Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Ever Eat Roadkill?!?

Road kill. Been quite a few years now but one time when I was on the way to pick up a date for dinner and a movie, a guy passed me going like a bat out of hell. Then I see brake lights and he comes to a stop. He'd hit a deer. Well the car seemed drivable with one fender mangled up. The deer looked like its neck had been broken but otherwise in good shape I threw the deer in the trunk and went on to pick up my date. Told her we'd be getting a late start and went back to my place so I cold hang the deer and do a quick gut job. I was lucky as only the head and neck were messed up.

Years later the wife and I were traveling from Tucson to Eugene Oregon and while going through Northern California saw more dead deer at the side of the road than one would believe. My wife started counting and quit at 100. Most were antlerless but there were a few spikes as well. About all I could say was what a waste. Made me sick to the soul. Dunno what the rules are on road kill in California but that was a serious lot of meat going to waste.
PJ

A buddy and myself took a cow elk one time that we saw get hit. It appeared to be just a strike to the head and neck, instant kill. When we cut her up all of the meat had countless little “blood spots” or specks in it like every little blood vessel had burst throughout the muscle. We cooked some up and it ended up not being fit to eat.

Many fresh car killed deer over the years.

Yes! The price is right.

Caught a doe by the neck combining corn 2 yrs ago. Called up a buddy and he got her. Said the meat was perfect

If the Leftists keep getting their way, we might all be fighting over road kill in the near future.

Yes

Yes, many years ago fresh half of a rabbit found by the side of the road, we were poor, nothing wrong with eating roadkill.

40 years ago in NE PA when I ran EMS, people would listen to scanners for a "vehicle hit a deer" call, and then try to be first on site to claim the deer. Never witnessed any fist fights. But several "spirited" conversations... Local LEO's always gave driver first right of refusal...

If you smack a deer in Upper Michigan, the first vehicle that comes by will stop and you will hear 3 questions. 1. "Are you OK?" 2. "Do you have cellphone service to call for help?" 3. "Do you want that deer?"

Most UP families can home process a fresh killed deer.

We just acquired the privilege here in Oregon about 2 years back. Have not sampled any yet, but some of the less fortunate have contributed to my fly-tying supplies.

Twice that I know of. Wild game dinner, one of my buddies cooked a roadkill possum with sweet potatoes... exquisite.

Another less dramatic time we picked up a fresh roadkill doe, took the hams and backstraps, made a great meal for 4 hungry Foresters.

Uh, yea.

ROADKILL HUNTING!! Get yourself a can of lime green or orange day glow spray paint. Drive along your chosen stretch of hiway stopping to paint the carcasses of all the dead critters you see. The next morning you can just drive along and pick-up the unpainted critters as they are the fresh ones from last night's carnage. Enjoy!!

Only once that i remember. Watched a 40 pound doe get hit but a car next to uncles pasture. Knocked the headlight out. Car didnt stop. Went up to get it out of road and only looked like it was hit on head. Took it back and skinned it. Not a mark on its body. 40 pound deer taste good.

No.
At least not that I know of.

Maybe some strange at a Chinese buffet.

Mre menu # 22 shrimp jambalaya back in the day has to be waaaaay worse than roadkill like 2 or 3 days old.

I could see stopping and picking up whatever if ya just waylayyed it with a vehicle to a certain extent.

This goes back about 20 years. I and a friend were shooting PDs in South Dakota. One morning we were driving on an asphalt highway and saw a road kill rooster pheasant in the middle of the highway. It was already 80 plus degrees and sunny. That afternoon the the temperature approached 100 degrees. About 6 pm we were headed back to town and saw a car parked on the highway. As we approached that vehicle, we saw a guy grab that rooster, toss it in his car and speed away. We presumed the pheasant was to be eaten, but it must have been very fermented.
And I’ve not eaten road kill, but nothing wrong with doing that.

Hell yes I have, and I'm not bragging about it either.
I was sent to live with my grandparents in Arkansas when I was in kindergarten. We lived in a cabin with no electricity or water.
Anytime we were on our way home from anywhere we picked up the dead critters that weren't dead on the way to our destination. Coon, grinners, snapping turtle,possum on the half shell,deer if we were lucky. It didn't much matter. Lots of crock pot surprise in cream of mushroom soup or the cheapest bbq sauce available. That was 50 years ago and ain't gonna happen again