Here ya go, Sky....just in time for Easter dinner....

Roadkill May Soon Be What's For Dinner In Montana

By KATHRYN HAAKE 03/20/13 07:45 PM ET EDT




HELENA, Mont. -- Elk, deer, antelope and moose: If Montana residents can scrape it up, they can eat it.

State lawmakers are poised to say just that after the Senate gave its initial backing Wednesday to a bill that would allow people to salvage roadkill for food. The measure is now a final vote from heading to Gov. Steve Bullock.

It makes no sense to let the carcasses of big-game go to waste on Montana's roadways, supporters said.

"It really is a sin to waste a good meat," said state Sen. Larry Jent, D-Bozeman.

The measure calls for law-enforcement officers to issue permits to individuals who would be allowed to remove the carcasses of elk, deer, antelope and moose off the state's roadways. An earlier version would have allowed fur-bearing animals, upland game birds and migratory game birds to be scraped up, too, but it got canned.

Opponents question whether the meat would be safe and whether it would create liability issues for food banks that accept it. Sen. Kendall Van Dyk, D-Billings, said law-enforcement officers are not qualified to decide whether roadkill is safe to eat.

"Despite it's good intention, it doesn't pass the smell test for me," Van Dyke said.

Cattle ranchers like Sen. Jim Peterson, R-of Buffalo, questioned how roadkill could be harvested for food when the cattle industry must follow strict federal regulations.

Montana is not alone in considering the usefulness of roadkill. Illinois allows people with a furbearing permit to remove roadkill for pelts and also allows for the salvaging of meat.


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"Doesn't pass the smell test"..

BWaaahhhhaaaaaaaahhhaaaaa

Here in Indiana Law Enforcement can issue a permit to anyone to pick up deer that are road kill. Quite a few people pick them up, and during the fall, most counties end up with a list of people who call in and want them.

In typical G/H fashion.................

I actually saw a skunk cross a VERY busy four lane the other day. I was stopped at a red light and watched him scamper all the way across. I couldn't help but think that I've seen probably 10,000 dead skunks in the road, more than any other animal, and I'd NEVER in 65 years seen one make it across!!! The sheer numbers of dead ones show that a lot of them must make it, but I'd NEVER seen it. I did the other day. They run funny, like most weasel/mink type critters.

Prefer to roll my own, so to speak, thankyouverymuch.

two things: I have accepted two or three road kills. One, I found a small buck with a slug hole in it- checked with the guy on the next property over... he didn't know who had shot it.... I took the meat, and cut the antlers off and gave to the other guy.
Another- hit prety hard..... My former neighbor is a sherriff reserve... He and I met a deputy, who gave me the permit..... Instead of gutting it and such, I just sliced in the back and took the backstraps.... after looking the deer over- that was an even better decision. Only took 15 minutes, and took all the meat that was safe to eat. The third- I did gut etc.... took the skin and the meat off one side of the deer- other side was too banged up.

The skunk... My worst fear with a skunk happened the first year I hunted the farm I have hunted for 15 years. A former pig lot had a dilapidated hog house that over looked a ravine. The ravine ran between a pine covered hill and a corm field... though it would be a great ambush site. SO I climbed in. just before shooting light, a skunk came rambling through the ravine and headed right to me. I whispered and hissed at it. I was trapped- no where to go without going right at it. I couldn't wiggle or anything. After a few false alarms of its tail being raised and it turn half way around... it wandered off.
I climed out slowly and sat on the ground next to the structure.
It has since fallen down completely.

When I was about 12 my stepdad was preaching a lot of 'revival' services all over southeast oklahoma Kiamichi country. For those that don't know, a revival is a solid week of singing and preaching and saving souls. Its quite something, actually. So we were headed to the Big Cedar Freewill Baptist church in our old 60 Comet windows rolled down cause there was no AC in cars then, at least in ours, and the old man swerved to miss a skunk and he got us good on the drive by. There was no such thing as not showing up. We sat in that church while he preached, stinking to high heaven, no pun intended. My folks will almost get down on the floor laughing whenever someone brings that up.
BKB