Road Kill Dinners

[pmbug]

The question of why the chicken crossed the road is of secondary importance to who gets to claim the bird's carcass if it's killed while attempting the crossing.

For a long time, the rule in a majority of the country was the government got to keep the deceased animal. State laws prohibited drivers from claiming the meat of animals killed on public roads and highways for food. Instead, ownership of the corpses defaulted to whichever agency maintained the roads, wasting countless tons of farm-fresh, slightly battered flesh to rot.

In recent years, a growing number of states have been loosening their highway harvesting bans. The Associated Press reported in 2022 that "30 or so" states now allow people to harvest roadkill. The pace of reform doesn't appear to be slowing down.

Come July, a new Virginia law allowing anyone to claim roadkill all year round will go into effect. Current law allows only the driver who the killed animal to claim the carcass, and only if they hit the animal during hunting season.
...

New Virginia law will let anyone harvest roadkill anytime of year

Previously you had to hit the animal yourself during hunting season to claim the carcass.

reason.com

It sounds odd to me, but I live in the burbs. I guess this is more common out in the country?

 

[Joe King]

It sounds odd to me, but I live in the burbs. I guess this is more common out in the country?

Deer will be the main critter this will apply to.

 

[Goldhedge]

New Virginia law will let anyone harvest roadkill anytime of year

Previously you had to hit the animal yourself during hunting season to claim the carcass.

reason.com

It sounds odd to me, but I live in the burbs. I guess this is more common out in the country?

I know a guy...

Yeah, I really do... Lives outside of Buena Vista CO. He gets a call from the local sheriff whenever someone hits a deer-like critter and he rolls in and takes it home.

Free meat!

 

[Ttazzman]

as previously stated ...this really only applies in practice to deer in our area ...many law enforcement individuals know people/organizations to call that will harvest the meat on a fresh deer road kill ......much is donated to shelters.........one of the local cities has a turkey processing plant and turkeys occasionally will get away and the homeless etc will harvest them LOL

 

[WinkWink]

 

[searcher]

 

[Casey Jones]

Deer will be the main critter this will apply to.

To me, it's strange - that anyone would object.

In various places I lived - Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and out here - you're doing the state crews a FAVOR by taking the meat. You have to call in an officer and make a report, but, that done, you have the deer. Hopefully you have a way to drive home with it.

Don't know about Ohio and New York - I was less concerned about things like that in the prosperous 1990s and early '00s. But, as I went rural, I came to learn, there was a small upside to hitting Bambi. Free meat for a month!

 

[Fatrat]

I bashed a Bambi in NY, after the sheriff cleared the accident, that deer and I got a ride from my neighbor. I don't care for deer so gave it to the neighbor.