Fish and Game:  how to legally recover roadkill

September 17, 2014

We have to admit it:  This is a subject that secretly we all sort of wonder about, but publicly, we all turn up our noses in disdain:  roadkill.  And we're not just talking about roadkill, we are talking about salvaging roadkill. We could be more discreet.  We don't have to call it roadkill.  It could be a much more aseptic, bleached, bureaucratic term.  How about calling it "Unanticipated Accidental Wild Game Animal Collisional Demise." Not that we all want to salvage roadkill--oops, I mean UAWGACD.  Of course we don't.  But sometimes one wonders, do people ever try to salvage those unfortunate critters? Idaho Fish and Game kindly answers those questions, and provides the necessary details.  Read on. From Idaho Fish and Game: As temperatures cool, people driving the highways of Idaho are encountering more collisions with wild game. So if you see an animal that has been killed by a car, can you take it home? The answer is yes, but there are some guidelines to follow: - Before you claim any roadkill salvage, consider the safety of yourself and fellow travelers. Always abide by traffic and safety laws. - Did you find or accidentally strike and kill an animal legal for salvage? Pick it up. - You have 24 hours to notify Fish and Game, and 72 hours to obtain a salvage permit. - You may report roadkill online at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/roadkill or phone our offices to report. If calling after hours it's important to leave your full name, phone number, address and location of the salvage so a permit may be mailed. If self-reporting a printable permit will be generated. - Salvage permits are free. - Persons salvaging and consuming this meat do so at their own risk. You are allowed to recover upland birds and game animals, big game, furbearers and predators that are legal to hunt or trap. You may also salvage non-game wildlife that are unprotected. You may not recover protected wildlife and other species that are not legal to hunt or trap. For a list of species you can recover click on the following link: https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/species/roadkill/salvage/list