Road Kill and permits.

OK lots of deer are going to get hit by vehicles this season. Many seem to lay and suffer while some run off into yards and such and die. There are also a number of deer killed on the highways that remain on the roadway. Who should be called when:

#1 A deer is on the roadway but still alive?
#2 A deer is on a roadway dead ?
#3 A deer is on private property down but alive?
#4 A deer is dead on private property?

Can a person only take road kill if it is on the roadway or public property? I assume the private property owner would have to grant permission for one to remove the animal off their property. Would the L/O be entitled to the roadkill first ?

What steps should a person take to before taking road kill ? What part does Penn DOT, local or state police and the WCO or DWCO in the removal of dead or wounded deer ? Does it ever become legal for a person/hunter rather licensed or not to kill a deer after legal shooting hours if it has been hit by a vehicle?

ORIGINAL: MuskyMastr

Penn Dot is supposed to pick them up now, but doesn't.

I believe if they are ONLY on the roadway. I believe also that the PGC contracted the job of picking up dead deer other than roadways but not sure if they still contract or not.

The State Farm safety patrol guy does a pretty good job of keeping the turnpike clean b/w the Irwin and Butler exits (portion I travel regularly). There were 3 dead bucks Westbound on Monday afternoon that weren't there Friday AM for sure and I think they were cleaned up by that evening. One buck had only spikes but they were broken so it could have been a 1.5 yr old small racked buck, one was at least a 2.5, maybe older decent 8 point but the skull plate cracked and one antler was kind of folded over and the other looked to be just a plain old spike but it was really hard to tell. It was right before the new bridge at Harmarville and it was mainly a stain with a skull plate laying next to the median....truck took its toll on that one!

Call the PGC to answer all your questions.

http://www.statefarm.com/aboutus/_pressreleases/2011/october/3/us-deer-collisions-fall.asp

From the article,
"There were 23,000 fewer deer-vehicle altercations in Michigan alone. Michigan is second on the list of states with the highest total number of these collisions (78,304), well behind Pennsylvania (101,299)."

To me, that is an amazing number. I would think this data has to include all insurers but if not, whoa momma. Thats a lot of deer hit by cars every year. I wonder if this includes estimates of deer collisons not reported or ones that were reported but damage was too small to file a claim? Article doesn't go into specifics.

Good news is, collisons are decreasing across the country but cost to repair is going up...

I asked if I could because it would suffer for possibly days was told I could not put the animal down or I could be charged with some violations. glad I talked to them probably would have ended up with some unwanted costs.

And people wonder why groups such as PETA are fighting our sport.

RSB since you read this post, would like to answer the questions asked (post #1) and explain how to go about getting a permit number to posses road kill deer ?

If you would be capable of reading a response by RSB. Then you are surely capable of reading the digest

SPOON .. you are too much !!!!!

LMAO ....

Who should be called when:

#1 A deer is on the roadway but still alive?

Local Law Enforcement

#2 A deer is on a roadway dead ?

PGC, unless the animal is obstructing traffic, then local law enforcement.

#3 A deer is on private property down but alive?

Either/Or...start with local law enforcement and let them decide. 99.9% of the time the local LEO will dispatch the animal, then eitehr call the PGC or give you their info.

#4 A deer is dead on private property?

PGC

Can a person only take road kill if it is on the roadway or public property? I assume the private property owner would have to grant permission for one to remove the animal off their property. Would the L/O be entitled to the roadkill first?

They can, with a permit from the PGC. L/O would have right of first refusal. Had that one happen to me before.

What steps should a person take to before taking road kill? What part does Penn DOT, local or state police and the WCO or DWCO in the removal of dead or wounded deer ? Does it ever become legal for a person/hunter rather licensed or not to kill a deer after legal shooting hours if it has been hit by a vehicle?

Contact PGC and notify them that a deer has been killed by a vehicle and that you would like to claim it. Taking the path of least resistance, if the WCO/DWCO is not readily in your area, they'll give you the nod, take your info, and mail the permit to you so you can take the animal and process it. If it is a buck, they will likely collect the antlers from you (it was that way a decade ago, anyways). PennDOT/PGC continue an ongoing struggle as to who does what. Last I'd heard from my BIL, if it's a state road, PennDOT is responsible. Local roads, PGC gets called. Local LEOs just move 'em out of the way.

Despite your best of intentions, it is never legal for any person other than properly authorized law enforcement officers to dispatch a wounded deer. Wish it wasn't always the case, but I can see the simple logic behind it.

EDIT: Just re-read the regulation. Apparently, I was wrong. You CAN take a dead deer immediately, but you MUST contact the PGC within 24 hours to get your road kill permit. Sorry for the inaccurate info.

I've been in enough encounters where my well-meaning heart has cost me some serious cheddar. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. It happens frequently, I'm sure, but at the end of the day, the law is the law and there is no room for interpretation of this one. It is illegal. The only other choice I would have (and it wouldn't be legally proper) would be to ask the WCO/LEO for permission to dispatch the animal myself. If they say yes, great. Otherwise, it would really bother me, but I'd have to walk away...especially if it meant using a firearm. You open up a massive can of worms if you pull a trigger somewhere, someway you're not supposed to.

ORIGINAL: spoonchucker

OA,

If you would be capable of reading a response by RSB. Then you are surely capable of reading the digest.

Roadkilled Deer/Possessing Wildlife: It is unlawful at any time to possess
live wildlife, except foxes for which a permit has been issued, or
animals, or parts of animals, killed on highways. Pennsylvania residents
may possess deer or turkeys killed by a motor vehicle for personal consumption
only if they secure a permit number from the Game Commission
within 24 hours after taking the deer or turkey; call the appropriate
region office. It is not legal to kill “put out of its misery” any injured
wildlife; again, call the region office. It is unlawful to give the whole or
edible part of a deer killed on a highway to another person. It is not lawful
to keep, for example, antlers from roadkilled deer or the beard or spurs of a
roadkilled turkey. Holders of a valid furtakers license may possess a furbearer
killed on a highway, except for bobcats, fishers or river otters. Persons
taking possession of any furbearer killed on a highway during the
closed season for taking that furbearer shall within 24 hours contact any
Game Commission region office to make notification of said possession

What about processing it it before the permit is issued. Cutting off the damaged areas for example ? Did I miss that part in the digest Spooner ?

I want to know is it legal to gut ,remove the animal from were it was hit and remove the damaged meat before a authorization number is issued? Is the PGC available 24/7 by phone to issue a permit? If not, would it be worth the effort to go back after it after it lay for a period of time in blood with blood tainted meat until the permit # was issued?

ORIGINAL: Big Tuna

Penn Dot only picks up BUCKS. LOL my buddies got a basement full of road kill racks.

Good for them ! The PGC claims the deer are theirs until one goes through a windshield or destroys one's property. They should keep the racks being that they work for the commonwealth.

carry a framing hammer under your vehicle seat very quick and effective

Shot a wounded deer along the road several times before and will do it again. I'm trusted with a permit to carry a concealed weapon but not able to use good judgement to dispatch a wounded animal? Haven't gotten a permit for the last few picked off the road either. I'm doing either PennDot or the PGC a favor and have to go to extra effort on my part for my good deed? I guess if it's necessary to take a deer to a processor you don't have a choice but there's another good reason to learn how to cut 'em up yourself. Save a bunch of $ and get the best tasting venison you ever had. Good luck to all this season and be safe.

Hey Trout, processing deer is stupid simple and after someone shows you how to do it, you'll wonder why in the heck you ever took yer animal to the butcher. My hamburg comes out way better than any processing plant. bought the grinder at harbor freight for 60 bucks.

you can't shoot a bambi that is laying on/next to a public roadway even if you had a license during deer hunting season (25 yard rule).

Why is it Sooooo many folks STILL DO NOT understand the road-hunting and the "25 yard rule" verus hunting beside a road rules ?????

How many times has it been discussed here ??????