In a victory over the forces of Political Correctness and animal rights extremists, the North Carolina General Assembly has bravely legalized the annual Possum Drop in Brasstown, a New Year's Eve "tradition" ( since 1990 ) that some idiots who own a convenience store thought would be fun.
Here if you hit and kill a deer on the highway you are usually allowed to keep it, and most people do.
However I don't know about bears or moose. If you manage to hit either one of them on the road, I am not sure whether either critter is legally permitted to drag your dead ass back into the woods or swamp afterward.
As for smaller roadkill game though, I doubt that there are ever very many opportunities to invoke the relevant laws in my state. Most such collisions occur after dark in regions of the state where such wildlife abounds, which is far away from populated areas. So no one ever sees you hit the critter (in fact, deer/car collisions are rarely ever witnessed either, even though most occur while there is still light). So no one really knows how many roadkills are scavenged by people each year, because there are no witnesses. The matter of its legality is rarely ever tested because there are no formal complaints or charges made.
(Unwitnessed deer/car collisions usually get voluntarily reported due to significant damage to the vehicle.)
Roadkill scavenging is common enough throughout the US and is not limited to any particular part of it. Every region has its own local jokes about it but every region is also at least somewhat familiar with it.
Roadkill scavenging was also (fictionally) depicted in rural Norway during the second season of the Netflix series "Lilyhammer."
The Brasstown, NC Possum Drop is far from being <a href="http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_objects_dropped_on_New_Year&#039\;s_Eve" target="_blank">the oddest &quot;drop&quot; ceremony</a> that is conducted during an annual civic celebration.
According to the <a href="http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_objects_dropped_on_New_Year&#039\;s_Eve" target="_blank">wiki</a>, the possum is unharmed and is released back into the wild following the ceremony, ready to regale his or her grandchildren for years to come with the story of his/her fifteen minutes of fame.
<i>The festivities include a contest with local men dressed as women to compete for the title &quot;Miss Possom Queen&quot; as well as bluegrass music, snacks and beverages, and souvenir merchandise.</i> <a href="http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Possum_Drop#Brasstown_Drop" target="_blank">wiki</a>
Don&#039;t look now, but they gots them men-folk who dress up like lady-folk. And one is dressed like a taro-ist.
You got to pen them up for a few days and feed &#039;em table scraps so they aren&#039;t so gamy. That&#039;s what the Foxfire book said. Despite being from NC, I have never tasted possum.
Here if you hit and kill a deer on the highway you are usually allowed to keep it, and most people do.
However I don&#039;t know about bears or moose. If you manage to hit either one of them on the road, I am not sure whether either critter is legally permitted to drag your dead ass back into the woods or swamp afterward.
As for smaller roadkill game though, I doubt that there are ever very many opportunities to invoke the relevant laws in my state. Most such collisions occur after dark in regions of the state where such wildlife abounds, which is far away from populated areas. So no one ever sees you hit the critter (in fact, deer/car collisions are rarely ever witnessed either, even though most occur while there is still light). So no one really knows how many roadkills are scavenged by people each year, because there are no witnesses. The matter of its legality is rarely ever tested because there are no formal complaints or charges made.
(Unwitnessed deer/car collisions usually get voluntarily reported due to significant damage to the vehicle.)
Roadkill scavenging is common enough throughout the US and is not limited to any particular part of it. Every region has its own local jokes about it but every region is also at least somewhat familiar with it.
Roadkill scavenging was also (fictionally) depicted in rural Norway during the second season of the Netflix series &quot;Lilyhammer.&quot;
The Brasstown, NC Possum Drop is far from being <a href="http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_objects_dropped_on_New_Year&#039\;s_Eve" target="_blank">the oddest &quot;drop&quot; ceremony</a> that is conducted during an annual civic celebration.
According to the <a href="http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_objects_dropped_on_New_Year&#039\;s_Eve" target="_blank">wiki</a>, the possum is unharmed and is released back into the wild following the ceremony, ready to regale his or her grandchildren for years to come with the story of his/her fifteen minutes of fame.
Jug band? Emmet Otter is not amused.
Possum is a fine meal.
Do they at least drop &#039;em into a ceeeement pond?
In Montana, it&#039;s not a contest, but a way to feed your family through the long winter months:
<a href="http:\/\/missoulian.com\/news\/state-and-regional\/new-montana-laws-road-kill-salvage-bill-takes-effect-tuesday\/article_06df47d2-2924-11e3-8584-001a4bcf887a.html" target="_blank">True Story</a>
You&#039;re familiar with Lemon Drops?
<i>The festivities include a contest with local men dressed as women to compete for the title &quot;Miss Possom Queen&quot; as well as bluegrass music, snacks and beverages, and souvenir merchandise.</i> <a href="http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Possum_Drop#Brasstown_Drop" target="_blank">wiki</a>
Don&#039;t look now, but they gots them men-folk who dress up like lady-folk. And one is dressed like a taro-ist.
And the whole gang from the other side of the tracks is relieved.
You only have the right to arm <i>bears</i>.
At midnight, you get to kiss your favorite barnyard animal.
May PETA strike me dead but I&#039;d be really happy if they put all the possums extant into that ball and sort of kept them there.
You got to pen them up for a few days and feed &#039;em table scraps so they aren&#039;t so gamy. That&#039;s what the Foxfire book said. Despite being from NC, I have never tasted possum.
Will Otis the Drunk be there?