as I said before, I don't hunt because I am a lousy shot. But I have not always managed to avoid deer collisions... fact of life out here.

The deer I hit jumped right in front of the car and so close that there was no way to avoid her. Badly injured she made it across the road & into the brush. Fortunately I was in front of a home and not the acres of corn fields, so I could call a co-worker, who also is a conservation officer that lived a mile or so away. He came and was able to put her down with a single shot... so her suffering was short.

The home owner helped me take the carcass to his garage where we field dressed it and I picked it up the next day on my way back from work. I did my own butchering and managed to salvage most of the meat.

When my husband has hit deer, he gave the carcass to whoever lived nearby... but not every collision results in a body by the road. Many take off and can't be found by a motorist. At the same time, the number of deer bodies on the side of the road is not a small one and it occurs year round. The state pays towns to pick up and dispose of the bodies. If the body is fresh enough it goes to local zoos or wildlife rehabilitators to feed the predators.