Thoughts and opinions on roadkill deer?

[mcginnis6010]

Well as i was taking the kids to school this morning i came across a rather large button buck on the side of the road with a broken neck. So of course i t stopped to check it out and it was still warm to the touch so i called for a deputy from the sherrifs department, got a kill tag for it and promptly took it home after dropping off the kids and ended up with just a lil over 40lbs pf delicious venison! Just wondering if anyone else does or has done this before usually ive always killed my deer myself but as ive had no luck thus this far i figured id get some free meat while it was fresh.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I don't touch them myself. I worry about exploded bladders, intestines and stomachs. That can taint a whole deer in short order. Kind of like gut shot deer, that smell just never leaves no matter how much you rinse and scrub them. If your sure it was a simple broken neck, what the heck grab him.

[Ed Brooks]

I have gotten a few road kills, one had hit its head on the side mirror and had a spot of blood shot about the size of your fist for waist. I say go for it, if it's not too old or mangled. That is being a hunter gather.  Ed 

[osage outlaw]

Your are making use out of something that was going to go to waste.  As long as the meat isn't damaged you will have some tender and tasty meals.  Good for you.

[Eric Krewson]

One thing have learned is if the deer has been hit square in the body, don't gut it, strip off the usable meat by using the gutless quartering method. Often the guts will be ruptured on a hard hit deer, best to leave them in the cavity.

So far I have only picked up one deer that was hit by a truck right in front of me. At the plant I worked at 5 to 10 a year would be hit on the access road, word spread quickly in the plant when one was hit, someone in the plant would retrieve the meat as quickly as possible.

[bow101]

We gutted one once and the meat was OK except for the one side that was hit by the car.  It was bloodied and bruised to kingdom come,  the other side was perfect.

[mullet]

 One year I shot two and cleaned three road kill. One wasn't dead when I stopped. It's back was broken and it was sitting on it's haunches, and everybody driving by was taking pictures untill I stopped and hit it in the head with a hammer and loaded it up.

[KrisDelger]

Can't say I've collected a road killed deer but I've scraped plenty of coyotes off the asphalt during winter when the hides are still good. Out here they usually get cold enough that rot doesn't start for about 8 hours after a hit so if I get them within that first 8 I can skin em out and tan the hides, just nasty when they've been snowed on since then they stink of wet nasty yote

[bubby]

can't do it here , they will run your but in

[mcginnis6010]

Yea i was pretty lucky it was just a broken neck and still fresh the blood was still warm an flowing good. Another plus is all the sinew i got from it and all the bone tools and implements i can make from the ribs, leg bones etc.

[mcginnis6010]

Yea here in Virginia you just gotta call a deputy to come write you a kill tag to make it legal. Most cops dont mind.

[Poggins]

Here in Oklahoma we call the local game warden , they will get you a carcass tag most of the time ( the good ones will ask if you need a tag , I just tell them as long as they know where I got it I don't need one , I get along real good with my warden , we have the same enemies , dang poachers ).
I have saved several backstraps and hind quarters that would have went to waste , one buck on particular was one that a friend ,y brother and myself had been hunting , cop car hit it at about ninety miles an hour , square in the rump , saved most of the back straps and some of the front shoulders  and the warden have us a carcass tag and let us keep the antlers , dang nice eight point .
And on the road I work on we have drug them out of sight and saved back straps for the grill on rainy days , we do make sure they are fresh , we know the ones we call the troopers to dispatch are fresh , we can't finish one off in front of the traveling public .

[TRACY]

9 times out of 10 the loins are good to go and I can loin it out with my Swiss pocket knife in under two minutes and I'm outta there. Get tired of seeing them rot and going to waste just because they are plentiful in my area. Been doing it for years. Like Eric said the gutless approach works fine. Sometimes hind quarters without road rash are disarticulated as quick as the loin. Good eats!

Tracy

[mcginnis6010]

Yea here in VA if you want a piece of roadkill deer you gotta take the whole carcass with you. Besides if not all of the meat is edible then you can at least harvest some good useable materials from it.

[Weylin]

Can't do it, period, in Oregon. it's BS.