Shoutout to roadkill enthusiasts everywhere: food, hide, bones, teeth

this probably is the wrong forum, but its the closest i can find in terms of relevance to this topic, but i am constantly on the lookout for roadkill critters.

whether fresh and intact, or dried out and smashed, the carcasses of accidentally killed animals are still useful as a source of hides and usable meat for the fresher ones and the more rotten among them can still yield fascinatingly beautiful bones and skulls which can be carved into beads or simple tools, or make lovely decorations in their own right.

since i was a little kid i've spent many hours looking for bones in the woods and along roads and in ditches, within the last year i've started upping my game to gathering roadkill as i find it. im now teaching myself to tan hides, and use every part of the animals i find from flesh to fat to sinew and bone.

im a city girl who doesn't come from an outdoorsy family so i'm self taught or book/internet taught with regards to the finer points of animal processing, but ive found i love the taste of squirrel, but am still working on liking the taste of possum. the idea of taking an animals life is a hard pill to swallow for me (im just one of those people) but scavenging from the already dead has been an important stepping stone for me as i learn to throw away societies yoke and learn to fend for myself.

i would like to learn to hunt and fish for my nourishment someday, but until i develop the strength of spirit necessary to take another life, i'm more than happy scavenging

Hi Christy,

Thanks for a wonderful little post and a "snapshot" of your interests. I have eaten road kill most of my life, and there was a time, as a child, that if I did not trap, hunt, and scavenge, there was not going to be any meat on the table (or much of anything else.) As you are understanding more, this is not a main stream topic (and you did post in the correct place) for most folks. I use the little bodies I find in our compost at minimum, as rotting on the side of the road seems disrespectful, and it draws in other scavengers that often get killed themselves. Now they all follow me to the compost. Its funny, Ravens are so smart that if they are of a local clan, they know where I am going and meet me there...you just have to love Ravens...there is no way not to if you are tied to the Earth at all.

As for your transition into hunting, try getting your trappers license. Trapping (which I have done as much or perhaps more than ambush or stalk hunting) is a wonderful way to learn you pray species behavior, and if you live trap, you can always choose to let them go. If you haven't taken any primitive arts classes, I would recommend you do so, as this could open up an entirely new world of friends and skill sets.

Regards,

j

i have a great respect for all scavenging animals. we dont see ravens too often around here but i'm on pretty good terms with the local coyotes and turkey vultures

and thats awesome about compost! im really curious about using the compost of dead critters. how do you use yours? because i've heard that using animal remains in compost for any edible plants is a bad idea.

i have a bin that i use to finish decomposing some of my finds which is filled with leaves or grass clippings and by the end of summer its all broken down into great compost that i sift the bones out of later (as a collector thats what im mostly after) but im hesitant about using the compost in my garden.

I think it is more psychological than pathological that folks won't use animal parts in there compost. Yes there are possible disease vectors that we are being exposed to by handling the dead animals, but after a complete "composting" those dangerous vectors are gone. It is the same with human waste, which we don't use, but the rest of the world does. So go right ahead and use what is left on the garden, it will be better for it...