Roadkill / Salvage Meat
General Topic
Had a buddy of mine who works for a municipality call me because a young doe had tried to jump an iron fence, but didn't make it. She ended up impaled on the fence. The police were going to put her down. He knew that I'd be happy to put the venison to use.
After quickly breaking her down, one of the local limousine liberals realized that I had the quarters etc. cooling with some snow in crates in the back of my truck.
I was told it was "shameful and disgusting". Apparently, it would be much better in her eyes to have the deer go into a landfill.
I really don't understand these people. I don't get to relive the hunt when I'm eating some salvaged venison, but it's still enjoyable and I fail to see how anything would be for the better by wasting that meat.
I am proudly a "cleanivore".
one of the craziest laws we have here in mn, and we have many is you cant legally pickup roadkill-even if you kit it. you have to get a permit which is $5. I couldn't give two craps about that law and I pick up dead deer all the time for trapping bait and I never get a permit. Heck I get calls all the time from the local CO's and LEO's telling me there is a fresh one here or there.
that said ive never picked one up and ate it. I suppose a guy could but by the time I get to them its usually too late.
michael
Yeah, I guess that I should've clarified. They call me and I'm breaking them down within 20-30 minutes of when they put them down. Sooner than most of the deer that I kill hunting.
I'm not picking up mangled road splatter.
Michael, Here in MN, between me and my officers we fill out road kill possession permits all the time - I would say at LEAST 25 per fall - and have never charged anything for them - they are absolutely free - I have never heard of any law enforcement entity charging for the permits, not even the DNR?
Many times we have people call and request a permit for a deer they have picked up - we issue them, not a problem.
We have a list of people at the PD who request the road kills.
I've been in law enforcement for about 25 years and a chief for the past 15, if this is a law it's news to me?
Yep, I even have a Roadkill Possession Certificate from CO CDOW.
Subaru hits neighborhood deer, woman sitting in her little bashed-in 'Ru weeping and sobbing, Lou and wife stop, load buck in the back of the Tahoe, then ask if she's ok. Priorities.
I've taken to telling my deer-hugging acquaintances that I'm a "locavore".
Getting a road kill that was really nailed by a car isn't at the top of my cuisine list, but I know what it tastes like. Imagine an animal that is completely bloodshot. Makes me wonder about pushkin buffalo - probably an acquired taste eh?
Completely agree that if somebody wants to utilize a road kill instead of it rotting on some shoulder or making a hell of a mess all over the roadway, they should be allowed to do so. Also, how many millions of dogs and cats are put down at animal shelters every year that lots of people would enjoy eating also. Not my flava-flav, but if they are going to be dead animal, do we really want to waste that meat also?
The kids are jacked for venison heart sandwiches tomorrow night.
I'm going to use your "locavore" line Lou.
The two I salvaged were in pretty good shape, meat wise.
Organic "Locavorism" is becoming trendy. We hunters need to turn it in our favor.
Rick, half that bottle of Macallan 18 is reserved for you to share with me. I often gaze at it longingly, like some of the photos on the weed thread. Sigh.....
Williamtell - Just gotta go for those stuck on a fence or where the foreleg was broken, not full on mashed. The police end up putting them down.
I was only looking at the yoga pants to stay current, Lou. Shhhhhhh...
Only done a few... usually has been just a quarter that's throw away.. although way back.. my old one legged neighbor brought home a fresh killed doe that'd been hit by a semi south of Zimmerman.. i had my doubts but one entire half was mush and the other side was perfect...
Ideally never take one that isn't plain fresh..no riger mortis or anything..
I once killed a doe with my pocket knife that 2 lady friends of my mother had hit. I gutted it and gave it to one of them with approval of Hwy patrol that watched ..he was killing time on a slow night I think.. and he was my older brother's motor head buddy..
ramble ramble.. ;)
Good to know there's other practical guys still out there.
The mention of roadkill always reminds me of Carl Hiassen's eccentric one eyed hero.."Skink" Tyree..
One of my best friends is worth $20 million-plus, and he'll stop on the way to a business meeting and cut the backstraps out of a good roadkill.
I had a highway patrolman waiting at my truck for me during the season, asking if I'd take a nearby doe that was still in pretty good shape.
We've also eaten roadkill pheasant and peacock, and sold some roadkill raccoons and coyotes.
In Montana we have a road kill law you just call in and they give you a permit. Maybe the turkey hunter go his this way
After a job change and really short on funds when my kids were young, I picked up numerous roadkills to fill the freezer. I live just a few miles from one of the worst roads in the county for road kills, so it was easy to get them. On the way home in the evenings, my kids would see flashing lights and ask (rather excited) if we were going to get fresh meat.
I used to keep a cooler with a knife, paper towels and gloves handy. Split the back and lay the hide down on either side and take the best cuts, and leave the mashed up stuff for the varmints.
Bigdan, that highway through the Breaks is like a bone yard when you walk along it, amazing. Never seen anything like it. The hay trucks drop alfalfa seed and there's a strip of alfalfa 6 feet or more wide on both sides for the length of the highway it seems. Some nights you have to drive pretty slow, the animals are out everywhere feeding right on the road.
Couple years ago Steve and I picked up a spike axis that had just been hit by a car. Still warm, not even stiff. Had been hit in the head and broken neck, not a mark or bruise on any of the rest of him. Threw him in the truck (easiest pack out I've ever done) and were back at his house in 5 minutes. Skinned him, split him, had him hanging to cool and back in the field in a half hour.
Great eater for sure. Had better luck that morning cruising the roads if I recall....
Heck ... one year I hit a jake turkey (toughest animal to hit, BTW) as it was flying away ... we ate him for Thanksgiving.
Road-kill Thanksgiving ... I'll remember it forever.
Working as an officer I probably put down 10 deer a year. Sometimes the person that hits it wants the deer. We just write out a salvage tag from the DNR and send them on their way. Most times though the deer is left to waste on the side of the road. Its a shame really. Lots of the time its just a broken leg with no noticeable meat damage. Unfortunately its hard to find people to take road kill at 2 or 3 in the morning.
I've cut up quite a few roadkill deer over the years for customers. Some are great and others are mangled. The best ones have a broken leg, neck or just hit on the head. Nothing wrong with it at all. I've threatened my wife many times about picking up roadkill but she hasn't consented yet. LOL guess I should just pick one up without her knowing and I bet she wouldn't even be able to tell it was roadkill!
What's the difference between a road kill skunk and a road kill lawyer?
There's skid marks in front of the skunk....
Sorry BK.... couldn't help myself... =D
Hey! my daughter is a lawyer. She says there would be skid marks if the person was smart. THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVE AN ATTEMPT TO STOP.:)
I bonked a quail off my windshield once and gladly took it home as the only bird I saw that morning!
Hackbow... Not 20miles from my house is a restraunt named road kill cafe. Can't tell you if any of the meat is road kill or not
I have had many road kill meals. Like any animal killed by a projectile you trip away meat from the wound area. When it is a 4000# truck it can mean a lot of trimming. It has to be fresh for me to touch it. I do have an amusing story of a mallard duck. I saw it beside the road on Monday I assumed it was recently killed since I did not see it on Friday. Tuesday it was still there and I noticed on Thursday it was gone. The next week a co worker told me that his neighbor had the good fortune to pick up a dead duck on Wednesday night. The neighbor said he couldn't believe how tender the meat was. I am glad I wasn't invited to dinner.
The Canadian goose that dive-bombed my SUV going 45mph didn't survive nor was he edible. ;)
I picked a freshly grilled ruffed grouse out of grill of my boss' F-350 one morning. It was deliciously and in great shape.
About a month ago my brother calls me and told me he just hit an elk with his semi. He said it should be in good shape and thought he hit it in the head/neck area. There was no place for him to stop the big rig and he didn't want the elk.
I called a buddy and told him where it should be. He ran out there and there were two elk down. I headed out there to help him. When I got there another person showed up and really wanted the calf. We loaded up the cow and gutted it elsewhere. Montana salvage law gives you 24 hours to complete the salvage permit. The next morning my buddy completed the online permit in about 5 minutes. It's nice to see some of these animals go to good use.
Some years back my neighbor hit a black angus cow close to our house. The owner denied it was his cow and the Hi-way patrolman told us we could have the cow. Went to his house and got some tools and came back and apparently the owner had come and cut the hind quarters off the cow with a chain saw. We decided to leave the rest and after a bit the hi-way man came to his house and made us go and get the rest of the cow off the road. A real bummer.
James
My son is a police office. One of his fellow officers picks up carcasses in the patrol car! Some, I am told, he eats, others he uses for trapping....
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picked up a very fresh road-killed spotted fawn probably 15 years ago. It was THE best venison I've ever eaten.
I couldn't see a single mark on her. It looked like she dropped dead from a heart attack on the side of the road.
I've cut up a few moose that were roadkills including a big cow that caused the new F-150 to be towed.
She was blown open. Crap all over the road and frozen to the blacktop. We took her home and cut the quarters off where possible. All 4 legs were broken.
You would be surprised how much meat we salvaged.
When hit at high speed and really trashed, there is no blood flow and very little bloodshot.
Remainder ended up on a trapping bait site.
This guy gets it! The Rocky Mountain Meat Hunter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAgZiOmk_bk
Link for Rocky Mountain Meat Hunter
Lungshot- If that's all the damage the moose did I guarantee he was edible. A friend and I were on a deer drive once and a buck I missed ran across the turnpike and caused an old lady in a new buick to hit him going 75 mph. Busted his antlers off so bad they were shattered and he was still edible.
Lol Thornton, "Goose", not "moose"
My wife says I never really read anything, I just look at it. Maybe she's right... But if you think about it, the goose might have been edible. When I knock one out of the air at 60+ yards up with my ten gauge, he will bounce a good foot on impact with the ground. I think its cool to hear the wind rushing through their feathers right before they hit- sounds like a jet. I finished my bag limit in South Dakota this year with a third rooster I smoked with my F-150. I turned around to get him out of the ditch and my friends thought it was hilarious.
Getting a little assistance from the little assistant
Hit next to my house today.
Spike78, would that be sweet and sour chicken, or chicken pad Thai?
Extra pics posted at the insistance of the little assistants.
