What Do you do with Roadkill?

[BOD]

There has been so much talk about roadkill that I wondered what most members do when they encounter it.

My practice now is to move it where it cannot be a hazard to other animals.

Recently had the experience of seeing a big eagle fly along the road in front of my car at just above road level as it struggled to gain altitude since it refused to let go its meal. Eventaully it climbed. Did not manage to get a picture unfortunately.

However here is a gallery of some unusual (for the UK) roadkill.

Banded Krait

Emu (some neck feathers were removed by a fellow traveller to make aboriginal art)

King brown snake (still alive when foto taken)

Long Tailed macaque


Roadkill

 

[bent-stick]

I've voted brng it home and eat it. But that's much harder in leafy surrey than in the wilds of west norfolk and I haven't done it for a couple of years. I'm back up there over the Christmas break and will have half ane eye on the A149's larder

I also used to share rabbits with the dog. I was only really interested in the back legs. They make great "Kentucky Fried Rabbit" if they are young enough.

Nice pics BOD. The snakes look pretty fresh and the heads reasonably undamaged. I would have at least had the skins. And if they taste as good as rattler, they'd have gone in the frying pan too.

 

[fred gordon]

I wanted to tick more than one box! It depends what it is. Recently I moved an otter carcass off the road out of respect for the animal. I also pick up the ocassional pheasant off the road if its not too beat up and take it home for the pot. However, I also like to leave some for the scavengers, such as buzzards.

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

I take photo's and post them on my blog !!

Yup, im a weirdo

 

[spamel]

I saw a lot of badger road kill this year on the outskirts of the Yorkshire moors. A shame for two reasons, one that they were killed in the first place and two because their presence on the side of the road telegraphs the fact that there is badger in the area to all and sundry, and I'd imagine one or two of those people may well be unsavoury types.

It's a shame that our roads are killing so many of the creatures people pay money to go and watch in deer parks and the like. This weekend I went out with Jamie on the training area to carry on building our shelter, and we saw four gigantic wood eagles, Pine Marten tracks and a herd of deer of well over 30 in number. We followed the herd for about twenty minutes and had a great walk in what was quite cold windy weather, but it was well worth it. I can't think of where I could see that in the UK other than maybe Scotland. The deer around here have such a huge area to move around on, but they too sometimes get hit by cars. It is a shame.

 

[Stew]

Generally bring it home and skin it for it's pelt and take any other parts that I can use at the time. Occasionally I eat it but only if I'm very certain of it's condition.

I recently saw a roadkill Badger as well Spamel. A real shame. Unfortunately there was nothing I could do with the body as it is illegal. I hope Mr Fox ate well.

 

[JonnyP]

I voted run over it again cos that made me laugh....I couldn't believe it once, when I was going down the lanes and ran over two rabbits in one go, one nearside, one offside. Whats the chances of that happening.....

 

[janiepopps]

I voted run over it again cos that made me laugh....I couldn't believe it once, when I was going down the lanes and ran over two rabbits in one go, one nearside, one offside. Whats the chances of that happening.....

Hmm, I took out 2 deer at the same time a couple of years ago

Fraid I didnt even think about strapping them onto the roof, I was too busy blubbing like a baby....

 

[Eric_Methven]

I voted 'other'. If it's a usable pelt/skin, and it's safe to stop, I do so and skin them out. I'd take a deer home and eat it only if I saw it being whacked by another vehicle. I'll sometimes take feathers off roadkill birds for fly tying if the colours are right.

Eric

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Not much you can do for this one.....................

 

[sharp88]

providing its fresh, take it home n av the pelt

 

[leon-b]

what do you lot do with the pelts
leon

 

[spamel]

Not much you can do for this one.....................

I dunno, a couple of PSI from an airline and a few volts of your battery, good as new!!!

I like the idea of taking the pelts and maybe using a bit of the bone for needles and other bits and bobs, I just think you will get an unbelievable amount of aggro off of Joe Public who will think you are some sort of wierdo. Peope are so small minded and see fault in anything like that, they don't realise the animal is dead and pretty much beyond caring!

 

[BOD]

I voted run over it again cos that made me laugh....I couldn't believe it once, when I was going down the lanes and ran over two rabbits in one go, one nearside, one offside. Whats the chances of that happening.....

Not roadkill, but we once took out two turtles in the same day - one out to site and one on the way back - they just popped up right in front of the boat.

The irony is that we were doing reef biodiversity surveys

 

[bushtank]

hi all
had a good day today found two hares on the way home both road kills in very good nic one needed gutting there and then as the back legs had been mushed they very fresh and tasted real good in a stew just like lamb

 

[demographic]

Depends how flat it is

 

[pierre girard]

I often get called to "put down" deer that have been hit by cars and are still alive. If they are in good shape - lower legs snapped, or something of that nature - there is very little damage to the meat. It only takes about five minutes to dress them, and this time of year, the meat keeps very well. I sometimes take the deer home, or call some one on our list (we have a rather long list of people who would like fresh venison). If they refuse to come out, say at 0300 hrs, they are taken off the list.

PG

 

[Biddlesby]

How do you put them down?

 

[sten]

In the US Sioux Sundancers get their eagle wings and bones (for whistles) from road kill birds. I was told that the usual cause of death is most often swooping down to get a piece of road kill and being road killed themselves.
Only people who have certified Native American heritage are allowed to collect and keep the birds.
In the UK the answers much simpler: Flesh in a pot, pelt on a stretcher, and feathers on a fly!

 

[pierre girard]

How do you put them down?

Pistol shot to the head.