Road Kill Deer

[HHazeldean]

Hey All,

So i spotted a road kill deer just a little up from my house today. I have now gutted and skinned it and it is currently hanging in the garage.

I remembered reading somewhere about vet injections to kill partially injured deer on the roadside.

I can't actually find any injured part of the animal and there is no bruising anywhere.

I'd also like to point out there is no bullet hole in the skull and no, I didn't see the collision.

Should the carcass be alright or is it not worth the risk with regard to a lethal injection?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Macaroon]

I doubt very much that any vet would neglect to ensure the removal of a carcass that he/she had euthanised - I've never known it to happen. I know that here (lower wye valley) I don't hesitate to take roadkill, usually I've found that those without visible injury are head trauma cases..................but only you can decide what goes down your gullet!..................atb mac

 

[mereside]

vet wont leave a carcass behind after using the injection, it will be taken for incineration. before i got into deer stalking i would if fresh pick up a carcass to butcher for myself but after doing deer management i wouldnt do this now knowing all the checks needed to make sure its safe to eat.
your choice though and for future refrence if you are going to hang it will be better left in its jacket till ready to butcher but in this weather you want to get it butchered into joints rapid and fridged/frozen, atb wayne

 

[HHazeldean]

what are all the checks needed to make sure it's safe to eat?

 

[mereside]

you would need to check all the lymph nodes are normal the animal has good weight and no sign of TB or foot/mouth but chances are you have binned the gralloch.
if you want to look at everything you need to look for go onto this link ,lots of info not just deer related but for lymes disease
http://www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk/best_practice/meat_hygiene.php
http://www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk/uploads/guides/159.pdf

the one check you cant do is asses the deers state before death so you are guessing, atb wayne

 

[HHazeldean]

Yeah I binned all the gralloch just now unfortunately.. so would you say its not worth the risk to eat it?

 

[mereside]

butcher it and then try it on someone at work if they come in the next day its safe

 

[Reverend Graham]

Probably as safe as what you buy in supermarkets

I pick up roadkill, as long as its fresh and not mangled, no problem.......................yet.

Rev G

 

[sycamour]

So, you found a dead deer in the road, and have no idea of the cause of death, and you are going to eat it??

 

[The Survivor]

I know it is not quite a deer, but I picked up a roadkill pheasant a while back, it looked fresh, but had obviously collided with a car. Hung it up, looked at it again and there was a maggot coming out its mouth.

Be careful. Get your local MP to try it first!

 

[Dougster]

I wouldn't want to, but that's me. Nothing to add that Wayne (Mereside) hasn't already.

Check the liver for white stuff - discard if any, check the overall condition, if it looks skinny don't risk it. The coat will be shabby from change so ignore that. Check for white chalky lumps in the lungs for TB.....

Biggest worry for me in this situation is that the guts may have leaked nasty into the meat.

 

[Chiseller]

I'd git-r-dun, but that's me, go with yer gut.