Roadkill cuisine
Encyclopedia
Roadkill cuisine is preparing and eating roadkill
, animals hit by vehicles and found along roads.
It is a practice engaged in by a small subculture
in the United States, Southern Canada, the United Kingdom and other Western countries as well as in other parts of the world. It is also a subject of humor and urban legend
.
Large animals including deer
, moose
, bear
and elk
are frequently struck in some parts of the United States, as well as smaller animals such as armadillo
s, raccoons, skunks and birds. Fresh kill is preferred and worms are a concern, so the kill is typically well cooked. Advantages of the roadkill diet, apart from its low cost, are that the animals that roadkill scavengers eat are naturally high in vitamins and proteins with lean meat and little saturated fat, and generally free of additives and drugs.
Almost 1.5 million deer are hit by vehicles each year in the USA. If the animal is not obviously suffering from disease, the meat is no different from that obtained by hunting. The practice of eating roadkill is legal, and even encouraged in some jurisdictions, while it is tightly controlled or restricted in other areas. Roadkill eating is considered unglamorous and mocked in pop culture, as it is often associated with stereotype
s of rednecks and uncouth persons.
s from squashed badger
, hedgehog
, otter
, rat, rabbit or pheasant where available. Others recommend preparing fox cub or hedgehog in a fricassee
.
Hedgehog traditionally was eaten roast with a nettle pudding.
Badger, commonly eaten in shish kebab in Russia, must be cooked thoroughly to avoid the risk of trichinellosis (alt. trichinosis, trichiniasis).
Roadkill enthusiasts in Canada
recommend roasting beaver
, which should first be soaked in salted water overnight after removing all fat. Squirrel is said to be excellent when broiled on a stick over a camp fire.
There are several roadkill cookbooks, typically with a tongue-in-cheek treatment but containing sensible advice, not least of which is ensuring that the flat meat is fresh and free of disease, and is adequately cooked to destroy bacteria and other contaminants.
Rat should be avoided because of the risk of Weil's disease.
Buck Peterson
has written a number of recipe books for this food source which he considers highly underrated, including Original Road Kill Cookbook, The International Road Kill Cookbook and The Totaled Roadkill Cookbook. Roadkill Cooking for Campers by Charles Irion
gives advice on outdoor cooking of roadkill. The more discerning may prefer Jeff Eberbaugh's Gourmet Style Road Kill Cooking, which gives advice on converting roadside opossum, deer, turtle or skunk carcasses into tasty treats including squirrel pot pie
, groundhog hoagies, creamed coon casserole
and road kill stir fry.
For those concerned about survival in an uncertain future, Thomas K. Squier, a former Special Forces survival school instructor, argues that wild meat is free of the steroids and additives found in commercial meat, and is an economical source of protein. His book The wild and free cookbook includes a section devoted to locating, evaluating, preparing and cooking roadkill.
Not all sources are serious. According to some, raccoon or opossum are preferable to squirrel, and the taste is improved by aging and marinating the meat in roadside oil and grease before preparing a stew. Alternative recipes for roadkill include Raccoon Kabobs, Moose-and-Squirrel Meat Balls, Pennsylvania Possum Pot Pie and Skunk Skillet Stew. Some of these website recipes are strictly humorous in intent and may pose health hazards, possibly severe, if taken seriously.
There are various intergrades between an animal which has been squashed flat, and an animal which has been hit glancingly and thrown onto the verge. An example of the latter would be a cock pheasant which flew up and tried to challenge a passing car and was thrown on the verge with its skull crushed but no other damage.
As a guide to edibility, the mnemonic "How fresh is it? How flat is it?" serves to remind the would-be eater of the two main characteristics to check before preparing roadkill.
, Kangaroo meat is produced from free ranging wild animals, typically living on privately owned land. Wild kangaroos
are a serious hazard at night in the Australian bush, accounting for 71% of animal-related insurance claims, followed by dogs (9%) and wombats (5%). Most vehicles in the bush are fitted with roo bars to minimize the risk of damage. The meat thus collected may be barbecued or prepared in a roo stew.
were introduced to Newfoundland in 1878, and are now abundant - and a road hazard at night. Until recently, moose that were cleanly killed in road accidents were given to charitable groups. However, in April 2009 Department of Natural Resources stated that they were going to stop this practice, citing health concerns. Motorcyclists in western Canada are at some risk of colliding with bears. Bear collisions have also been reported in Ontario
. Bears killed by accident may be donated to needy people for their meat. There is some risk of trichinellosis if bear meat contaminated with Trichinella nativa is under-cooked. In 2008, protesters blocking a new highway in British Columbia
set up a kitchen in their camp where they cooked raccoon stew, venison steaks, and bunny burgers using roadkill collected from the TransCanada Highway.
and ABC News reported on food pioneer Fergus Drennan, "a full-time forager
, environmentalist
and star of the Fresh One Productions
series The Roadkill Chef" broadcast in 2007 by the BBC. Drennan is a critic of factory farming. He does have limits to what he'll eat, "One of the few things that I tend to avoid are cats and dogs. In theory, I'd have no problem with eating them... [but they've] always got name tags on their collars, and since I have two cats, it's a step too far."
Arthur Boyt is a retired biologist
who "has spent the past 50 years scraping weasels, hedgehogs, squirrels and even otters off roads near his Cornish home, and cooking them." Boyt has published recipe books and appeared on television cookery shows and said that roadkill "is good for the body, the environment and the pocket. It's delicious and won't cost much at all. All you need is some veg and herbs." Boyt calls himself a "freegan" and, though a dog lover, does not believe in waste and is especially fond of the taste of labrador retriever
s which he compares to lamb.
There have been reports of roadkill poaching in Sherwood Forest
, home of the legendary Robin Hood
. Apparently the poachers place food such as jam sandwiches
on the road to attract deer. When one is killed by a vehicle, they quickly retrieve the carcass for use in game pie
s and venison steak.
In addition to naturalists in rural areas, cooking and eating roadkill has also been reported among the hobo
population.
, and anyone who finds roadkill must call a state trooper, who turns the carcass
over to charity "if it's not too smooshed". When they receive news of a moose roadkill, volunteers rush to the scene to butcher the animal, which must be quickly bled, gutted and quartered so the meat can cool as fast as possible. The meat is taken to churches, which distribute it to needy families, and soup kitchens make stew. Around 820 moose are distributed in this way each year. Local residents may also register to be included on the "roadkill list" in the more rural areas, ensuring that the valuable meat is not wasted.
The people of Georgia claim that they invented Brunswick Stew
, a traditional dish now eaten throughout the southeastern United States
which may also contain roadkill. There is a debate as to whether Brunswick Stew was actually originally made near the town of Brunswick, Georgia
, or in Brunswick County
in southern Virginia
. Mull is another cold-weather dish from Georgia, which may contain almost any type of meat including goat, dove, squirrel and (some say) rat and roadkill.
1. The driver of a motor vehicle involved in a vehicle-deer
collision has priority in possessing said deer. If the driver
does not take possession of the deer before leaving the
collision scene,any citizen of Illinois may possess
and transport the deer.
2. There is no limit to the number of deer that may be possessed under these circumstances.
Road kill deer may only be claimed by persons who are residents of Illinois, are not delinquent in child support payments and
do not have their wildlife privileges suspended in any state.
Individuals who claim a deer killed in a vehicle collision shall
report the possession of the road kill deer to the Department
of by submitting a report to the IDNR within 24 hours by using the following link to the on-line Road Kill
Deer Reporting Form or by telephoning the Department
of Natural Resources no later than 4:30 p.m. on the next business day.
is finding that the traditional roadkill stew known as Burgoo
, a stew-like soup of squirrel, rabbit or possum and vegetables, is declining in popularity, perhaps due to health warnings. However, it is still widely served in Owensboro, the burgoo capital of the world
is required for those who want to eat what are sometimes referred to as furry frisbee
s. In February 2005, following complaints by the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
, Kraft Foods
decided to stop production of Trolli U.S. Road Kill Gummies. The society complained that the products, shaped as partly flattened squirrels, chickens and snakes, would give children an incorrect message on the proper treatment of animals.
. The bill may not have been entirely necessary: an officer of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
stated that "no wildlife officer would have charged a citizen with possession of road kill with intent to eat."
(PETA) called on the Texas legislature to legalize the eating of roadkill. However, a law passed in 2007 to prohibit hunting of wildlife from roads appears to also make collection of roadkill illegal. A Texas Parks and Wildlife official said that "The department strongly encourages all persons to avoid engaging in the collection of any animal life on public roads".
n state code §20-2-4 it is legal to take home and eat roadkill. Jeff Eberbaugh's Gourmet Style Road Kill Cooking was a runaway success in West Virginia when it was published in 1991. The town of Marlinton, West Virginia
holds a road-kill cook-off each fall, featuring dishes such as Pothole Possum Stew, Fricasseed Wabbit Gumbo, teriyaki marinated bear or deer sausage. The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year. The food at this festival, which takes place the last Saturday of September, doesn't actually involve real roadkill, the dishes are prepared with the kinds of animals that are commonly knocked down by cars.
, and one man was fined for eating someone else's roadkill and ordered to remove the animal's head from his wall and return it to the state.
Katz talks at length about a North Carolina
"earthskills" collective whose members turned to eating roadkill in the spring of 2002, and who have now become a center of information on evaluating, skinning and cooking roadkill as well as turning the hides to good use.
Katz's views have been called bizarre and extreme.
In a discussion on the issue the Australian philosopher and animal rights
author Peter Singer
said,
The theme of environmental responsibility is taken up in a number of publications by radical environmentalists, such as "Igniting a revolution: voices in defense of the earth". People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA) wrote a tongue-in-cheek article referencing the phenomenon, which urges non-vegetarians to "kick their unhealthy meat addictions", including a description of roadkill as "meat without murder" and a suggestion that "die-hard meat-eaters can help clear their consciences—and the streets—by eating roadkill."
while being higher in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats and slightly lower in overall fat.
Nutritional values for 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of uncooked, lean meat except where otherwise noted:
|-
!
!Calories
kcal
!Protein
(grams)
!Fat (grams)
!Saturated fat
(grams)
!Cholesterol
(mg)
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Antelope (Pronghorn)
|117
|22.4
|2.5
|
|?
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Badger
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Bear (Black) cooked
|163
|20.1
|8.3
|
|?
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Beaver
|146
|24.1
|4.8
|
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Bison
|104
|21.9
|1.4
|
|62
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Deer
|121
|23.5
|2.4
|1.2
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Deer (Mule)
|119
|22.6
|2.7
|
|107
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Elk
|112
|22.4
|2.0
|
|67
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Frog legs
|73
|16.5
|0.3
|0.0
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Groundhog
|221
|30.6
|10.6
|1.2
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Hedgehog
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Kangaroo
|98
|22.0
|1.0
|
|23
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Opossum
|221
|30.6
|10.6
|1.2
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Pheasant
|133
|23.6
|3.0
|1.2
|66
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Quail (breast w/o skin)
|122
|22.3
|3.5
|1.2
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Rabbit
|114
|22.3
|2.4
|1.2
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Racoon
|211
|24.7
|11.8
|3.5
|82
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Squirrel
|119
|21.2
|3.5
|0.0
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Turkey (wild - white meat)
|158
|21.2
|7.1
|2.4
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Turtle
|89
|20.0
|0.6
|0.0
|
|-
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Beef (range-grazed)
|112
|21.8
|2.4
|
|72
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Beef (grain-fed)
|136
|21.7
|5.0
|
|75
|}
"Three. Two to do it and one to watch for cars". "Road Kill Stew", sung to the tune of "Three Blind Mice", is sung at some summer camps. Many artists have recorded variants on the theme, such as Joe Adee with his Road Kill Stew Possum Tour and Honky Tonk Confidential with their album Road Kill Stew and Other News.
Clinton Tyree
, also known as Skink, is a recurring character in novels by Carl Hiaasen
. He is a former governor of Florida
"turned environmental guerrilla" who lives rough in the Florida
wilderness and regularly eats roadkill.
On the TV series 'You Can't Do That on Television
', the chef Barth sometimes served roadkill at his restaurant. Also, on the TV series 'I'm With Busey
', Actor Gary Busey
attempts to pitch his idea of a roadkill cookbook. Later on, Busey also cooks roadkill from a dead badger.
The term "Roadkill Cafe" is sometimes considered a joke, with the tagline "You kill it, we grill it." However, there are several real Roadkill Cafes in existence, none known to be associated with each other.
Roadkill
Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by motor vehicles. In the United States of America, removal and disposal of animals struck by motor vehicles is usually the responsibility of the state's state trooper association or department of transportation.-History:During the...
, animals hit by vehicles and found along roads.
It is a practice engaged in by a small subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
in the United States, Southern Canada, the United Kingdom and other Western countries as well as in other parts of the world. It is also a subject of humor and urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
.
Large animals including deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
and elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
are frequently struck in some parts of the United States, as well as smaller animals such as armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
s, raccoons, skunks and birds. Fresh kill is preferred and worms are a concern, so the kill is typically well cooked. Advantages of the roadkill diet, apart from its low cost, are that the animals that roadkill scavengers eat are naturally high in vitamins and proteins with lean meat and little saturated fat, and generally free of additives and drugs.
Almost 1.5 million deer are hit by vehicles each year in the USA. If the animal is not obviously suffering from disease, the meat is no different from that obtained by hunting. The practice of eating roadkill is legal, and even encouraged in some jurisdictions, while it is tightly controlled or restricted in other areas. Roadkill eating is considered unglamorous and mocked in pop culture, as it is often associated with stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s of rednecks and uncouth persons.
Preparation
In England, the strong-stomached may prepare casseroleCasserole
A casserole, from the French for "saucepan", is a large, deep dish used both in the oven and as a serving vessel. The word casserole is also used for the food cooked and served in such a vessel, with the cookware itself called a casserole dish or casserole pan...
s from squashed badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
, hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
, otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
, rat, rabbit or pheasant where available. Others recommend preparing fox cub or hedgehog in a fricassee
Fricassee
Fricassee or Fricassée is a catch-all term used to describe a stewed dish typically made with poultry, but other types of white meat can be substituted. It is cut into pieces and then stewed in gravy, which is then thickened with butter and cream or milk . It often includes other ingredients and...
.
Hedgehog traditionally was eaten roast with a nettle pudding.
Badger, commonly eaten in shish kebab in Russia, must be cooked thoroughly to avoid the risk of trichinellosis (alt. trichinosis, trichiniasis).
Roadkill enthusiasts in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
recommend roasting beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
, which should first be soaked in salted water overnight after removing all fat. Squirrel is said to be excellent when broiled on a stick over a camp fire.
There are several roadkill cookbooks, typically with a tongue-in-cheek treatment but containing sensible advice, not least of which is ensuring that the flat meat is fresh and free of disease, and is adequately cooked to destroy bacteria and other contaminants.
Rat should be avoided because of the risk of Weil's disease.
Buck Peterson
Buck Peterson
Buck Peterson is a successful humor writer and cookbook author, best known for The Original Road Kill Cookbook containing cooking recipes for animals that have been struck and killed by motor vehicles, i.e. roadkills, which he believes to be a highly underrated food source.In the early 1980s, he...
has written a number of recipe books for this food source which he considers highly underrated, including Original Road Kill Cookbook, The International Road Kill Cookbook and The Totaled Roadkill Cookbook. Roadkill Cooking for Campers by Charles Irion
Charles Irion
Charles G. Irion is an American entrepreneur, author, philanthropist and adventurer.Charles G. Irion is a businessman in commercial property development and real estate since the 1970s. Founder of , Irion is an owner and broker of mobile home and RV communities in the United States...
gives advice on outdoor cooking of roadkill. The more discerning may prefer Jeff Eberbaugh's Gourmet Style Road Kill Cooking, which gives advice on converting roadside opossum, deer, turtle or skunk carcasses into tasty treats including squirrel pot pie
Pot pie
A pot pie is a type of baked savory pie with a bottom and top completely encased by flaky crusts and baked inside a pie tin to support its shape....
, groundhog hoagies, creamed coon casserole
Casserole
A casserole, from the French for "saucepan", is a large, deep dish used both in the oven and as a serving vessel. The word casserole is also used for the food cooked and served in such a vessel, with the cookware itself called a casserole dish or casserole pan...
and road kill stir fry.
For those concerned about survival in an uncertain future, Thomas K. Squier, a former Special Forces survival school instructor, argues that wild meat is free of the steroids and additives found in commercial meat, and is an economical source of protein. His book The wild and free cookbook includes a section devoted to locating, evaluating, preparing and cooking roadkill.
Not all sources are serious. According to some, raccoon or opossum are preferable to squirrel, and the taste is improved by aging and marinating the meat in roadside oil and grease before preparing a stew. Alternative recipes for roadkill include Raccoon Kabobs, Moose-and-Squirrel Meat Balls, Pennsylvania Possum Pot Pie and Skunk Skillet Stew. Some of these website recipes are strictly humorous in intent and may pose health hazards, possibly severe, if taken seriously.
There are various intergrades between an animal which has been squashed flat, and an animal which has been hit glancingly and thrown onto the verge. An example of the latter would be a cock pheasant which flew up and tried to challenge a passing car and was thrown on the verge with its skull crushed but no other damage.
As a guide to edibility, the mnemonic "How fresh is it? How flat is it?" serves to remind the would-be eater of the two main characteristics to check before preparing roadkill.
Commonwealth countries
Australia
In AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Kangaroo meat is produced from free ranging wild animals, typically living on privately owned land. Wild kangaroos
KangaROOS
KangaROOS are an American brand of sneaker originally produced from 1979 through the 1980s, with a later revival that continues in present. They were notable for having a small zippered pocket on the side of the shoe, large enough for a small amount of loose change, keys, or more recently,...
are a serious hazard at night in the Australian bush, accounting for 71% of animal-related insurance claims, followed by dogs (9%) and wombats (5%). Most vehicles in the bush are fitted with roo bars to minimize the risk of damage. The meat thus collected may be barbecued or prepared in a roo stew.
Canada
MooseMoose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
were introduced to Newfoundland in 1878, and are now abundant - and a road hazard at night. Until recently, moose that were cleanly killed in road accidents were given to charitable groups. However, in April 2009 Department of Natural Resources stated that they were going to stop this practice, citing health concerns. Motorcyclists in western Canada are at some risk of colliding with bears. Bear collisions have also been reported in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Bears killed by accident may be donated to needy people for their meat. There is some risk of trichinellosis if bear meat contaminated with Trichinella nativa is under-cooked. In 2008, protesters blocking a new highway in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
set up a kitchen in their camp where they cooked raccoon stew, venison steaks, and bunny burgers using roadkill collected from the TransCanada Highway.
United Kingdom
The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
and ABC News reported on food pioneer Fergus Drennan, "a full-time forager
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
, environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
and star of the Fresh One Productions
Fresh One Productions
Fresh One Productions is a television production company formed as a collaboration between FremantleMedia and Jamie Oliver based in the United Kingdom.Productions to date have included:* Oliver's Twist * Jamie's Kitchen * Jimmy's Farm...
series The Roadkill Chef" broadcast in 2007 by the BBC. Drennan is a critic of factory farming. He does have limits to what he'll eat, "One of the few things that I tend to avoid are cats and dogs. In theory, I'd have no problem with eating them... [but they've] always got name tags on their collars, and since I have two cats, it's a step too far."
Arthur Boyt is a retired biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
who "has spent the past 50 years scraping weasels, hedgehogs, squirrels and even otters off roads near his Cornish home, and cooking them." Boyt has published recipe books and appeared on television cookery shows and said that roadkill "is good for the body, the environment and the pocket. It's delicious and won't cost much at all. All you need is some veg and herbs." Boyt calls himself a "freegan" and, though a dog lover, does not believe in waste and is especially fond of the taste of labrador retriever
Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Canada, the United...
s which he compares to lamb.
There have been reports of roadkill poaching in Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Continuously forested since the end of the Ice Age, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...
, home of the legendary Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
. Apparently the poachers place food such as jam sandwiches
Jam sandwich (food)
A jam sandwich is usually composed of two slices of bread, butter or margarine, and jam which is normally consumed at lunchtime or as a quick "snack."- Origin :...
on the road to attract deer. When one is killed by a vehicle, they quickly retrieve the carcass for use in game pie
Game pie
Game pie is a form of meat pie featuring game. The dish dates from Roman times when the main ingredients were wild birds and animals such as partridge, pheasant, deer, and hare. The pies reached their most elaborate form in Victorian England, with complex recipes and specialized moulds and serving...
s and venison steak.
United States
Rules about taking and eating roadkill vary in the United States.In addition to naturalists in rural areas, cooking and eating roadkill has also been reported among the hobo
Hobo
A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...
population.
Alaska
In Alaska moose, caribou and bear are considered state property under the Alaska Department of Fish and GameAlaska Department of Fish and Game
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is a department within the government of Alaska. The Department of Fish and Game manages Alaska's fish, game, and aquatic plant resources.-History:...
, and anyone who finds roadkill must call a state trooper, who turns the carcass
Carrion
Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
over to charity "if it's not too smooshed". When they receive news of a moose roadkill, volunteers rush to the scene to butcher the animal, which must be quickly bled, gutted and quartered so the meat can cool as fast as possible. The meat is taken to churches, which distribute it to needy families, and soup kitchens make stew. Around 820 moose are distributed in this way each year. Local residents may also register to be included on the "roadkill list" in the more rural areas, ensuring that the valuable meat is not wasted.
Georgia
Brunswick stew
Brunswick stew is a traditional dish, popular in the American South. The origin of the dish is uncertain, and there are two competing claims as to the place in the South where it originated, in addition to some claim to a German origin...
, a traditional dish now eaten throughout the southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
which may also contain roadkill. There is a debate as to whether Brunswick Stew was actually originally made near the town of Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
, or in Brunswick County
Brunswick County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,419 people, 6,277 households, and 4,312 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile . There were 7,541 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
in southern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Mull is another cold-weather dish from Georgia, which may contain almost any type of meat including goat, dove, squirrel and (some say) rat and roadkill.
Illinois
A whitetail deer that is killed/injured as a result of a collision with a motor vehicle may be legally possessed by an individual if the following criteria are met:1. The driver of a motor vehicle involved in a vehicle-deer
collision has priority in possessing said deer. If the driver
does not take possession of the deer before leaving the
collision scene,any citizen of Illinois may possess
and transport the deer.
2. There is no limit to the number of deer that may be possessed under these circumstances.
Road kill deer may only be claimed by persons who are residents of Illinois, are not delinquent in child support payments and
do not have their wildlife privileges suspended in any state.
Individuals who claim a deer killed in a vehicle collision shall
report the possession of the road kill deer to the Department
of by submitting a report to the IDNR within 24 hours by using the following link to the on-line Road Kill
Deer Reporting Form or by telephoning the Department
of Natural Resources no later than 4:30 p.m. on the next business day.
Kentucky
The home of Daniel BooneDaniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
is finding that the traditional roadkill stew known as Burgoo
Burgoo
Burgoo is a term used for many types of stew or porridge made from a mixture of ingredients.-North American usage:Burgoo is a spicy stew, similar to Irish or Mulligan stew, often served with cornbread or corn muffins....
, a stew-like soup of squirrel, rabbit or possum and vegetables, is declining in popularity, perhaps due to health warnings. However, it is still widely served in Owensboro, the burgoo capital of the world
New Jersey
In New Jersey a permitLicense
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
is required for those who want to eat what are sometimes referred to as furry frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
s. In February 2005, following complaints by the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a law enforcement agency in the state of New Jersey that focuses on humane law enforcement...
, Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
decided to stop production of Trolli U.S. Road Kill Gummies. The society complained that the products, shaped as partly flattened squirrels, chickens and snakes, would give children an incorrect message on the proper treatment of animals.
Tennessee
Tennessee's legislature has considered legalizing the eating of flattened fauna except domestic pets, a proposal that drew a flood of ridicule due to the awkward wording of the bill introduced by state senator Tim BurchettTim Burchett
Tim Burchett is the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. He formerly held the Tennessee State Senate seat representing Tennessee's District 7, part of Knox County. He was also previously a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. On August 5, 2010, Burchett was elected mayor of Knox County...
. The bill may not have been entirely necessary: an officer of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is an independent state agency of the state of Tennessee with the mission of managing the state's fish and wildlife and their habitats, as well as responsibility for all wildlife-related law enforcement activities...
stated that "no wildlife officer would have charged a citizen with possession of road kill with intent to eat."
Texas
In May 2002 representatives of People for the Ethical Treatment of AnimalsPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
(PETA) called on the Texas legislature to legalize the eating of roadkill. However, a law passed in 2007 to prohibit hunting of wildlife from roads appears to also make collection of roadkill illegal. A Texas Parks and Wildlife official said that "The department strongly encourages all persons to avoid engaging in the collection of any animal life on public roads".
West Virginia
Under West VirginiaWest Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
n state code §20-2-4 it is legal to take home and eat roadkill. Jeff Eberbaugh's Gourmet Style Road Kill Cooking was a runaway success in West Virginia when it was published in 1991. The town of Marlinton, West Virginia
Marlinton, West Virginia
Marlinton is a town in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,204 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pocahontas County.-History:...
holds a road-kill cook-off each fall, featuring dishes such as Pothole Possum Stew, Fricasseed Wabbit Gumbo, teriyaki marinated bear or deer sausage. The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year. The food at this festival, which takes place the last Saturday of September, doesn't actually involve real roadkill, the dishes are prepared with the kinds of animals that are commonly knocked down by cars.
Wisconsin
It is illegal to remove a dead deer from a roadway in WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and one man was fined for eating someone else's roadkill and ordered to remove the animal's head from his wall and return it to the state.
Rationales
Citing the meat's freshness, that it is organic, and free, some alternative/natural food commenters have taken to scavenging for roadkill. In his book "The revolution will not be microwaved", Sandor Ellix Katz makes the case for eating roadkill in the name of sustainability.Katz talks at length about a North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
"earthskills" collective whose members turned to eating roadkill in the spring of 2002, and who have now become a center of information on evaluating, skinning and cooking roadkill as well as turning the hides to good use.
Katz's views have been called bizarre and extreme.
In a discussion on the issue the Australian philosopher and animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
author Peter Singer
Peter Singer
Peter Albert David Singer is an Australian philosopher who is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne...
said,
I am opposed to subjecting animals to unnecessary pain and killing for food. Even so ... when a deer is accidentally hit by a car ... killing the animal to remove the pain is, in my opinion, justified and ethical. If an animal has been killed in an accident or is killed to prevent additional suffering before it dies and if this dead animal is a source of food, why not eat it when it is edible?
The theme of environmental responsibility is taken up in a number of publications by radical environmentalists, such as "Igniting a revolution: voices in defense of the earth". People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
(PETA) wrote a tongue-in-cheek article referencing the phenomenon, which urges non-vegetarians to "kick their unhealthy meat addictions", including a description of roadkill as "meat without murder" and a suggestion that "die-hard meat-eaters can help clear their consciences—and the streets—by eating roadkill."
Nutritional value
Wild animals, the primary constituent of roadkill, are usually lower in calories and saturated fat than domestic meat,while being higher in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats and slightly lower in overall fat.
Nutritional values for 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of uncooked, lean meat except where otherwise noted:
-
- {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right;"
|-
!
!Calories
kcal
!Protein
(grams)
!Fat (grams)
!Saturated fat
(grams)
!Cholesterol
(mg)
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Antelope (Pronghorn)
|117
|22.4
|2.5
|
|?
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Badger
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Bear (Black) cooked
|163
|20.1
|8.3
|
|?
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Beaver
|146
|24.1
|4.8
|
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Bison
|104
|21.9
|1.4
|
|62
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Deer
|121
|23.5
|2.4
|1.2
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Deer (Mule)
|119
|22.6
|2.7
|
|107
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Elk
|112
|22.4
|2.0
|
|67
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Frog legs
|73
|16.5
|0.3
|0.0
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Groundhog
|221
|30.6
|10.6
|1.2
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Hedgehog
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Kangaroo
|98
|22.0
|1.0
|
|23
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Opossum
|221
|30.6
|10.6
|1.2
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Pheasant
|133
|23.6
|3.0
|1.2
|66
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Quail (breast w/o skin)
|122
|22.3
|3.5
|1.2
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Rabbit
|114
|22.3
|2.4
|1.2
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Racoon
|211
|24.7
|11.8
|3.5
|82
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Squirrel
|119
|21.2
|3.5
|0.0
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Turkey (wild - white meat)
|158
|21.2
|7.1
|2.4
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Turtle
|89
|20.0
|0.6
|0.0
|
|-
|
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Beef (range-grazed)
|112
|21.8
|2.4
|
|72
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Beef (grain-fed)
|136
|21.7
|5.0
|
|75
|}
Popular culture
Roadkill stew has become part of North American popular culture. A frequently told joke told about rednecks or other groups of rural people asks how many it takes to eat a raccoon or opossum, with the punch linePunch line
A punch line is the final part of a joke, comedy sketch, or profound statement, usually the word, sentence or exchange of sentences which is intended to be funny or to provoke laughter or thought from listeners...
"Three. Two to do it and one to watch for cars". "Road Kill Stew", sung to the tune of "Three Blind Mice", is sung at some summer camps. Many artists have recorded variants on the theme, such as Joe Adee with his Road Kill Stew Possum Tour and Honky Tonk Confidential with their album Road Kill Stew and Other News.
Clinton Tyree
Clinton Tyree
Clinton Tyree, a.k.a. Skink, is a fictional character who has appeared in several novels by Carl Hiaasen, beginning with Double Whammy in 1987. He is an opponent of sprawl and development, and partakes of roadkill cuisine.-Personal history:...
, also known as Skink, is a recurring character in novels by Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen is an American journalist, columnist and novelist.- Early years :Born in 1953 and raised in Plantation, Florida, of Norwegian heritage, Hiaasen was the first of four children and the son of a lawyer, Kermit Odel, and teacher, Patricia...
. He is a former governor of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
"turned environmental guerrilla" who lives rough in the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
wilderness and regularly eats roadkill.
On the TV series 'You Can't Do That on Television
You Can't Do That on Television
You Can't Do That on Television is a Canadian television program that first aired locally in 1979 before ultimately airing internationally in 1981...
', the chef Barth sometimes served roadkill at his restaurant. Also, on the TV series 'I'm With Busey
I'm with Busey
I'm with Busey was a comedy/documentary television show which aired on Comedy Central in the summer of 2003. It revolved around a young writer named Adam de la Peña, who met and befriended his childhood idol, actor Gary Busey...
', Actor Gary Busey
Gary Busey
William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
attempts to pitch his idea of a roadkill cookbook. Later on, Busey also cooks roadkill from a dead badger.
The term "Roadkill Cafe" is sometimes considered a joke, with the tagline "You kill it, we grill it." However, there are several real Roadkill Cafes in existence, none known to be associated with each other.
See also
- BushmeatBushmeatBushmeat initially referred to the hunting of wild animals in West and Central Africa and is a calque from the French viande de brousse. Today the term is commonly used for meat of terrestrial wild animals, killed for subsistence or commercial purposes throughout the humid tropics of the Americas,...
- Double-dead meatDouble-dead meatDouble-dead meat is the Filipino appellation for meat taken from an animal that has died of disease. The appropriate method of dealing with diseased hog carcasses is disposal by burial or burning. Illegally slaughtered meat is also referred to as hot meat or botcha.-Legality:Double-dead meat comes...
- Roadkill bingoRoadkill bingoRoadkill bingo is a game in which the pictures of 24 different animals are placed randomly in a grid, printed on paper or cardboard . The game is traditionally played in vehicles during long distance travel....