Eating Roadkill

David Trammel's picture

Thinking outside the styrofoam box for food.

"Oregon state Sen. Bill Hansell’s rural district is the size of Maryland, and it is crisscrossed with hundreds of miles of road splayed with all manner of roadkill. While driving one of those routes a couple of years ago, Hansell spotted a dead deer and had what he called an “aha moment”: Could the carcass feed someone?

“It just struck me, you know: This is such a waste,” he said.


Chowing down on roadkill was not legal in Oregon then. But as of Tuesday, it is. With the enactment of a bill sponsored by Hansell and unanimously passed by the legislature, Oregon became the latest of about 20 states that allow people to scoop dead animals off the road and serve them for dinner.

I'm reminded of Granny, from the old television series "The Beverly Hillbillies" and her possum stew, but I don't see anything wrong with the idea.

It also might sound a little, well, gross. But it should not, said Thomas Elpel, a Montana author and wilderness survival instructor whose how-to video on the practice is posted on YouTube. “It’s meat. Whether you buy it in a store or pick it up on the side of the road, it’s the same thing. In the stores, it’s packaged with Styrofoam and plastic, which maybe looks pretty but is harmful to the environment,” Elpel said. “It’s a more authentic way to connect with your food supply.”

Blueberry's picture

Roadkill deer are common this time of year in N Florida. Going into town last Monday morning one on the side of the road had a look see made a call to a family that I know can use the meat. They were there in like 20 minutes I needed help putting the doe in the back of my truck. Quick call to Game & Fish told the lady were the deer was located and the address of the people who would have the meat. Also my name. In less than a hour that doe was gutted cleaned and in coolers on ice. By cooling the meat on ice for a few days makes the meat real tender there is little or no fat on a deer. Will try a link to Tribal Ali https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YKDPJ0Iu0

Serinde's picture

We often have kamikaze pheasants here, which I would have hesitation about scooping one up if I'd killed it. Wouldn't touch one if if I found it and didn't know how long it'd lain, though. Leave it for the crows. We have lots of deer (roe and red), but if you hit one, you have to notify the police if the animal is only injured or has moved off the road and you can't be sure. Anyway, you'd want to gralloch the deer ASAP to prevent spoilage.