North Carolina To Legalize Annual 'Possum Drop' For Sake Of Fun, Stereotypes
In a victory over the forces of Political Correctness and animal rights extremists, the North Carolina General Assembly has bravely legalized the annual Possum Drop in Brasstown, a New Year's Eve "tradition" ( since 1990 ) that some idiots who own a convenience store thought would be fun. The special exception to the state's wildlife laws was passed after PETA had sued to stop it, arguing that it was cruel to the possums, which aren't actually dropped, but instead placed in a tinsel-lined plexiglass cage and lowered at midnight, just like the big ball in New York City (you have to say that like in the picante sauce ads).
While we aren't quite as worried as a News & Observer op-ed that the event amounts to "torment[ing] wildlife for fun," we do have to ask, WTF, North Carolina? Possum Drop? We can only hope that there's a jug band and everyone wears festive tuxedo overalls, and then they all write letters to blogs complaining that outsiders stereotype Souherners as a bunch of hicks. Besides, any fool knows that Chicken Boxing is the trendy thing now.
Yee Haw! Your state government in action.
[ News & Observer / Image by Cory Marie Podielski ]
Here if you hit and kill a deer on the highway you are usually allowed to keep it, and most people do.
However I don't know about bears or moose. If you manage to hit either one of them on the road, I am not sure whether either critter is legally permitted to drag your dead ass back into the woods or swamp afterward.
As for smaller roadkill game though, I doubt that there are ever very many opportunities to invoke the relevant laws in my state. Most such collisions occur after dark in regions of the state where such wildlife abounds, which is far away from populated areas. So no one ever sees you hit the critter (in fact, deer/car collisions are rarely ever witnessed either, even though most occur while there is still light). So no one really knows how many roadkills are scavenged by people each year, because there are no witnesses. The matter of its legality is rarely ever tested because there are no formal complaints or charges made.
(Unwitnessed deer/car collisions usually get voluntarily reported due to significant damage to the vehicle.)