Is It Legal to Keep a Deer You Hit With Your Car in North Dakota?

Now that deer season is upon us, the deer throughout Bismarck, Mandan, and all of North Dakota are active and on the move.

This time is always a little nerve-wracking for drivers. Imagine you're driving down a back road or highway, and all of a sudden, a deer runs out right in front of you. It's a terrifying situation many of us have encountered.

Let's say you hit the deer, and sadly, he doesn't make it. What do you do?

First things first, according to North Dakota Department of Transportation, you are not legally required to report a collision with an animal unless an occupant of the car sustained physical injury or there has been a fatality.

So, how do you handle a deer crash? Once you've checked that everyone is alright, pull your car off to the side of the road, so you're not at risk of getting hit by other drivers. Next, if you feel it is safe and you are able, move the animal to the side of the road. If you can't do that, NDDOT says people can call the district office or state radio to make arrangements to move the deer.

(Also Read: The 7 Things Needed At Every North Dakota Deer Camp!)

Can You Keep A Deer You Hit With Your Car?

Have you ever wondered if you are allowed to collect and keep "Roadkill?" According to FreeRangeAmerican.us, you must have a hunting permit. These permits are free and available through game wardens and local law enforcement offices.

Can You Keep It?

Now, let's get back to the original question: can you collect and keep "Roadkill?"

According to FreeRangeAmerican.us, and KX News,  if you want to collect roadkill, you must have a hunting permit. That said, I wonder who might be checking in on this. I don't know, it seems weird to put restrictions on, in my opinion.

Several other states allow you to gather roadkill with restrictions on location. Many don't have any restrictions at all.

According to the source, there are 30 states that allow you to keep roadkill animals. The remaining states have prohibited this activity (Salvaging). The general thought behind outlawing this is that the animal was killed by illegal means and methods, and should be illegal to possess. The source also says many states do this to keep people from trying to hit these animals deliberately.

Be sure to keep this in mind, and be careful driving out there!