Processing a Roadkill Deer with Callie Russell

**See my related on Preserving a Deer Hide here:    • Preserving a Deer Hide by Fleshing an...   **

I was once asked, “if you are scavenging wild meat, who does the killing?”

In this case, this whitetail buck was crossing the road and was hit by a car.

I enjoy many aspects of hunting, but often I am able to eat lots of meat and not take life. I am able to feed myself from what others don’t want.

Roadkill is an amazing resource that I fully utilize. I also go hunting with other hunters who often don’t want many parts of the animal, including the neck, head (minus antlers), organs and hides. I have also gotten jobs at game processing shops specifically so I could scavenge the unwanted parts. Hunting season is a busy time for scavenging.

Can you eat roadkill? Yes!!! In this video I will take you through the process!

Legality:
More and more states are making it legal to pick up animals killed by vehicles. There are over 30 states where it is legal, most states you need a permit, usually they are free and easy to get online.

Edibility:
There are many factors that determine the edibility of a roadkill that I address in this video. Mostly it’s how long it’s been since they died and how much trauma there body suffered from the impact. The most choice roadkill are ones hit in the head, because the rest of the body is free of trauma.

The key to finding a roadkill deer that is safe for humans to eat is to find it quickly after it was hit. A great way to increase your odds is to tell your friends and neighbors to call you if they see one. In cold weather you have a lot more time, in summer you have to be out early, to get them before it heats up.

Use all your senses to tell how old a roadkill is. When a roadkill is too old, or too badly hit for me or the dog to eat, or if for other reasons I can’t pick them up, I’d drag them into the woods so other animals could safely eat them away from the road.

There are many more details that I share in the video. Let me know if your interested and I’ll keep sharing about my scavenging adventures and tips and tricks to explore the abundant life of the scavenger.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00:00 Introduction to Processing a Roadkill Deer
00:01:08 Picking Up a Roadkill
00:02:24 Moving the Animal
00:04:27 Assessing the Animal
00:07:51 More Tips of Aging a Roadkill
00:08:47 Determining the Point of Impact
00:11:15 Skinning
00:15:52 Removing the Front Leg
00:18:48 Skinning (Continued)
00:21:24 Removing the Back Leg
00:23:31 Skinning (Continued)
00:24:28 Removing Quarters
00:28:24 Skinning (Continued)
00:29:15 Harvesting Backstrap
00:33:09 Determining Whether to Gut the Animal
00:33:57 Harvesting Organs
00:36:57 Wrap Up
00:38:54 Thoughts on Roadkill Harvesting and Hunting

#roadkill #harvest