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Common Ground News

Is it legal to pick up roadkill in Missouri?

Author

Olivia Shea

Updated on March 10, 2026

Is it legal to pick up roadkill in Missouri?

If the roadkill is on a state highway, it's the Missouri Department of Transportation's responsibility. But MoDot's focus is on safety, so if it's anything smaller than a deer, they probably won't pick it up at all.

Similarly, you may ask, is it legal to eat roadkill in Missouri?

The rules of roadkill. If you hit a deer with your car, there is a way you can legally take it home and eat it, KOLR reports. Deer are an animal that Missouri Motorists need to be wary of. Sergeant Jason Pace and the Missouri State Highway Patrol see crashes involving deer all too often.

Also Know, does Animal Control pick up roadkill? City DisposalIn cities, there is usually a department that is in charge of collecting and disposing of roadkill. Sometimes it's a beautification department, sanitation, animal control, or public works. If the animal has a collar, they try to identify the owner, but they don't scan the animals for microchips.

In this way, why is it illegal to pick up roadkill?

A new California law paves the way for drivers to carry home and eat the animals they may accidentally kill with their vehicles. Currently in California, it's illegal for anyone except a state authority to collect or “salvage” animals like deer and elk killed in the roadway.

What states allow you to eat roadkill?

Collecting roadkill for eating is legal in over 20 states, including Vermont, Washington, Oregon and Pennsylvania. The most recent addition to this list is California; in October, legislators legalized roadkill harvesting from three regions in the state with "high wildlife collisions," The Sacramento Bee reported.

Can you taxidermy roadkill?

Carcasses Salvaged From Roadways
It would be permissible for taxidermists to salvage, mount and possess the carcasses of raccoon, opossum, skunk, beaver, fox, and gray or fox squirrels found as roadkill.

Is it illegal to pick up a deer on the side of the road?

State law says that it is “legal to pick up any roadkill furbearing mammals that are in season if you have the proper hunting or trapping license and/or habitat stamp as required for each species.

How can you tell if roadkill is safe to eat?

Learn the signs of healthy roadkill.
  1. Look for freshness.
  2. Use the temperature as a guide.
  3. Avoid roadkill that has maggots, fly, or other scavenging insect infestations, as this indicates a lack of freshness.
  4. If the animal's eyes are milky, clouded, or white, it is less fresh but may still be edible.

Is it illegal to sell deer meat in Missouri?

"It is not legal to sell venison in Missouri," said Randy Doman, protection field chief of the Missouri Department of Conservation's Missouri River Unit. This model has been successful in restoring many of Missouri's most valued wildlife resources, including deer, turkey and waterfowl."

What to do if you hit a deer in Missouri?

In Missouri, drivers can call 55. Sometimes, a person may hit a deer with a vehicle and want the meat or antlers from it. If a deer is dead and a person wants it, they must contact a conservation agent before legally possessing the animal.

Can you eat roadkill?

The practice of eating roadkill is legal, and even encouraged in some jurisdictions, while it is tightly controlled or restricted in other areas. Roadkill eating is considered unglamorous and mocked in pop culture, where it is often associated with stereotypes of rednecks and uncouth persons.

Who to call to pick up roadkill near me?

People call their local police or animal control department when they spot roadkill, and, if it's on a locally maintained street, then that municipality picks it up. If it's on a state road, then MoDOT takes care of it.

Can you harvest a deer hit by car?

A new California law paves the way for drivers to carry home and eat the animals they may accidentally kill with their vehicles. Currently in California, it's illegal for anyone except a state authority to collect or “salvage” animals like deer and elk killed in the roadway.

What does Animal Control do with roadkill?

Some put the remains in large drums, freeze them, and then discard them in a landfill. Others bury them on the side of the road or compost the bodies. As a self-proclaimed "roadkill resurrector," Kimberly Witham has been using dead animals to create art for close to seven years.

Is deer meat illegal in California?

Currently in California, it's illegal for anyone except a state authority to collect or “salvage” animals like deer and elk killed in the roadway. SB 395 was proposed by State Senator Bob Archuleta of Orange and LA counties.

Can you sell roadkill?

It's illegal to sell roadkill, but transferring it to another person is allowed if a written record is kept.

What happens to roadkill deer?

Of those not scavenged by other wildlife, some will go to landfill or be cremated, while some will be used for scientific research and monitoring. Others will be "rendered" - with their remains converted into tallow for cosmetics and protein feed for animals.

Do you have to report roadkill?

The Road Traffic Act 1988 states that legally, you must report hitting the following animals to the police. This applies whether the animal is dead or injured. Once you've reported it to the police, your legal duty is done. Any other deceased animal, whether you've hit it or not can be reported to the council.

What animals get hit by cars the most?

Extrapolating these data nationwide, Merritt Clifton (editor of Animal People Newspaper) estimated that the following animals are being killed by motor vehicles in the United States annually: 41 million squirrels, 26 million cats, 22 million rats, 19 million opossums, 15 million raccoons, 6 million dogs, and 350,000

Can you harvest animals?

To the conservation “manager”, “harvesting” or “wildlife management” means to kill an animal so as to control a population or an ecosystem.

Can you pick up roadkill in Colorado?

Colorado is actually one of 27 states where it is legal to harvest meat from roadkill, though it's not as simple as taking the meat home after you've processed it with your bumper.

Who do you call to pick up a dead animal?

Call your local city department of sanitation! Search for "[yourcity] department of sanitation". They are who to call when there is a dead dog in the road, or a cat, or any wild animal road kill, on any street or highway or freeway or sidewalk or even any public area. When you call, ask about deceased animal pickup.

What do you do with a dead deer on your property?

If you find a dead animal on the road, pavement, or in another open public space, you should tell your local council. This includes domestic pets and wild animals like badgers and foxes. A dead animal found on private property should be reported to the owner of the land.

Who moves roadkill?

Small stuff keeps getting hit as long as it's in the road. Each hit may move the roadkill a little to one side, a little to the other side, not at all, or a lot. But eventually the sum of all the hits moves the road kill to one side of the road or the other.

How long does it take a dog body to decompose?

The body decomposes after burying quite quickly where the insects in the soil also make things work towards decomposing. However, in rocky soil or dirt with a shallow burying of dog could take anywhere up to two months. In some special cases, complete decomposition of a dog's body may take up to 6 months to a year.

How long does it take for roadkill to decompose?

Could be as quickly as five days or so, and it probably won't take more than two weeks for larger animals. If the process seems to have halted, put the bones in a stock pot, simmer for about an hour, careful not to boil them, then restart the maceration process.

How can we stop roadkill?

How can I help prevent “roadkill”? Defensive driving techniques, such as driving slowly at night, honking your horn at animals who look as if they are about to enter the roadway, or flashing your high beams at animals to break the sometimes hypnotic effect of the glare of the headlights can help.

How do you harvest bones from roadkill?

Once you have mostly bone, put the bones in a bucket of water or a glass jar, close it—but not too tightly, as a lack of oxygen will slow down the process—put it in the sun, and leave it. This is called maceration, which is a sped-up rotting process whereby the bones are cleaned by bacteria.

What to do if there's a dead cat on the road?

If you find a dead cat, follow these five steps
  1. Move the cat to safety.
  2. Take the cat to the nearest vet, transporting them in a box or old blanket or clothing.
  3. The vet will be able to scan the cat for a microchip and contact the owner to let them know if the cat is chipped.

What happens to a deer's remains?

In New Jersey, most dead deer and other roadkill are taken to landfills. In New York, animals are sometimes buried as part of a composting process that allows the animal to decompose underneath wood chips. Within three months, all that remains is compost.

Do you need a license to pick up roadkill?

California is one of the few (at least so I've been told) states that does not permit picking up roadkill. The reasoning is that all legal “methods of take” are spelled out in the regulations. Any means of capturing, pursuing or killing that is not expressly permitted by law is thereby presumed to be disallowed.
Washington. Washington state began allowing the salvage of roadkill deer and elk in 2016. Salvagers must collect the entire carcass and then print a free permit from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife website within 24 hours of the collection.
As long as a fork (or branch) is within any portion of the upper two-thirds, the deer is a legal buck.

What can you do with road kills?

Of those not scavenged by other wildlife, some will go to landfill or be cremated, while some will be used for scientific research and monitoring. Others will be "rendered" - with their remains converted into tallow for cosmetics and protein feed for animals.

Can you take roadkill home in California?

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) reminds the public it is still illegal to collect or possess roadkill animals and violators could face citation, even after Jan.
Gavin Newsom makes that legal. Interestingly, while it was previously legal to strike and kill a wild animal, it was illegal to eat its remains. Senate Bill 395, which was signed into law Oct. 13, makes it legal to feast on the roadkill.

Can you own a deer in California?

“A deer is a wild animal, not a pet,” said Janice Mackey of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is illegal in the state of California to have a deer as a pet.

Is it illegal to pick up roadkill in New York State?

8 Rules of Eating Roadkill. Legal – it may not be legal in your state to eat road kill without a “tag”. Pursuant to New York Environmental Conservation Law § 11-0915, it is legal to salvage deer, moose, and bear if the accident is reported and a permit is issued.

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