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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Tennessee has relatively lax laws when it comes to collecting large animals that are found dead on the side of the road – except for bears.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) states on its website that “all big game found dead should be left where found and need not be reported.”

Big game refers to deer, turkey, elk and black bears in Tennessee, TWRA spokesperson Matthew Cameron told News Channel 11. That list used to include boar, but the species is now no longer considered big game due to its destructive nature.

“In Tennessee, if you find roadkill big game animals, you’re allowed to take them home and use them for personal consumption, and we encourage that because if not, they’re just going to go to waste or feed the vultures and coyotes,” Cameron said. “But there are some things you have to keep in mind if you want to take a roadkill big game animal home.”

Cameron said for deer and turkey found dead, anyone who wants to take the animals home must contact TWRA or a local law enforcement agency within 48 hours of taking them. That information will be documented after a phone call, and then those animals can be consumed or used without issue.

There is one exception to that rule, however. Cameron told News Channel 11 that bears killed by a vehicle cannot be possessed without extra steps taken.

“Bears on the other hand require that a TWRA agent come out and issue you a receipt for a black bear,” Cameron said. “So a little bit different situation.”

That physical receipt must be issued to anyone hoping to claim a roadkill bear before it is collected. “The reason for that is that the bear population isn’t as high as our deer and our turkey populations, per se,” Cameron said. “We have less black bears. We want to keep track of the population, and it helps us know where our black bears are because sometimes they get hit in unusual places and it helps us track their population expansion.”

Lastly, Cameron said the documentation process for collecting roadkill bears helps limit the sale of bear parts on the black market.

“There is a black market for black bear parts, and it’s highly illegal to sell any kind of bear parts in the state of Tennessee,” Cameron said. “But it does happen.”

Outside of Tennessee’s four big game animals, there are other rules for roadkill. In most cases, small game can be collected without filing any reports or contacting any authorities. Cameron said animals like rabbit, raccoons, squirrels, skunks and the like can be taken home without any notification necessary. ( Boy, that’s a relief.)

https://www.wjhl.com/outdoors-appalachia/can-you-take-home-a-dead-bear-found-in-tennessee/

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