RIDGEFIELD, WA – Good news for people who enjoy deer, elk and saving money: The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife will allow people to take home and eat deer killed in motor vehicle crashes in Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties.

The rule change went into effect May 17 and was announced Monday.

The move does not apply to federally protected Columbian white-tailed deer. Instead, it allows salvage of elk and black-tailed deer in the three counties with a Fish & Wildlife-issued roadkill salvage permit.

“We carefully reviewed available data and determined the risk of mistakenly salvaging Columbian white-tailed deer is low,” Kyle Garrison, the department’s ungulate section manager, said in the announcement.

It’s still illegal to salvage, handle or possess Columbian white-tailed deer in Washington. Fish & Wildlife asks salvagers to report when the remains of that species are found.

While eating roadkill can be dangerous, salvagers west of the Cascades have not had to worry about chronic wasting disease in dead animals.

“We have not had any cases of chronic wasting disease in southwest Washington,” said Britton Ransford, Fish & Wildlife’s spokesman for the region.

The department stressed that salvaging deer and elk is allowed only for animals killed in motor vehicle crashes. It also said anyone who takes possession of a carcass is required to obtain a free roadkill salvage permit within 24 hours.

Printable permits are available online or at the department’s regional offices.

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