Wyoming motorists can now collect roadkill to take home and eat – all they have to do is request permission through an app on their phone.
The Wyoming 511 app is a handy tool for those traveling across or through the state. The Wyoming Department of Transportation uses the app to communicate road conditions.
The app now has a new function: requesting permission to collect roadkill for personal consumption. Game and Fish Public Information Officer Sara DiRienzo said there are some limits to when and where roadkill can be collected. For example, requests can't be made on interstates or in national parks. Those making requests should prioritize safety.
"These are still carcasses and so we ask that people treat them the way a hunter would," she said. "Proper carcass disposal is really important in Wyoming. We don't want people abandoning those on public land."
The opportunity is limited to specific species – deer, elk, moose, wild bison or wild turkey – and collectors must take the whole animal. DiRienzo said motorists should prioritize safety and never use the app while driving.
The Wyoming Legislature approved roadkill collection during its session last year.
"Wyoming was one of the only states that didn’t have a law on the books that would allow for the collection of roadkill," DiRienzo said. "So it's standard in a lot of the U.S."
According to Game and Fish, there are at least 6,000 animals killed by drivers in Wyoming every year. The most common is mule deer.
