Creamy discharges around the eyes or other orifices indicate a sick animal. If the eyes are gone, leave it alone. Rigor mortis sets within a few hours of death. This is not a deal breaker depending on other indicators. Skin stuck to the muscle is a bad indicator. If fur can be pulled from the hide with a slight tug, the animal has been deceased far too long.
Fleas feed on the blood of warm blooded animals. Brush the hair on the carcass and inspect for fleas like you would on a family pet. The color of blood present should be a dark red, like, well, fresh blood.
Dark puddles of blood have been there been there a while. Flies could be a bad sign. They lay larvae in wounds and other openings of the body. A prior wound on a living animal may contain maggots. We had a live deer seek refuge in my mother-in-laws car port who had a broken hind leg from a vehicle collision which was infested with maggots. I approached her in an attempt to humanely dispatch her and put her out of her misery. Sadly, she gained her footing and disappeared through our neighborhood woods.
In the hot, humid summers of Georgia, it only takes a few minutes for flies to zero in on dead stuff. Which brings us to our next consideration…. The weather conditions and geographical location are variables to consider. Cold to freezing temperatures is ideal — think… roadside walk-in freezer or fridge. Meat will decompose quickly in hot and humid conditions. One steamy August evening years ago, I was in my backyard and heard tires screech followed by a distinctive thud on a nearby road.
I walked two doors down and found a freshly dispatched deer laying on the grassy right-of-way. That gift primed my freezer before fall hunting season. If it has a putrid odor, leave it alone. Your old factory sensors will let you know… along with your gag reflex. Ever break the cellophane on a pack of chicken breasts you forgot about in the back of your fridge? Register that stench for future roadside foraging. Our vehicles are prepared with Get Home Kits. You may want to add a few items to it or build a separate Roadkill Kit.
My kit is simple and includes:. Smaller animals usually go in a contractor grade garbage bag to get home. Of course you want to watch out for anything that seems off when cutting up or preparing roadkill for cooking.
If you have never cooked wild game before then it is worth taking a look at some recipes and cooking methods online. Game such as wild pigs has a taste that some people find a little too wild tasting. This can be reduced by seasoning properly. When processing wild game animals or fowl, road-killed or not always check the internal organs — heart, liver, lungs, kidneys — before going any further. Dispose of the animal properly or report it to local wildlife officials for study if the organs are discolored or showing yellow-greenish discharge.
Brendan Buhler. The ins and outs of eating and cooking roadkill -- legally. Sign up for your Modern Farmer Weekly Newsletter. Notify of. Most Voted Newest Oldest. Inline Feedbacks. Is roadkill a harmless all-you-can-eat buffet or game of Russian roulette — FOX. Is roadkill a harmless all-you-can-eat buffet or game of Russian roulette Lite Is roadkill a harmless all-you-can-eat buffet or game of Russian roulette — News Tested.
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The recycling approach of Alaska highlights what is possibly the biggest potential benefit of incorporating roadkill. As a way to sustainably eat meat, scavenging wild animals is tough to beat. Clearly, wild animals produce next to none of the harmful side effects of their farmed counterparts. Were we to take a more opportunistic approach to meat-eating, the impact could benefit the whole planet. Anyone considering taking an exploratory step into the world of roadkill cookery would be well advised to not heedlessly leap in.
In many places, there are laws in place hindering the acquisition of roadkill, even for personal use. In California and Texas, the practice is banned outright over health concerns, while some states consider roadkill state property. Therefore, it's essential that any would-be forager reads up on local laws. Beyond the potential legal issues, there a few more tips that any amateur enthusiast should heed.
Clearly, one justifiable concern over eating roadkill is the viability of the meat. Animals that you accidentally hit yourself are guaranteed to be the freshest but clearly, it's difficult to tell how long other animals have been by the roadside. In order to avoid serious illness, any roadkill meat needs to be cooked for a significant period of time. A further consideration is research. Understanding what animals you can expect to find in your local area and how best to prepare them is essential before setting out.
Whilst most animals are at least vaguely edible, it pays to know which are the most susceptible to disease.
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