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Roadkill waste

2K views 36 replies 18 participants last post by  hunter63 
#1 ·
I don't know how everyone else's states are but here in Oregon it is illegal to take home roadkill. So if you hit a deer, you're supposed to just leave it on the side of the road. Does anyone else find this incredibly disturbing and wasteful? My SO is from Alaska and there you are allowed to preserve the roadkill. Whatever I guess im a criminal but my parents taught me to never let an animal go to waste that could be eaten
 
#4 ·
The only time I hit a deer, it tore up the front end of my car. I had to get new hood, fender was banged up, and it knocked out both my headlights (and it was dark out!)
The worst part is, the deer ran off unscathed!!!

I now drive a 4x4 with a nice custom steel bumper, doubt if a deer would faze it much.
 
#5 ·
The only time I hit a deer, it tore up the front end of my car. I had to get new hood, fender was banged up, and it knocked out both my headlights (and it was dark out!)
The worst part is, the deer ran off unscathed!!!

I now drive a 4x4 with a nice custom steel bumper, doubt if a deer would faze it much.
We hit a deer once and it did not damage the car but sadly we had to put a bullet in her because we busted her back leg.
 
#6 ·
Here you can pick up what you hit, but in the UK you cannot but the car behind can. I assume it's to stop people deliberatly running things over, as you do. Personaly I have never hit anything larger than a bird. But I have picked up other peoples deer
 
#10 ·
Here in Michigan You hit a deer you call the law for 2 reasons.
(1.You want a aciddent report on file for the insurance company, most deer hits are well over a $500.00 deductible.

(2. You get a permint to take the deer, smaller game like rabbits squirrels people who disire them just pick them up.

I knew of a fellow who left his snow plow on his truck so when he wanted Venison just went out and hit one.
Another had a heavey duty bumper and grill guard for such occations so there are those who dibertly hit deer.

:D Al
 
#15 ·
Here in Michigan You hit a deer you call the law for 2 reasons.
(1.You want a aciddent report on file for the insurance company, most deer hits are well over a $500.00 deductible.

(2. You get a permint to take the deer, smaller game like rabbits squirrels people who disire them just pick them up.

I knew of a fellow who left his snow plow on his truck so when he wanted Venison just went out and hit one.
Another had a heavey duty bumper and grill guard for such occations so there are those who dibertly hit deer.
:D Al
1969 Dodge Power Wagon 4X4, well pipe front bumper(?).....big tires....dual spot lights
...and have a light and winch in the bed of the pickup....
18v battery chainsaw (quite) vegetable oil for bar for.
Go to a deer crossing sign...wait..
or when a Illinois driver speeds buy...just follow till he hits one.

Sometimes you have to go off the road to run the down.....

http://www.buckpeterson.com/original.html

We can call for a permit in Wisconsin...as well as be on the call list.

Bazinga
 
#12 ·
I've been eating road kill deer for the past 2 years. We only need to call law enforcement for a possession tag and then it's legal to take the deer. I've even gotten the free permits to take road killed deer for game camera bait. There's a dog musher in the area who feeds road killed deer to her dogs. She fed more than 50 deer one winter.
 
#13 ·
Disclaimer, this is not a story for everyone.
Coming back from my in laws last Thanksgiving with my youngest teen son. It is about 2 am and we were on a dark county road going back to tend to the animals for the next day. Deer comes out from the thicket and before I could react I hit him with my 3/4 ton truck. Broke his hip. He limps across the road and in the dark I can just see him fall into the corn field about 60 yds from us. Now, if I'm by myself, I go over and put a 45 from my 1911 into him, take him home and call conservation in the morning, but I want to show my son, who is 16, how to follow the law and ethics. So, I call 911, tell them what occurred and ask for assistance. About 20 minutes later two sheriffs deputies arrive. Both appear to be in their mid 20s. I explain what happened and point into the field to where the deer was now laying, bleeding from the mouth and still struggling to move on a leg that wont. One deputy stands next to me pointing his flashlight while the other walks into the field, stops about 25' from the deer, pulls out his side arm and takes aim. I see the dirt kick up behind the deer as he misses on his first shot. The second shot is also high and misses, to which I unexpectedly muttered out loud "Really?" Trying to be as courteous as I can, I turned to the deputy next to me, and asked if maybe he should get right up on the deer to ensure to good clean kill. He yells "Hey Duane, move in a little closer!" Duane walks up to within 10' this time, fidgets with his glasses and takes a slow aim, this time shooting thru the deer's jaw. The deer sits there, unaware of what happened. As I have lost my patience and blurt out "How about just putting the gun to his head" the deputy kills him with the next shot.
We load the deer into the back of my truck, I bite my lip while thanking them and we go on our way. Needless to say, I burned a lot of drivetime the rest of the way home answering questions and explaining to my son what he witnessed isn't how things are supposed to happen.
Long story short, regardless of the events up until death, he legally and legitimately lives on in our freezer and I can say that rather than feed the coyotes, he went to a good home.
 
#14 ·
Ok here you have to call it in. Then you can pick it up.

We also can get on a list to be called to pick up Deer. Nice if their Honest about how long the Deer has been there. Last year only had one that was edible.

big rockpile
 
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#16 ·
I mean no offense to those who live in Oregon, but this, along with several other laws, is the reason we've never really considered Oregon as a potential place to settle down. Oh, there are parts of it that are absolutely beautiful country and just about ideal for a wonderful farm or homestead. But why Oregon wants to micromanage every aspect of every citizen's life... it is just too much for me.
 
#17 ·
Laws that prohibit people picking up roadkill are to keep people from shooting deer out of season then claiming they "hit it with a car and put it out of it's misery".

Here you can keep it if you simply report the collision and obtain a permit to possess the carcass.

Also, the only people here who can legally shoot an injured deer are game wardens, and even they have to ask permission from a supervisor.

It's better to "waste" a little meat than to allow poachers to get away with killing them whenever they want.

It's really not wasted since scavengers have to eat too.
 
#23 ·
When a vehicle hits a deer, sometimes there isn't much left that's eatable. Sometimes there is.
When I worked in a factory, a semi truck driver hit a deer and gutted it out at the side of the road and slid it into a 16 inch square storage area in the cab. I saw horns and three hooves.
A neighbor hit a deer and gave it to me. I skinned and quartered it and cut it up with a table saw.
On the way to work I hit a 6 point buck. Just sort of tapped him, no truck damage, but killed him. I pulled over, put on my flashers, walked up to where he lay in the passing lane. There was a vehicle coming, so I waited to pull the deer off the road. Instead of slowing down, the Ford Torus Wagon, changed lanes and ran over the deer. Flesh, hair, pieces flew in every direction. Nothing left. Tore the automatic trans fluid line off the Ford and I had to give him a ride to work.
Getting hit by a vehicle can drive toxins into the meat. Save the meat with caution.
 
#27 ·
Like was stated when one crosses the road in front of you beware of those that are following.

I am 70 years old been driving on the road since I was 15 and knock on wood have never hit a deer but once in almost down town Marinette Wisconsin, with the wifes brand new Dodge Durango. Lucky not even any hair on the Durango or a scratch, Kare was so worried I had to drive around and find a quarter car wash so we could look it over in the lights ands wash it to make sure no scratches.
That deer was the last of three that ran from between the houses.

I was on my way home from work one morning about 4:00AM, there was 6 inches of fresh snow on the road so wasn't going very fast. Saw a deer in the ditch just ahead then a couple more so I just stopped and was sitting there. 9 deer crossed just fine, the tenth one had to run smack dab in my drivers door. I didn't see a white cane, maybe blind deer don't have to use a white cane.

Ya in Michigan you can get on a road kill list but I would not take a deer I had not hit, I have seen some really badly tore up deer on the road side.

In my county no one is asigned to remove dead deer no one wants. I had one laying in front of my mail box so I couldn't get mail till it was moved. I had my little tractor (pony) up there hooking a chain around it's neck and a cop stopped and said it was againest the law to be moving that deer with out a permit. Asked him if I took the time to get a permit if it would be alright if I dumped it in front of his mail box or yard to stink and he would also have to have a permit to move it.
He finally just left.


:D Al
 
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#28 ·
States that don't allow road kill scavenging value large predators more than poor folks. Or in some cases, trophy deer. You need to get a permit here. It's a salvage permit. Unless it is an almighty buck, no law enforcement is going to care. In many cases if you call to get a salvage permit, they will ask how many points it had. If it was a doe, doubtful you will get a human out to issue a permit, most likely will be told just take it on home and we will notate it here.

Deer are like vermin here. The public lands have been mismanaged to the point that in years of mast crop failure, there is nothing there for them. That drives them to private land and urban areas. So you have a situation where hunters scream at the regulating agency for more harvest restrictions, and private land owners either hoard deer, or exterminate them using crop damage permits, based on their personal outlook toward deer. If you are friends with one of the latter groups of landowners, it is doubtful that you would risk pulling over for a road kill.

If you drive to a job here, and it involves any dark or dusk driving time in the commute, you are guaranteed to smack a deer a year. Sometimes three or four. And that's being careful. Those high banks cut into a mountain to make a road are hard for even the most careful driver to avoid deer. They sail off the bank and land right in front of you, no way to avoid or anticipate. Most people have a large vehicle with a brush guard, really good insurance, or a beater, and don't even brake for them. Some will even speed up a little. Outside of the folks that really like deer hunting, most people view them as rats, and there are so many the police won't even come out to investigate if you hit one. Some people don't even bother calling the police, they just call there adjuster, who is used to writing deer damage claims. Only way you will see an officer, is if the guy you talk to is a hunter, and if you tell him you need a salvage tag for a 14 pointer.

Most of the deer here on public land are stunted, antler wise. It is hard for them to compete with their own overbrowsing. The few that have access to foodplots, planted for deer, usually don't get enough nutrients from them to do any good, because of the crowding. Anything with large antlers gets harvested and all the does get a free pass. Here, the deer with big antlers are usually in an urban area, where firearms ordinances and extensive lawn fertilizing allow for maximum antler growth. Sometimes poachers might target these. But as far as anyone poaching a deer to eat, there is no need, most people in that situation have other ways to get food, and there are road killed deer lying everywhere. Most anyone that knows what to do with a deer should have six or eight in the freezer at home. People poach deer to brag, so unless it has horns there is little chance that they shot a deer and are trying to say they hit it with a car.
 
#29 ·
If it was a doe, doubtful you will get a human out to issue a permit, most likely will be told just take it on home and we will notate it here.
The "permit" could be issued over the phone.
We're required to register kills when hunting, and they simply issue a number that can be used as verification.

Before the internet came along we had to actually take the deer to an agent and fill out a form. Now it's done online or by phone.
 
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