Roadkill question

[Michael]

Hypothetically, if you hit a deer while driving, would you be tempted to take it home and butcher it?

Mike

[Larry Jaques]

it home and butcher it?

No, and I love venison. But the people who hit deer usually butcher them in the woods, while it's fresh and uncontaminated by feces. Urban neighbors and trash men seem to have a thing about antlers and rotting guts in the trashcans, too. Plus, it's illegal in some states to harvest it without a hunting license, so you could be fined.

-- Inside every older person is a younger person wondering WTF happened.

[Greg Guarino]

it home and butcher it?

Quite a few years ago my wife and I spent a night in Greeneville Junction, Maine. There was a pub there called the Roadkill Cafe, complete with a comical menu full of flattened critters (the food was mostly standard fare). After dinner we hung out at the bar for a while.

The fellow next to us spent more time than was absolutely necessary describing an nighttime encounter between his 4x4 vehicle and one of the local megafauna. To make an overlong story short, it didn't go well for either the moose or the truck.

Now our friend had had a few beers, and had likely done the same the night of the crash, so there may have been some embellishment. But to hear him tell it, the highway cop that responded to the accident asked him if he wanted to keep the meat.

"500 pounds of fresh venison? Hell yeah!"

Our friend was maybe 155 pounds including his boots, and didn't look like the type to have butchering skills, a second vehicle or a walk-in freezer. He told us a number of other stories as well, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit to feeling a twinge of skepticism here and there. But he did keep us entertained for a while.

[tiredofspam]

it home and butcher it?

[Doug Miller]

Michael wrote in news:28391070.603.1331317300221.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@ynel

5:

Nope. Not a chance. BTDT, too f'ing messy to want to try it again. I hunt. And I pay someone else to butcher my kills.

But I *would* -- as provided for by Indiana law -- request a sheriff's deputy to give me a game tag for that deer so I could legally transport it to the same butcher I use during hunting season.

[John Grossbohlin]

I think more than anything the decision would be made based on whether or not there was time, how I was dressed, if the vehicle were drivable, and if you can even find the deer. I hit one one time with a VW bug and the deer went over the roof after caving in the hood and right fender. Never did find it... needed help pulling the fender out of the tire too.

Other it depends issues... if it was a solid body hit forget it... exploded guts and "bruised" meat aren't worth the effort nor the nasty experience. On the other hand, if it isn't hit too bad the back straps and hind quarters can be taken out quickly without having to get into the guts.

It depends... and the coyotes, vultures and crows have to eat too.

[Markem]

it home and butcher it?

You can do that in Illinois, of course that is if your vehicle is drivable.

[Stuart]

If I had the skill yes.

Some years ago I hit a rabbit. I'll skip the details but the only damage appeared to be some blood round the eyes. I took it home, got my wife out of bed (Her gran had taught how to deal with a rabbit) and it was rabbit stew the following Sunday,

[Swingman]

Tenderized ...

[Leon]

Not to mention that it was dead, right? LOL.

[Puckdropper]

Michael wrote in news:28391070.603.1331317300221.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@ynel5:

No, but I might call one of the hunters I know and see if they're interested.

Last winter, we had a deer die up by the garden after being hit by a car. It was cold enough to possibly preserve the deer, so I called one of the hunters. He didn't think it'd be worth messing with for the meat, especially considering it had been hit.

Puckdropper

[Stuart]

Yes. What I meant was it wasn't mangled up in anyway.

OK, It happened like this.

I was coming home from work after evening shift about 2310h. The track from the transmitting station was steep, twisty and unlit. I came round a bend and this rabbit was sitting in the middle of the road. I guess it was transfixed by my lights as it didn't move and I couldn't avoid it. I tried to drive over it with my wheels each side of it but as I went over it I heard a bump. I stopped the car, looked round and found it on the verge. I suspect it tried to hop away but hit its head on the underside of the car.

[Ralph Compton]

Not legal in California. Even if it were deer season, and you had a tag for the zone where you hit the deer, striking the deer with a motor vehicle is not a legal method of take. If you hit one, leave it lay, otherwise it's poaching. Dumb? Maybe. But that's life in California.

That said, I know that some folks, where there are lots of road killed deer, are very adept at field dressing a deer and can get it back home and in the fridge pretty quick. And I suspect this goes on a lot more often than anyone knows. And I also suspect the folks who do this are pretty good about determining what meat is quickly and easily salvageable. Personally, nah. Not for me.

[Kenefick]

it home and butcher it?

[Ed Pawlowski]

it home and butcher it?

I'm not interesting in doing it. The state though, has people on a list that take the deer and make good use of it. State laws will vary with what you are allowed to do, but some use the meat for homeless shelters and soup kitchens.

[Larry Jaques]

it and weep, bubba.

Amen. And I love the new (to me) term, "flattened fauna", don't you?

-- Inside every older person is a younger person wondering WTF happened.

[Larry Jaques]

it home and butcher it?

Around here, everyone takes it to (or has it picked up by) the Wildlife Images park.

Clark is my fave kitty, a bigass cougar.

-- Inside every older person is a younger person wondering WTF happened.

[Robatoy]

From my grille to your grille

[Robatoy]

[Robatoy]

take it home and butcher it?

That's how a fair bit of the freshly reported roadkill is handled here. Often volunteer cops or smoke-eaters will do the cleaning, packaging and if taken in the fall, frozen and distributed to people around christmas.