Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Gold Hill rallies to save IOOF Lodge ... Oregon charter fishing company accused of pocketing money for licenses ... The writing's on the wall ... Gold Hill rallies to save IOOF Lodge ... Oregon charter fishing company accused of pocketing money for licenses ... The writing's on the wall ... OUTDOOR JOURNAL Grill-to-grill dining not an Oregon thing Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 5, 2014 at 12:01 AM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 5, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Social News After almost a year of allowing its citizens to dine on big-game animals struck and killed by cars, Montana officials consider its meals-under-wheels program a success. Whether Oregon follows suit as the 38th state to allow its citizens to feast on their bumper crop of road-killed deer and elk is a bandwagon that Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife leaders won't jump on or off.  "Our agency position has been ... whatever," says Ron Anglin, the ODFW's Wildlife Division administrator. "If that's what you want to do? Whatever. "But be careful what you wish for," he says. Most big-game animals struck and killed by vehicles aren't fit for human consumption, Anglin says. The kind of  trauma that results in the deer or elk's death often scrambles the innards to a point where precious little meat, if any, is salvageable. Drivers allowed to salvage a black-tailed deer they hit likely would burn more calories processing the carcass then feeding on it, not to mention those dragging home an animal they found after it had been lying on the side of the road for who knows how many hours. But Oregon traditionally has been tolerant to alternative lifestyles, and going carrion could join that alt-ilk if the Oregon Legislature gives its blessing when it convenes next month in Salem. Anglin's open to the concept, but not with fork in hand. "I've picked up a lot of road-kill that were 'fine,'" Anglin says. "Then you open them up, they're just gross. "As a person who loves to eat game meat and a biologist who's handled many of those things, I wouldn't eat one," he says. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials certainly weren't too keen on it when its Legislature enacted its road-kill program that went live in January. "We had a lot of concerns," says Jim Kropp, the Montana agency's chief of law enforcement. "There were a lot of challenges, in terms of implementation. It's not without its own set of circumstances, but generally it's worked pretty well." Montana first surveyed several other states with collision-to-consumption programs and discovered the guts of implementation caused the most heartburn for wildlife officials, police and those with ran-down-dinner plans. The state came up with a free online permitting process for citizens to quickly authorize their own road-kill salvage. Game wardens are instantly notified of every downloaded permit and can inspect any carcass for signs of poaching. Also, law-enforcement officials can write quick permits at the scenes of accidents. Almost 800 such permits were issued through mid-November, but Kropp says Montana officials have no idea how many road-kill meals Montanans got out of them. "In many cases, they open them up and find out that it's not good," Kropp says. "I think that happens a lot. It's a concern from a human-health standpoint. "Sometimes, though, they're after, basically, the antlers," he says. That's one of the main reasons why past road-kill bills haven't developed much traction in the Oregon Legislature. Some wildlife cops, such as Lt. David Gifford of the Oregon State Police's Fish and Wildlife Division, fear some would abuse the program as a way to literally put a dent in Oregon's best big-game animals. "That would be a great way to get a trophy deer, if you want to hunt it with your rig," Gifford says. There have been cases of people fortifying their trucks for just that purpose in Oregon, Gifford says. Same for Montana, Kropp says, but he says that has nothing to do with the state's road-kill rules. "That occurs whether you have this kind of law or not," Kropp says. In the past, the road-kill bills haven't advanced far enough to get a vote in either a House or Senate committee. So far, Anglin says, he's not heard any rumblings of another grill-to-grill bill for this session. Others have asked the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for road-kill collection blessings, but so far, just animal rehabilitation experts have received permits for roadside shopping. "They're great for rehabbers to feed to hawks," Anglin says. "Just not humans."   Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 5, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501