Sad, Sad Situation

[hoytinak]

I almost got arrest for dispatching a whitetail that had been hit by a car once. Luckly, I talked my way out of it as I knew the deputy pretty well. Here in TX, you are not supposed to dispatch them or even if they are already dead in the middle of the road, you can't legally move them to the side out of the way. The state doesn't want you touching them at all. I know in the panhandle the state has a company the goes around collecting all the roadkill and they sell it off to make dog food.

[troy_mclure]

in washington you cannot keep a deer hit by a car, even if you hit it.

[Daryl]

Back in Arizona, an LEO can issue you a cacass tag for the deer, and the meat is then your's.

However, I'm not so sure about dispatching such an animal. It might be considered poaching, and while I feel for the animal, I have to look out for myself first. It's usually best to call an LEO for dispatching the animal.

Daryl

[roy reali]

The deer in this thread was on the edge of town. Hence, phone service and a quick LEO response. But Nevada has lots of isolated areas, no cell service, LEO's very unlikely.

I do have a gun with me when traveling in those areas. I think I would dispatch an animal in that circumstance.

[Art Eatman]

Ah, yes, beautiful downtown Dryden, population six. And Sheffield, where the only new buildings in town are government or government-employee residences.

I didn't know about the Texas law prohibiting removing a deer from the highway. I'd stop and remove a rock, so I figure I'd stop and move a deer if it were a hazard. And in my precinct, here, I know the JP would throw out any charges occurring from a mercy killing of a deer caught in a fence. He'd probably tell the arresting officer that Ron White was correct.

It's a shame. Modern America, where one's best interest lies in ignoring Bad Things.

Not the way I grew up.

[kaylorinhi]

Here in NE NC they told me that a State roadcrew would be by to collect it after a deputy had dispatched the animal. waste of a good sized Doe!

[Buzzcook]

Might also add that a deer that is hit by a auto or truck, will be full of clots that it may only be suitable for processed sausage.

Some of the best venison I've had came pre-tenderized by a 1965 Chrysler Grand Imperial.

In the Methow valley there's a sign near Winthrop giving the number of deer/car collisions. One year it was over 650, this year it was in the 300s.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/deer.html#driving

If you accidentally hit and kill a deer, try to move the animal off the road--providing you can do so in complete safety. Otherwise, report the location of the deer’s body to the city, county, or state highway department with jurisdiction for the road. If no action is taken, contact the non-emergency number of the local police department, and the agency will arrange for the body to be removed. This will prevent scavengers from being attracted onto the road, and eliminate a potential traffic hazard.

If the deer is wounded, call the non-emergency number of the local police department and describe the animal’s location. Emphasize that the injured deer is a traffic hazard to help ensure that someone will come quickly.

Didn't find a mention about keeping the deer.

[Doodlebugger45]

Obviously the laws (and how they are enforced) vary a whole lot from place to place. I don't carry a firearm for personal protection, but I do always carry a firearm in my vehicle for the purpose of shooting a deer or elk that's been hit by a car. It happens a lot around here. Most any native can tell you numerous stories of either hitting one themselves or coming onto the scene when someone else has hit it. Typically, tourists and even some locals, don't always carry a firearm for such an event, so it's not uncommon to have to put the deer down and drag it off the road. I have never ever heard of someone getting into trouble for doing so. Typically, we don't have cell phone service here and the nearest law enforcement will be awhile in getting there.

One time I encountered the situation above and shot the deer and drug him off the road just as the highway patrol car was arriving at the scene. The officer simply said "thanks, we'll handle it from here". I never gave any thought to the law. Of course, I wouldn't think of trying to eat a deer or elk that's been hit on the road. The injuries to the deer are typically pretty massive and I would imagine most of the meat would be ruined. Around here though, venison and elk meat are not in short supply. If you merely mention to a friend that you wish you had some game meast, you will quickly find that you don't have enough freezer space to hold all the offers of meat. No reason to resort to eating roadkill.

[egor20]

§ 29.1-539. Keeping deer or bear struck by motor vehicle; procedure to be followed by driver.

Any person driving a motor vehicle who collides with a deer or bear may, upon compliance with the provisions of this section, keep the deer or bear for his own use as if the animal had been killed by that person during hunting season for the animal.

Any person so killing any deer or bear shall immediately report the accident to the conservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer of the county or city where the accident occurred. The conservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer shall view the deer or bear and if he believes that the deer or bear was killed by the collision with the motor vehicle or injured to such an extent as to require its death, he shall award the animal to the person claiming the deer or bear, and shall give the person a certificate to that effect on forms furnished by the Department.

(1950, pp. 441, 442, §§ 29-155.2 to 29-155.4; 1980, c. 271; 1987, c. 488; 2007, c. 87.)

[jimbob86]

Don't. The deer is dead and you don't want to be.

A few years ago a guy in Bellvue, NE, got out of his car to do move a deer struck by another motorist. .... and was struck and killed by another car.

[k31]

well then i think we all can agree do what you feel is right and legal and safe dont be the idiot who thinks they can drag a 200+ deer out of the road in time to avoid the car traveling 75mph that is only 100yards away
i understand that most of a children are being taught in school that you should not think to ever solve a problem for them self cause we need to tell the person in charge
im religious if you disagree fine but "for me and my house" jamse 4:17 taught
he that knowith to do good and he do it not to him it is sin
if i see you broke down i will help even on the interstate with idiot drivers
also if my kid feels it needs to be done she will clean your kids clock quicker than brasso so to all America adults and kids use common sence and think before you act but act
"even if i make the wrong choice i have still made a decision and did not let others decide for me, that is socialism" Chad Powell

[shortwave]

Years ago when I lived in Cols. Ohio. Cols. and many of the bordering suburban city's/towns had a roadkill list you could get your name put on. My girlfriend at the time was a Reysnoldburg,Oh. LE dispatcher that worked nights. Needless to say my(and friends) freezers stayed full of venison usually hit around the city park(Blacklick Woods) .
If the deer was really torn up, they wouldn't even call. Many were not hit hard at all and alive when I arrived. I knew most of the LEO so I'd dispatch the deer so they(LEO) wouldn't have to fill out a report.

This was all done inside city limits.

One night, I show up for a hit deer which was alive but laying in a ditch, along the road next to some apartments. I had dispatched many deer in that area as the deer over-run park was right across the street. The LEO that was there was new and I'd never seen him before. He had his cruiser's headlights and spot shining on the deer. Her head was up but she couldn't move.

I approached her from the back side, drew my pistol from my jacket pocket and shot her in top of the head.

What a mistake on my part that was.

This new, young LEO went into orbit.

He started screaming at me about discharging a firearm in city limits all the while having his nervous hand on his weapon.

Without moving a muscle, I calmly explained to him that I normally shot the deer when I came out.

Needless to say, he took a bit of a ribbing from the rest of the fellow LEO's.
The next time I was called and he was there, I hollered "I going to shoot the deer now" .
He laughed!