‘Roadkill For Dinner’ Law Being Considered In Montana

Residents in Montana may soon be allowed to have roadkill for dinner.

House Bill 247 would essentially permit folks to collect dead animals found on the road for use in the kitchen. The proposed bill recently passed its second reading in the Senate. Lawmakers will give the proposed law more attention on Thursday (March 21).

Those individuals who are interested in collecting roadkill for dinner will be required to get a license should the law go into effect. The bill currently allows people to collect any elk, deer, antelope, and moose they happen to find on the side of the road.

Supporters of the bill believe that using roadkill for breakfast, lunch, or dinner is a good way to prevent big-game meat from going to waste on the side of the road.

Previous versions of the proposed law would have allowed people to collect certain game birds and furry animals from roadways. However, the bill has since been revised to only allow the animals listed above.

Not everyone believes House Bill 247 is a good idea. In addition to those who think cooking roadkill is very unsanitary and unhealthy, some lawmakers wondered about the legality of the law since the cattle industry is forced to follow federal guidelines and regulations.

Others believe that people will begin intentionally hitting animals on Montana roadways in order to collect the meat. However, officials don’t believe folks in the area would go to this extreme. The state’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks agency will be in charge of regulating roadkill collection should the bill pass.

Montana wouldn’t be the first state to allow people to collect roadkill for culinary purposes. Illinois lets people salvage dead animals for both the fur and the meat. Alaska Fish and Wildlife Protection Troopers currently uses meat taken from roadkill to cook food for the needy.

What do you think about Montana’s proposed roadkill for dinner law? Do you think people should be allowed to collect and eat any dead animals they find?

[Image via Wikimedia Commons]