Roadkill collecting

[Cheatseeker!]

Is it legal to pick up dead deer, or any other kind of road kill, if you DID NOT kill it?

Before I get heaps of hassle for this one, I love wildlife and would much rather see them running around in the woods where I live but we have a 60mph road through the woods and I really don't lke waste!

[heathfield]

Don't ever pick up a dead deer. Poachers get up to all sorts of trickery to pretend that they only have a dead deer as a result of a road accident. And the penalties for poaching deer are severe. In Scotland you could be held by the police while they get a vet to do an autopsy to show whether the deer was shot before it was run over. You could be in the cells overnight, since they won't call the vet out outside normal working hours!

[JonnyBoy12]

I was charged �50 for 8 legs of venison the other day.

Is this two deer?

[Cheatseeker!]

Hi there,

Thanks for the advice so far. This is just one deer who had been hit prior to us driving past. We only live around the corner from where she is and have not yet picked her up as I wanted to check on the legalities of it first... Don't think i'll bother now.. lol

[Illyria54]

I believe the law states that if you run the deer over and kill it then you mustn't pick it up and take it home, but the driver following you can.

[pusspuss]

take care the landowner from where the deer came from owns the deer. if anyone sees you. .you can get a big fine

[Goofy]

I'm not sure you can own a deer - unless it is farmed. Thjey are wild adn therefore no-one owns them.
However they are game, and heathfield is quite correct that it's probably not worth it.
Illria (sorry spelling!) is also correct in that if you hit it (or a pheasant or any other game) you cannot pcik it up as this is considered poaching. However the following person can. In Scotland anyway.

[diff]

illyria54 is right if you run it over you cannot pick it up, but another motorist can. to be honnest the law is crap as i have hit phesants before and picked them up. might as well be on my plate than someone elses.

[Illyria54]

I agree with diff, the law is crap but most laws in this country are!!

[Cheatseeker!]

Thanks to all who answered! We did go and collect the deer and have her all sorted out already.

I just couldn't leave her sat there! :o(

Thanks again to all.....

[persianlady]

Cheatseeker.......What do you mean you have her all sorted out? are you going to eat her or bury her?,

[heathfield]

If the following motorist picks it up meaning to keep it, they are guilty of stealing.
Although deer are classified as being wild animals, they are also recognised as being 'property' under an EU directive.
Alive or dead, they belong to the landowner whose land they roam on. (Or did roam on, in the case of a dead one on a public road).
And if the police find a dead deer in your car, try proving to them that you did'nt really intend to keep it!

If the dead deer poses a hazard to traffic, it is permissible for you stop and pull it onto the verge, clear of the roadway.
Otherwise, the proper course and safest course of action is simply to contact the local council, whose job it will be to clear it from the road.