I feel like a Redneck

[user1471451684]

Ok so maybe this happens in the U.K. Maybe it doesn't. Here on Norrhern USA if a deer if moose is hit by a car then the driver is allowed to keep the meat. When butchered that could be a years supply of meat in the freezer.

DH discovered that police dispatch keep a list of locals who will accept the critter if the driver doesn't fancy keeping it, and promptly signed us up.

I feel like a bit of a Redneck, waiting in anticipation to have to go collect for roadkill deer! Has anyone eaten roadkill before?

I think it's illegal here to collect an animal you've run over to eat yourself. It could be construed as poaching. I think if you happen upon fresh roadkill, you can fill your boots.

Which means if you hit and kill a deer, and fancy butchering and storing it to eat, you need to phone a mate with a van to come along and come across it 'by accident'.

I had Hedgehog crisps once.

(Happy to be corrected if the above is an urban myth.)

Pmsl at hedgehog crisps!

I would sign up for a fresh deer!

I'm veggie so never eaten roadkill but I can't see a problem in principle, providing hygiene is reasonably assured.

Roadkill's perfectly good if it's fresh (and large enough to not be completely smooshed on impact ). And yes, over here it's illegal to pick up your own roadkill. I remember a friend's dad coming home raging because he'd hit a deer coming home and all he could do was drag it onto the verge. Just as he drove off someone else was pulling over. He spent quite a bit of the evening grousing that he could have had venison but instead all he had was a dent in his bonnet.

I think it counts as poaching in the U.K. We don't really have truly "wild" deer as they're generally all managed by whatever estate they live on and so legally belong to the landowner.

You can't pick up your own roadkill here, as you could be deliberately hitting animals in order to eat them, but you can pick up someone else 's kill. I haven't eaten roadkill, but did shot pigeons as pest control at a factory I worked at and any woodies came home with me (couldn't fancy the ferals somehow)! I'd eat a freshly killed moose or deer if the opportunity arose!

As above, it's poaching, but if you hit something and it was safe to stop, I don't think anyone would mind you taking it.

Of course anyone who stopped after should have first dibs, and would probably quote the above to you, but I doubt they'd stop you or report it. They might if they were a bit anal.

There's so much game knocking about in the sticks I don't think people get funny about it, unless they're a friend of the landowner etc. And we don't tend to gobble it up. Just get pissed off about the damage.
I've never heard of anyone reporting a kill to the police, either, unless the car is wrecked.

If you accidentally hit and killed a deer in the UK... which i did years ago, why not take it home with you if you fancy it. Is it really poaching? Difficult to prove if it's on a public road. Has the law been tested regarding this?

How would anyone know?? Are there really people who would report you for accidentally hitting a deer that skipped out in front of you and shoving it in your boot?!

Not that I would TBH. Not keen on venison myself.