Difference between revisions of "Eat Roadkill"

# Overcome your [[Practice Body Mindfulness Meditation|squeamishness]]. While eating roadkill isn't going to seem like an attractive option for many people, if you're the slightest bit curious, at least learn about it and then make up your mind. Roadkill has been consumed by people in impoverished situations or for [[Be an Ethical Teen|ethical]], environmental, and pragmatic reasons for as long as there have been roads and human vehicles to knock over animals.<ref name="rf1">Chelsea Green, Eating Roadkill: Would You?, http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/eating-roadkill-would-you/</ref> Eating roadkill offers an affordable means of obtaining meat, and with an average of about one hundred million roadkills in America alone every year, it's a plentiful food source.<ref name="rf1" /> It can be a chance to eat meat you'd never normally contemplate, like bear or squirrel meat. And for a growing number of people around the world, it's an environmentally responsible and considerate way to dispose of animals killed on our many roads.<ref name="rf2">BBC, Roadkill, http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/southwest/series6/roadkill.shtml</ref> Even vegetarians and [[Become a Vegan|vegans]] have been known to enjoy a feast of roadkill.<ref name="rf3">Nick Wyke, I'm a vegetarian but I eat roadkill, http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/diet_and_fitness/article567074.ece</ref><ref name="rf4">Sami Grover, Eating Roadkill: Vegan, Veganish, or Just Plain Gross?, http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/eating_roadkill.php</ref> Finally, for those who are still feeling squeamish, there are people who argue that knowing how to eat roadkill is an essential [[Survive in the Wild|survival skill]] for those times when disaster strikes or you're hopelessly lost and hungry. As one commentator has stated: "As long as the meat is reasonably fresh and well cooked, it will not matter one iota how the animal met its end."

#*By removing roadkill, you're possibly saving another life or more. Roadkill begets roadkill as scavenger animals come along to enjoy the meal and themselves turn into additional roadkill victims.<ref name="rf4" />

#*If you're still revolted, consider the thought that it is [[Not Waste Money|waste]] that is more unpalatable than responsible adults making a decision based on common sense and diligence to eat meat that's offered for free.<ref name="rf4" />

# Investigate the possibilities. The best thing you can do at the start is to get to know people already [[Forage for Food in the Fall|foraging]] for roadkill and learn off them. They can show you how to find the roadkill opportunities in your area and they can teach you the signs of what to look for to assess the safety or otherwise of the roadkill for consumption. Look for adverts in local papers or ask around for skill-sharing workshops which are enthusiastically promoted by those who believe in the value of eating roadkill.<ref name="rf1" /> Such workshops teach you about how to spot good roadkill, how to skin it, how to cook it, and how to store it.

#*Badger, hedgehog, otter, [[Hunt and Cook a Rabbit|rabbit]], pheasant, fox, beaver, squirrel, deer (venison), moose, bear, [[Get Rid of Raccoons|raccoon]], opossum, kangaroo, wallaby, possum, rabbit, etc. <ref name="rf5">Wikipedia, Roadkill Cuisine, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadkill_cuisine</ref> Reptiles can also be eaten, but they might be fairly squashed.

#*Rats may carry Weil's disease and are therefore best avoided.<ref name="rf5" />

#*The gray area is eating cats and dogs; for some, this is too squeamish as these are pets (especially when they have their collars on); but for others, they're not really concerned.<ref name="rf5" /> On balance, it's probably the kindest to pull the pet off the road and to alert the owners to come and collect it.

# Know the law. It's important to check the laws of your state, province, region, or country as to roadkill collection and eating. In some American States, for example, it isn't legal to eat roadkill, while in others, it is legal but sometimes the ownership of certain animals vests in the local wildlife departments and must be distributed through them first, or you may need a permit.<ref name="rf5" /> There may also be local or temporal bans based on increased risk of certain diseases etc., that might have flared up. It's a good idea to stay knowledgeable about the rules and disease risks.

# Learn the signs of healthy roadkill. Roadkill is safe to eat in many instances but there are risks of rotting, [[Prevent a Rabies Infection|rabies]], and disease. You can avoid these risks by knowing what signs to look for and using common sense:<ref name="rf1" />

# Avoid getting rabies. Although [[Survive Rabies Shots|rabies]] dies quickly once the host is dead,<ref name="rf1" /> it's advisable to wear gloves when handling, gutting, and skinning warm-blooded animals and to ensure that you don't have open wounds that could be infected. The cooking process kills rabies but it is probably a good idea to boil known rabies carriers first (foxes, [[Remove Skunk Smell from Animals|skunks]], raccoons, etc.).<ref name="rf1" />

# Butcher the carcass.  [[Field Dress a Deer]] or other large animal to cool it promptly so it doesn't spoil.  (You'll need an easily-cleaned place such as the back of a truck to put it.)  Whether the animal is a big, like a [[Dress a Deer|deer]], or small, like a [[Skin a Squirrel|squirrel]], or even a [[Butcher and Remove the Pin Feathers of a Turkey|bird, like a turkey]], you'll need to skin and gut it before cooking.  You could [[Tan a Hide|tan]] or even [[Do Taxidermy|stuff]] the skin for a unique souvenir or practice for making a proper hunting trophy in the future.<ref name="rf6">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophy_hunting</ref>  The organs are often just thrown away, but the heart and liver are often eaten. Organs spoil quickly, so do not eat them unless the meat is absolutely fresh.

# Cook the meat thoroughly. This step is vital to ensure that you kill off pathogens or [[Perform a Parasite Cleanse|parasites]] (such as worms) that might be present in the meat. Use a temperature that's higher than usual to ensure that the meat is well cooked.<ref name="rf4" /> (Always beyond "well done".) [[Use a Meat Thermometer]].  Make it a part of the occasion; have a backyard party while the meat cooks well.