Car killed deer

[YellowDog]

Read your regs (page 65) and call a WDFW officer if it is worth it for you to take the time to do so.  Cabin, might be partially right about the portion of the regs you are citing but only if you don't first notify WDFW and if they tell you you cannot keep the antlers.
4. Wildlife Found Dead:
You may remove and dispose of wildlife found
dead on your property or an adjoining public
roadway, but you must first notify WDFW. Dead
wildlife can only be removed for disposal, not for
personal use or consumption.
(WAC 246.203.121)
Would keeping the antlers from a road killed buck be for "personal use" because I doubt you would be taking them for personal consumption.

After rereading my earlier post  it looks like you can remove dead wildlife from your property or from a roadway adjoining property that you own if not for personal use.  I have yet to see a reference to the  law that makes possession of a road killed deer illegal posession which would result in the penalties cited by Cabin.  I still say the best bet is to call a WDFW office/officer or the State Patrol for permission to remove the entire animal and o keep the anlters. Taking the antlers without permission could certainly result in some necessary explaining if you have a fresh set of antlers hacked off a skull for which you did not punch a tag.  Its legal to possess NATURALLY SHED antlers not those cut off a road killed deer.

[PWN Kurt]

This post reminds me of a joke some guy told me.

He asked me what caliber I used for bear.

I said, "...358 winchester" or something like that.

And, "...how about you?"

He said, "oh,...F 250, F 350...whatever it takes"

I think he was half kidding.

[runningboard]

I would think the law is in place to prevent poaching.

yep that's what the LEO says when at our hunter education classes, says poachers shoot moose for example, leave them until they are bones, return for heads and sell 'em.

Well there is some sort of program for people to pick up road kill, they have a list of people they call if in a area and fresh

Inland Northwest wildlife council for Spokane area, used to be anyway. salvage what they could for shelters and such.

[Palmer]

I've talked to non-hunters on this subject and many are surprised at the waste of meat when you can't pick up road kill.

When I talk to non-hunters about the dogs running around chasing deer.  Non-hunters haven't a clue.  They think the dog is supposed to have fun and if it kills a deer then good dog - its just a deer.  To them the dog is a family member and the deer is part of nature.  They've gotta a hierarchy of dogs and horses on top, then whales, then big game, with rodents and insects on the bottom (along with humans in some extreme cases).

Does anyone know statistics on the car whistles to scare off deer when driving down the road?  Do they work?  I've never had a problem with my diesel.  The deer usually clear the road.

[ouchfoss]

So if it is illegal to take horns from a deer hit by a vehicle, does the same law apply to an animal you find out in the woods where its obviously been dead for a couple years?

[jackelope]

So if it is illegal to take horns from a deer hit by a vehicle, does the same law apply to an animal you find out in the woods where its obviously been dead for a couple years?

YES. there's no gray area there. it is only legal to pick up naturally shed antlers...no skulls.

[runningboard]

Does anyone know statistics on the car whistles to scare off deer when driving down the road?  Do they work?

not sure of actual stats but a friend works in auto body shop in Colville and says he sees just as many car deer collisions with and without 'em.

[Alaska316]

I have seen some nice bucks along the highways dead. I was told not to touch them by law enforcement. I found a winter kill of a spike in Teanaway couple seasons back. I took the head with horns on it. I was like, hey cool. Sheriff was at my truck wanting to talk to me and saw the horns and said since it was a spike I could keep them. If it had been any bigger he'd have to take them. I guess some poachers had been killing them over the winter and leaving them and coming back later to get the trophy horns. Poachers ruined it for everyone. Also I live in Kent and the Mucks have all rights to road killed animals. I guess with the money coming in from the casinos it is not enough to support the tribe. Hmmm. road kill stew.

[haugenna]

I'd like to see the code reference but I've heard its illegal.  However, if its not a game warden, the authorities probably don't know and wouldn't care if someone cleaned up the highway for them by taking the animal.  I've seen people do it and they don't get stopped and no one seems to care.

Kinda like my Uncle's neighbor's dog who chases deer and has a dead fawn in his mouth in the spring every once in a while so I hear.  If you told the police they probably wouldn't respond.

These are things I wouldn't do but people don't care or they think its just a deer.

I guess my point is that sure it may be illegal but with the way we pick and choose laws we want to enforce and ignore others - I figure its nominally illegal.  However, always use your moral compass.  I've been filling my tag every year by hunting my own, not loading up somebody's road kill.  I wouldn't be above cutting off a nice set of antlers off road kill though.  If there's a big fine then it wouldn't be worth getting caught.

I'll put it this way:  If a friend of mine got caught cutting antlers off road kill, I'd feel sorry that he had to pay a fine and wouldn't pass any judgement on him.  

I would think the law is in place to prevent poaching.

Thanks for the reference to the WAC Yellowdog.

You should do the deer poulation a favor and shoot that dog. If you of your uncle see's it

 

put a bullet in his head.

[Palmer]

I'd like to see the code reference but I've heard its illegal.  However, if its not a game warden, the authorities probably don't know and wouldn't care if someone cleaned up the highway for them by taking the animal.  I've seen people do it and they don't get stopped and no one seems to care.

Kinda like my Uncle's neighbor's dog who chases deer and has a dead fawn in his mouth in the spring every once in a while so I hear.  If you told the police they probably wouldn't respond.

These are things I wouldn't do but people don't care or they think its just a deer.

I guess my point is that sure it may be illegal but with the way we pick and choose laws we want to enforce and ignore others - I figure its nominally illegal.  However, always use your moral compass.  I've been filling my tag every year by hunting my own, not loading up somebody's road kill.  I wouldn't be above cutting off a nice set of antlers off road kill though.  If there's a big fine then it wouldn't be worth getting caught.

I'll put it this way:  If a friend of mine got caught cutting antlers off road kill, I'd feel sorry that he had to pay a fine and wouldn't pass any judgement on him.  

I would think the law is in place to prevent poaching.

Thanks for the reference to the WAC Yellowdog.

You should do the deer population a favor and shoot that dog. If you of your uncle sees it

 

put a bullet in his head.

I'll bet animal control would deal with it.  These people have 5 acre lots so why should their dog be allowed to roam into the woods.  One dog in the area got seriously thrashed from, I suspect, a big cat (bobcat or cougar).  The dog had to be taken to the vet and almost died.

In many of the rural areas.  More deer cross the road late at night when the traffic is low.  The deer know to be cautious.  I wonder how many times they run out into the road due to evading a coyote, cat, or house dog.  I saw a deer run out into an I-90 off ramp off of Tiger mountain.  The deer was less concerned about my diesel truck then it was about going back into the woods.  I think it had been chased out.  I came within 2 feet of hitting her.  This happened on the East end of Issaquah.