Wyoming is unique for many reasons, one of which is its interest in its specific wild animals. No other state talks about the movement of grizzly bears, wolf packs, or wolverines like they do in the cowboy state.
So it should come as no surprise that the state’s new program for people to collect roadkill for food is closely watched. It may not be as exciting as if Bear 399 will finally be separated from her now 2-year-old cubs this spring, but incidents of hit-and-runs will not go unnoticed or unreported.
One of those early reports is details of a deer crossing on US 287 south of Lander early on President’s Day morning when Marta Casey hit the road for a day of snowboarding. She said she tried to slow down her Subaru and get around the deer, but she had to settle for a Wyoming state trooper’s promise to shoot the injured animal.
About 30 states allow the collection of roadkill for food, but only the cowboy state has an app for that. The app makes it possible to quickly reclaim accidentally killed deer, elk, elk, wild bison, or wild turkey by identifying the animal and signing the hit-and-run rules.
Jaden Bales of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation claimed the doe killed near Lander, who was tipped off by Casey about the accident, and tapped the app to claim it.
Wyoming’s new hit-and-run system was approved last year by House Bill 95 of the Wyoming Legislature, which passed unanimously. It replaces a system that required a ranger to first provide a tag before a resident could claim a roadkill.
Using an app, not a tag, the state’s new system is available on all non-interstate highways.
The Wyoming Fish and Game Commission is largely credited with the new rules, and the application runs on the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s existing 511 system.
Wyoming Chief Ranger Rick King says the new hit-and-run app works with the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s existing 511 system by granting electronic clearances to harvest hit-and-runs.
Cell phone coverage is not required for the new app to work.
By obtaining an electronic release, Wyoming residents agree to collect the entire carcass, not just the usable parts. A landfill or container going to a landfill should be used to dispose of unusable portions to control the spread of any disease.
King says it works “pretty nifty” and won’t burden the state with a heavy workload.
Harvesting roadkill wildlife can be dangerous, so Wyoming Game and Fish urges people to do it safely. “Never try to collect roadkill if there is traffic on the road. The department has made your safety a priority with roadkill collection rules,” he says, “remember:
- Roadkill cannot be picked up on Interstate 25, Interstate 80, or Interstate 90.
- No one can collect roadkill at night; it must be daytime.
- You may not collect roadkill within construction areas or national parks in Wyoming.
- Off-road parking is required and you must turn on your vehicle’s hazard flashers.
- It is not allowed to fix the field on the road.
As for the app, here’s how Wyoming officials explained it at its launch in February:
- To get started, download the Wyoming 511 app from your device’s respective app store. For those who already have the Wyoming 511 on their phone, the update may require users to reinstall the app for new features.
- To request clearance through Wyoming 511, look for the “Report Roadkill” button on the app’s home screen.
- After a series of questions about the carcass, if the species is available for collection at an approved location, the user can request authorization.
- The application immediately sends a certificate upon completion of the questionnaire. Applicants must currently have or create a username and password with Game and Fish to obtain authorization.
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