TWIN FALLS, Idaho — If you've been traveling through Southern Idaho recently, you might have noticed a lot of roadkill along the way.
This increase in animal deaths makes sense, as it is migration season, but who is responsible for cleaning it up?
Southern Idaho cities, farms, and roads are situated in the middle of migration paths for many animal species that call Idaho home.
Unfortunately, this means that some animals will meet their demise and end up dead on the side of the road.
“Spring and fall are both peak seasons,” said Chuck Sharp, foreman of the Twin Falls Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) maintenance shop.
Chuck Sharp and his crew are responsible for roadkill cleanup on state-owned roadways.
“If there is something in the middle of the road, we stop, pick it up, and collect it,” he explained.
During this time of year, Sharp says his nine-person crew cleans up a lot of animals. While they mostly see deer, they also receive calls to clean up cats, skunks, and rock chucks.
“We run our routes at least once a week, sometimes two or three times a week. Often, if there is an accident report or if a vehicle is disabled, authorities will call us about the animal collision, and we will respond to pick it up,” Sharp said.
For small animals like birds and rodents, the crew discards them off to the side of the road, out of sight of passing vehicles. Larger animals are collected and disposed of at local transfer stations or landfills.
What if you encounter a roadkill animal that is salvageable?
“It’s legal to salvage roadkill that you hit or that someone else hit. We have over 66,000 records in our database since 2004,” said Jake Powell from Idaho Fish and Game.
However, there are exceptions. You cannot keep or salvage any protected nongame species, threatened and endangered species, or migratory birds, including waterfowl.
Everything else is fair game, but you must contact Fish and Game within 24 hours.
“And you have to fill out a salvage report within 72 hours. You can do this online or call us, and we can assist you,” Jake Powell explained.
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