The Deer List
Remember that "funny" shirt from back in the 90's, the "Road Kill Grill?" Well, it seems like it's coming true.
A friend of ours from down in Ohio just passed on a story about the "Deer List," which is basically a queue for people who are looking to pick up roadkill. When your name comes up, you've got 24-48 hours to go out and clean up the mess.
As ridiculous as this sounds, it turns out that there actually might be some merit to the idea. Deer (and other wild animal) populations have exploded in recent years due to hunting restrictions, and their encounters with humans, both in vehicles and not, have been increasing as suburban sprawl turns ever more of their habitat into backyards, parking lots, and strip malls.
The Deer list is actually an attempt by law enforcement to distribute the work, and the spoils (har har), to willing contractors, much like snow-plowers. You put your name on the list, and when it comes up, you go out, clean up the mess, and bring it to the landfill. In exchange, the local authorities pay you a monetary fee.The idea is being picked up by more and more townships, and in many it's accompanied by the idea of a "Car kill tag," where if a driver hits a deer and wants it, the officer that responds can declare the roadkill fair game and let the unlucky driver take it home. For some, the compensation in meat lessens the blow of having to knock out their bumper. The roads are really becoming "kill it and grill it" territory.
