How Wyoming Families Can Make Thanksgiving Affordable With Roadkill

Thanksgiving is coming. Have you done your grocery shopping yet? Have you been looking on the side of the road for the meat for your family's Thanksgiving Dinner? That's an option here in Wyoming. The roadkill surprise delicacy is generating considerable interest. Grocery prices continue to trend up, and the large holiday meals are just around the corner.

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Luckily, Wyoming is a state where you can collect roadkill and turn it into a meal. There is a catch, though. You'll need authorization from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department via the Wyoming 5-1-1 App. It's not a complicated process, and it won't take you long to submit the information before you're on your way.

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Let me point out that you can't legally run down an animal just to be able to collect it as roadkill, and there are safety protocols in place that you must follow.

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Collecting roadkill wildlife can be dangerous, so Game and Fish urges you to do so safely. Never try to collect roadkill if there is traffic on the highway.

The department has prioritized your safety with the roadkill collection rules. Remember:

• Roadkill cannot be collected on Interstate 25, Interstate 80, or Interstate 90
• No one can collect roadkill at night; it must be daylight.
• You can’t collect roadkill within construction areas or national parks in Wyoming.
• Parking off the road is required, and you must turn on your vehicle’s emergency flashers.
• Field dressing is not allowed on the roadway.

If you follow those rules, here are the details on how you get the collection process started.

If you're not a hunter, angler, or deal with WGFD often, the information collected will help the agency determine the date for future use, and ensure there was no 'foul play' going on when the animal was killed.

When you go to the App to report the roadkill, one of the first questions will ask if you've done any business with WGFD in the last 10 years. If so, you'll be able to look up your WGFD account and continue with the process.

After you fill out your information and answer the important questions, you'll get a confirmation and a verdict on whether you can take the animal or not.

If you haven't done business with WGFD in the last 10 years, you'll need to fill out the information form to be entered into the system.

It's a simple process. By doing this, you're doing a couple of good deeds. Ensuring that wild game meat doesn't go to waste, helping keep the roads clear of animal carcasses, and scoring a nice meat option for your family.

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