Odd question maybe, but I really don't know. What brings this up you ask? A couple things: My wife visits a horseboard often and this topic came up under a post about fly control. A member responded to a post about what people are doing to control flies - she collects road kill, places them in garbage cans nailed to the fence posts on the far side of her pasture, and seems to not have fly problems all summer. Gross maybe, but effective. Another member responded calling these people idiots and stating that picking up road kill is illegal. When my wife responded asking why it was illegal, the poster's response was, that it was illegal. So no insight there. Anyone know if it is illegal?
Another reason I ask - I saw a 6pt. get hit by a car last night. The deer whirled 10 feet in the air landing in the middle of two lanes. I stopped with others and found the deer still alive sitting in the middle of the road, head up, couldn't move - the car hit his hind quarter. I didn't have a knife with me so I couldn't finish him. The cops were called so I left. What if I had finished him, gutted him, and threw him in my truck without a sherrif's permit? Was that committing a crime?
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It is illegal here in WA... Asinine more than anything else... In fact, if you just put it down and out of it's misery, you are breaking the law here. I don't know the reason (other than we have a lot of BS laws pushed through via referendums and not wildlife management biologists).
in illinois you must have authorization from the dnr before claiming road kill; the same for putting an injured animal out of its misery. dont agree with this but it closes a loop hole for poachers, i guess.
It's usually a health related issue where it's illegal , some places just won't allow you to eat roadkill .
In the case of deer most states require a transportation tag , which sheriff's offices usually provide .
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Bob,
My cousin and I finished aquirrel hunting one night in Fowlerville, when we came across a woman who had hit a deer. It was still alive, but suffering. My cousin sent me back to the truck to get his .22 revolver and some ammo. He has going to put a bullet in its head, of course. By the time I got the gun ready and brought it to him, he had already used his knife to finish it off.
Well, anyway, we waited for the sherrif to show up. We wanted the deer, but had the same question as you. The sherrif told us two things: We couldn't have it. The DNR had to dispose of the carcass. And, if he had shot the deer with the .22, he would have been fined for shooting a deer out of season!
Now, this was about 16 or 17 years ago, and the sherrif may have been blowing some smoke, but we weren't about to question what he said.
Also related, I know a guy here in Ohio who uses road kill as coyote bait. Not sure if it's legal or not.
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RE: Picking up Road Kill Illegal?
I believe, and of course this may vary from state to state, but you only need permission/tags if the animal is a game species.
Unfortunately, almost everything is regulated, from squirrels to deer to crows.
About the only thing I can think of in NE you could take without a fuss would be skunks, opossums, and porcupineys...
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One of the reasons it is illegal in WI without a tag by the local LEO is because there is no other way to ensure it is really road kill.
If you could just pick up a Deer or other animal from the roadside without some registration, how would it be determined when a person is stopped on their way home that it was or was not a road kill?
Many Deer are taken illegally with 22 rifles which leave little or no large detectable wound. Without some sort of control it opens up plenty of opportunity for taking illegal game.
Just an added thought on the subject.
Near my old cabin in NW WI there was a guy who we called Road Kill Ralph. In 2000, the year I retired he claimed 12 road kills mostly Bucks. He was proud to tell you, he hit them all. He had a large cow catcher on his old pickup and would drive around at night running Deer down. The guy was finally caught by the DNR when they set up and watched him run one down by excellerating into the deer. There is always a way to get around the law but good Law Enforcement will usually find a way to stop you.
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Now you have to picture a combination of PeeWEE Herman and Wally Cox but with less muscle tone, trying to be intimidating None of this is funny! Message edited by Cougar Mag -- 1/7/2005 1:16:42 AM >/b]
In PA it's legal as long as you contact the game commission and let them know. Here's where it gets fishy. If it's a buck, you have to pay the game commission $10 a point to keep it. That sounds like a scam but I asked a few game wardens and even emailed the game commission. That's their policy but I never got a good answer as to why. One guy said because they keep the antlers to use when giving presentations, etc. Another explanation is to keep people from purposely running bucks down. If you can afford several thousand in collision repairs, $10 a point isn't going to stop you. Plus - hitting a buck with your car is a shear matter of odds. It would be very difficult to set out and do it on purpose.
Picking up Road Kill Illegal?
