Illinois Passes 'Road Kill' Bill

By Myles Collier, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, January 10, 2012

There is a new meaning in Illinois when your spouse tells you to pick something up for dinner on your way home.

Along with the many new Illinois laws that went into effect at the beginning of the new year, one piece of legislation might just be the most unusual and it is called the "road kill bill."

"It actually, technically, was illegal for hunters and trappers who were actually licensed and permitted to actually pick up animals that they found," said Illinois State Representative Rich Morthland, according to Fox News.

The new legislation which applies only to Illinois residents with a valid furbearer's license allows those individuals to gather animals from the sides of the state's roadways.

"This doesn't mean you get to go hunting with your Buick. This is definitely only for animals that are legitimately, accidently killed," Morthland said.

There are also other stipulations that are attached to the bill. Licensed road kill collectors are only allowed to collect the animals during Illinois's furbearer trapping season which usually runs from November through the end of January.

"The only time that that animal's fur is going to be good and be able to be sold for money is between November and January,” said Bill Christman, owner of a Western Illinois wildlife service, according to KFVS.

Before a fur trader is going to pay you for your animal carcass it must be in good shape. "As far as the money goes…you're talking upwards of $20 a pelt,” Louie Glidewell a trapper and fur trader in southern Illinois told KFVS. "You can't bring a flattened bloody critter to a fur trader and expect a premium price for it."

Police are also warning motorists to be cautious when gathering any dead animals from the roadway.

"That is one of our biggest concerns with the new law, is for people picking them up not only for themselves but also for the other people driving along the roadway. They need to notice that people are out and about," said Officer Kris Taylor with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as reported by KWQC.