Eating roadkill legal in Montana Fast food: an elk crosses railway tracks. Montana has passed a law, making it legal for people to take home dead animals they find. Photo: Corbis As some Montanans see it, when it comes to the thousands of animal carcasses that litter the state's roads and highways each year, there is only one logical thing to do: eat them. Under a new state law, people who come across dead deer, elk, moose and antelope - or strike them with their vehicles - may now haul the animals home for dinner. "If there is some good stuff there, why not use it, rather than throw it away?" said Steve Lavin, a state representative from Kalispell, who introduced the legislation. If someone has suffered damage to their vehicle, why not let them use that animal for some food? Mr Lavin, who is also a captain with the Montana Highway Patrol, was inspired to draft the bill after years of responding to accidents in which animals had been struck by cars or trucks. Under a previous state law, Mr Lavin was required to tell people who had hit a deer or elk that they could not keep it. In some instances, he would take the dead animals to a local food bank, which would gratefully accept the meat, he said. This year, the legislation passed with bipartisan support and was signed by Governor Steve Bullock. Now, anyone who wants to gather roadkill need only obtain a free permit from a peace officer within 24 hours. "You have to take the animal in its entirety," said Ron Aasheim, spokesman for the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department, which is currently accepting public comment on how the new law will be administered. And you have to dispose of it. In Montana, the new law is expected to go into effect in November. While it is unclear how many drivers will be affected by the change, there is no question there will be plenty of opportunities. According to state figures, 7406 animal carcasses were collected by the Montana Department of Transportation in 2012. Like dozens of others, Sonny Lawson voiced his support for the law in an email to the state. Mr Lawson, who lives in South Carolina and makes annual hunting trips to Montana, said he thought it was a shame to waste the countless dead animals he sees along the highway. Each year, he collects three or four dead deer, carving off the meat for venison steaks and burgers. "We do it all the time," he said. You wouldn't know the difference.