Commonwealth countries Australia In
Australia,
kangaroo meat is produced from free ranging wild animals, typically living on privately owned land. Wild
kangaroos are a serious hazard at night in the
Australian bush, accounting for 71% of animal-related insurance claims, followed by dogs (9%) and
wombats (5%). Most vehicles in the bush are fitted with
roo bars to minimize the risk of damage. Consumption of native species is only lawful if you possess a valid game hunting or scientific license.
Canada Motorists in western Canada are at some risk of colliding with bears. Bear collisions have also been reported in
Ontario. Bears killed by accident may be donated to needy people for their meat. There is some risk of
trichinellosis if bear meat contaminated with
Trichinella nativa is under-cooked. In 2008, protesters blocking a new highway in
British Columbia set up a kitchen in their camp where they cooked raccoon stew, venison steaks, and bunny burgers using roadkill collected from the
TransCanada Highway.
Moose were introduced to
Newfoundland in 1878, and are now abundant - and a road hazard at night. Until recently, moose that were cleanly killed in road accidents were given to charitable groups. However, in April 2009 the Department of Natural Resources stated that they were going to stop this practice, citing concerns about the provenance. A spokesman stated the department would no longer be: "providing roadkill under which we have no idea about the health of the animal, we have no idea about how the animal was butchered".
United Kingdom The Independent and ABC News reported on food pioneer
Fergus Drennan, "a full-time
forager, environmentalist and star of the
Fresh One Productions series
The Roadkill Chef" broadcast in 2007 by the BBC. Drennan is a critic of factory farming. He does have limits to what he'll eat, "One of the few things that I tend to avoid are cats and dogs. In theory, I'd have no problem with eating them ... [but they've] always got name tags on their collars, and since I have two cats, it's a step too far." Boyt has published recipe books and appeared on television cookery shows and said that roadkill "is good for the body, the environment and the pocket. It's delicious and won't cost much at all. All you need is some veg and herbs." There have been reports of roadkill poaching in
Sherwood Forest, home of the legendary
Robin Hood. Apparently the poachers place food such as
jam sandwiches on the road to attract deer. When one is killed by a vehicle, they quickly retrieve the carcass for use in
game pies and venison steak. The trend has been for increased legal acceptance. In addition to some in rural areas, cooking and eating roadkill has also been reported among the
hobo population.
Alaska In Alaska, big game roadkill (notably moose and caribou) are considered state property; the operator of the vehicle that killed the animal must call a
state trooper or the division of fish and wildlife protection to report the kill. The troopers will turn the
carcass over to charity "if it's not too smooshed". Around 820 moose are distributed in this way each year. Local residents may also register to be included on the "roadkill list" in the more rural areas, ensuring that the valuable meat is not wasted.
Arizona § 17-319. Big game killed by motor vehicle; salvage permit; violation; classification A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the carcass of a big game animal that has been killed as a result of an accidental collision with a motor vehicle on a maintained road may be possessed and transported by the driver of the vehicle if the driver first obtains a big game salvage permit issued by a peace officer. A person may possess or transport the carcass or any part of the carcass of a big game animal killed as a result of an accidental collision with a motor vehicle only as provided by this section.
Arkansas There is no express law prohibiting the taking of animals killed by vehicle in Arkansas. However, for species that are protected by state hunting laws and otherwise would require a tag to harvest, the proper procedure is to first call the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (the poaching hotline is answered 24/7) and report the animal, providing your personal information.
Georgia The people of Georgia claim that they invented
Brunswick stew, a traditional dish now eaten throughout the southeastern United States which may also contain roadkill. There is a debate as to whether Brunswick stew was actually originally made near the town of
Brunswick, Georgia, or in
Brunswick County in southern
Virginia. Mull is another cold-weather dish from Georgia, which may contain almost any type of meat including goat, dove, squirrel and (some say) rat and roadkill.
Illinois A whitetail deer that is killed/injured due to a collision with a motor vehicle may be legally possessed by an individual if the following criteria are met: • The driver of a motor vehicle involved in a vehicle-deer collision has priority in possessing said deer. If the driver does not take possession of the deer before leaving the collision scene, any citizen of Illinois may possess and transport the deer. • There is no limit to the number of deer that may be possessed under these circumstances. Road kill deer may only be claimed by persons who are residents of Illinois, are not delinquent in child support payments and do not have their wildlife privileges suspended in any state. Individuals who claim a deer killed in a vehicle collision shall report the possession of the road kill deer to the
Department of Natural Resources by submitting a report to the IDNR within 24 hours by using the on-line Road Kill Deer Reporting Form or by telephoning the Department of Natural Resources no later than 4:30 p.m. on the next business day.
Kentucky In Kentucky, the traditional roadkill stew or wild game stew is known as
Burgoo, a stew-like soup of squirrel, rabbit, possum, mutton meat (or whatever meat is available) and vegetables, is declining in popularity, perhaps due to declines in traditional hunting. However, it is still widely served in
Owensboro, the burgoo capital of the world.
Michigan For at least the past 30 years, Michigan has allowed individuals who hit a deer to legally possess it. Upon hitting a deer, the driver was required to call local law enforcement and wait for them to come out to the accident scene; the driver could then receive a "Highway Killed Deer Permit" free of charge, if desired. As of September 28, 2014, this process has been streamlined and permission can be obtained via telephone by calling the DNR or local law enforcement.
New Jersey In New Jersey, a
permit is required for those who want to eat what are sometimes referred to as furry
frisbees. In February 2005, following complaints by the
New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
Kraft Foods decided to stop production of Trolli U.S. Road Kill Gummies. The society complained that the products, shaped as partly flattened squirrels, chickens and snakes, would give children incorrect messages about the proper treatment of animals.
Tennessee Tennessee's legislature has considered legalizing the eating of flattened fauna except domestic pets, a proposal that drew a flood of ridicule due to the awkward wording of the bill introduced by state senator
Tim Burchett. The bill may not have been entirely necessary: an officer of the
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency stated that "no wildlife officer would have charged a citizen with possession of road kill with intent to eat."
Texas In May 2002, representatives of
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called on the Texas legislature to legalize the eating of roadkill. However, a law passed in 2007 to prohibit hunting of wildlife from roads appears to also make collection of roadkill illegal. A Texas Parks and Wildlife official said that "The department strongly encourages all persons to avoid engaging in the collection of any animal life on public roads".
Washington Washington state began allowing the salvage of roadkill deer and elk in 2016. Salvagers must collect the entire carcass and then print a free permit from the
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife website within 24 hours of the collection. Roadside deer carcasses cannot be scavenged in
Clark,
Cowlitz and
Wahkiakum counties, because those areas are habitat for the federally protected
Columbian white-tailed deer. In the program's first year, about 1,600 permits were issued for the collection of roadkill deer and elk. Jeff Eberbaugh's
Gourmet Style Road Kill Cooking was a runaway success in West Virginia when it was published in 1991. The town of
Marlinton, West Virginia holds a road-kill cook-off each fall during the last Saturday of September, which attracts thousands of visitors each year. The festival features dishes such as pothole possum stew, fricasseed wabbit gumbo, teriyaki marinated bear, and deer sausage. While the food at this festival doesn't actually involve real roadkill, the dishes are prepared with the kinds of animals that are commonly knocked down by cars.
Wisconsin A motorist who hits and kills an animal is entitled to keep it, but they must first obtain a free tag from the local authorities (sheriff or police department). If the motorist who killed the animal does not wish to claim it, anyone else can contact the authorities and request a free tag for the animal.
Finland Found roadkills are considered waste, while in car crashes involving European elk or bear, the meat is inspected and auctioned by police. ==Rationales==