estimates Virginians have a 1 in 103.2 chance of hitting a deer in 2012-2013

South Dakota moved from third to second on the list. The likelihood of a licensed driver in that state hitting a deer within the next year is 1 in 68. Iowa (1 in 71.9) drops from second to third. Michigan (1 in 72.4) is a close fourth jumping one position from fifth. Pennsylvania (1 in 76) drops one spot to fifth. In each of the top five states the rate of deer-related collisions per driver went up from a year ago.

The state in which deer-vehicle mishaps are least likely is still Hawaii (1 in 6,801). The odds of a driver in Hawaii colliding with a deer between now and 12 months from now are approximately equal to the odds that any one person will be struck by lightning during his or her lifetime.

If you’ve never been to False Cape State Park in the far southeastern corner of the state, you’re missing out on one of the truly rare scenic games, not just in Virginia, but on the whole east coast. I’ve written about the place in my T-D columns before. The park is 4,000 acres of pristine barrier spit: beach, dunes, marshes, pine and live oak forests. It’s truly beautiful and mostly wild. To the north of False Cape is the 6,000-acre Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, full of very similar habitat.

Feral hogs live here, believe it or not.

The park is a great place to camp. The one time I did, we were the only people in the whole place. It’s other claim to fame is that its the only place in Virginia with managed feral hog hunts. I took part in one on Friday and wrote about it for my column in today’s Times-Dispatch.

And whether you’re a hunter or not, get yourself down to False Cape SP. There just aren’t many places on the East Coast where you can stand on the beach, turn 360 degrees and sign no signs of human impact. You can do that there.

If you’re into cycling, or forgotten Richmond history, my column in today’s T-D could be right up your alley. I wrote about a recently-released book, On Richmond’s Wheel, by cycling enthusiast Tom Houff. The local mail carrier spent a year researching the history of cycling in Richmond and found it to be surprisingly rich.

There are dozens of surprising facts, figures and stories in the book, which draws heavily from newspaper accounts. How about this one: Outdoor bike races at the now defunct Exposition Center used to draw 15,000 spectators. That’s more than the Diamond holds and as many as the president drew to Byrd Park yesterday.

With the cycling world championships on their way in 2015 and Richmond making strides to become more bike friendly, it’s amazing how little is known about our cycling past. Houff’s book goes a long way toward changing that. Check it out. It’s available at every bike shop in town.

A few weeks back, Matt Perry, co-owner at Riverside Outfitters, told me about a cool new idea he had for t-shirts he wanted to sell at his shop. The concept was simple: short, punchy phrases; either you know what they mean because you’ve been there and done it, or you aren’t sure what they’re all about and you want to know.

On the front we had three options: “paddle Pipepline,” “ride Buttermilk,” and “ride Forest Hill.” On the back, we started off with “Richmond, Va.,” but eventually changed it to the now ubiquitous “RVA” logo. I told Perry I “had a guy” in the t-shirt business, college friend John Ezbiansky, who runs a sporting goods store called Battaglia’s in Scranton, Pa. He had the shirts printed up and shipped out, and last week Riverside put them up for sale for $10. We bought 12 of each slogan; as of now, there are only 10 total shirts left — 5 Forest Hill, 3 Buttermilk and 2 Pipeline.

Let us know what you think. Got any new slogan suggestions? Shoot me an email at dvlex@hotmail.com or catch Matt at riversideoutfitters@yahoo.com. (A couple others we’re mulling over: “snorkel the James,” and “run Buttermilk” and “run North Bank.”) The shirts are only for sale at RO and they’re only 10 measly dollars. Get some!

 If your kid is 14-under and likes to run, there’s still time — but not much time — to sign him or her up for the Call Federal Credit Union Marathon Junior this Saturday (October 27). Entries will be accepted online until Wednesday, October 24 at 11:59 p.m. This is the event’s inaugural year.

The event offers several distance options including a 0.5-mile run (7 & under), 1-mile run (10 & under), and a 2-mile run (14 & under). All three courses will be located throughout Byrd Park. Packet pick-up and registration will take place at Byrd Park (600 S. Boulevard) adjacent to Fountain Lake from 8 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. The races then begin at 10:00 a.m., 10:15 a.m., and 10:35 a.m. respectively.

The 1-mile and 2-mile runs will be chip timed, and the top three male and female finishers in each distance will receive awards. The top three finishers in each age group will be mailed awards after the event. Since the event will be held right before Halloween, kids will be given a chance to “Give their Halloween Costumes a Test Run.” Prize for the most “BOO-tiful” costumes will be distributed. Entry fee includes chip timing, participant t-shirt, finisher medal and post-race food.

Online registration for the Call Federal Credit Union Marathon Jr. is available at www.sportsbackers.org. The entry fee is $15 for all distances through October 24. Entry fees will increase by $5 on event day. Entries are non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be deferred to another year. All participants must be at least 4 years old on event day to participate. For more information, visit www.sportsbackers.org.

The Chesapeake Bay may not quite be local, but it is near and dear to many Central Virginians’ hearts. If you spend time on, in or around the Bay and its tributaries, there’s a new free app out that’s worth adding to your collection. Developed by the National Park Service, Chespeake Explorer was “designed to help visitors discover and enjoy fun and inspiring places and activities in the Chesapeake region.”

Chesapeake Explorer can suggest thematic tours to explore, whether by bike, car or on foot, and can build customized tours. It also includes historical information and helps travelers plan their visit along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, and the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.

In June, Luck Stone, the presenting sponsor of the Xterra off-road triathlon here in Richmond, rolled out a whole new way for fans to experience the races. I detailed the tech-savvy approach in my column for the T-D.

Richmond Xterra winner Conrad Stoltz.

Now the company is taking its tech skills to Xterra worlds in Hawaii this Sunday. According to a joint press release, the same spectator experience Richmonders were the first to enjoy in June will be available to fans in Hawaii and all over the world via a special website — www.xterralive.com. If you’re a triathlete or Xterra fan, you need to check this out.

Luck Stone is working to enrich the XTERRA experience by creating an interactive social media map. Spectators are encouraged to utilize the hashtag #XTERRAMAUI to link up on Twitter, share their experience and generate excitement through picture-sharing, geo-tagging and reporting.

 A second feature is a GPS device worn by the elite athletes that tracks their location, distance, and speed. Like the camera footage, this information will also be available to view online at www.xterralive.com.

 A third feature includes cameras operating at different vantage points throughout the course streaming live video feed onto the web, enabling viewers to watch the race and cheer on the athletes in real time. Live video feeds will be displayed on several large monitors at the World Championship at the Ritz Carlton in Maui.

 According to Luck Stone associates, Trevor Blanning and John Blackmore, who introduced the three-part technology package to XTERRA, the package has had a worldwide reach and has been viewed by thousands and thousands in more than 35 countries. Friends and fans are now able to experience XTERRA competitions worldwide, and in real-time, through the lens of athletes and spectators alike. To learn more about Luck Stone and XTERRA, visit www.luckstone.com and www.xterraplanet.com. You can participate during the competition on Twitter using the hashtag #XTERRAMAUI and also follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Luck.Stone.XTERRA or www.xterralive.com

Doesn’t this look like fun?

Congratulations to Karen Himelrick and Sarah Ann Baicy! You’re the final two winners of free entries into the Oct. 20th Pretty Muddy women-only mud run in Pocahontas State Park. We’ve now given away 10 free entries ($70 value for each entry) in the past five weeks. To a paraphrase long ago Wall Street Journal advertising, “It pays to read RichmondOutside.com every day.”

As of early last week, over 1,300 women had signed up for the event, but there are still spots left. Volunteers also are needed to help make the run as fun as it was in Chicago a month ago, when 1,700 racers and 2,000 spectators showed up.

Our partners at Pretty Muddy, the group bringing the women-only mud/obstacle run to Pocahontas State Park on Oct. 20, are in need of help:

Attention Pretty Mudders! We are looking for some pretty awesome guys and gals to volunteer at our event at Pocahontas State Park on Saturday, October 20! We offer donations to non-profit organizations, sports teams, charities, and church groups, so spending time helping out at Pretty Muddy is a pretty awesome way to give back to a cause you believe in! Please keep in mind that volunteer shifts are first come, first serve, so sign up while there are still openings! Email volunteer@prettymuddy.com to sign up.

And don’t forget, this Friday we’ll be selecting the final two winners of our Pretty Muddy giveaway. If you’d like a shot at doing the Pretty Muddy race for free ($70 value), “like” the RichmondOutside.com and Pretty Muddy Facebook pages then send us an email with your contact info. It’s as simple as that.