I once heard a buyer tell someone they will not buy road kill. I was a little perplexed. On the surface I can see why someone would be skeptical of road kill. I mean I wouldn't expect anyone to want to buy a damaged pelt. But if it's say, a fresh prime coon/coyote/fox with no apparent damage, I bet there's people out there willing to take it home and put it up. Unless there was damage, I don't know how the buyer would even know. I'm not saying folks should go out of their way to investigate picking up road kill, or attempt to trick a buyer, but for those willing to do it right it seems they'd potentially actually be making good use of the resource. Maybe some damage would be too hard to detect right away, and they don't want sellers showing up with a pelt that vulchers had poked at

Well In WI you can only pick up road kill during the open season on that animal. if It's to far along to skin don't pick It up. I have skinned 1000s of road killed critters the buyer never turned them down. One of my best coyotes last year was a road kill.

It's mainly coon that I see, but I have seen the occasional nice coyote in the past.

You know all those pics of barns covered in coon?Half of those are roadkill.

Your probably half right Boco. They probably got those hides from the local fur buyer.

Road kills on the carcass are the unknowns. If you've ever skint a road killed otter that appeared to be "undamaged" and his mid section turns out to be jelly and he pulls in half while skinning....well you get the idea..

Pelt may be ok but that skinning job is aggravating when you can pour the carcass out of the pelt like water out of a glass.

Probably a very good point Swamp Wolf

I've seen it both ways - but your point is well taken - it is more likely more trouble than it's worth. Especially if it's a coon - as most of you already know they were in the pits this year at the NAFA auction.
Yeah - I've ditched a lot more road kill that I've ever kept.

A lot of moosemeat picked up from road and railroad killed.

There was more railway kill when there was a rear brakeman that could verify how bad it was as he went by..............gone are those days.
I got a Top Lot Fox from one that ran into the side of my 73 Chev....too bad it was not 1973 prices. He was chasing a snowshoe rabbit across the road.

I pick up a few road killed raccoons every year. Usually you can feel the "jelly" inside them. They invariably are mush inside, and usually pull apart, and they are nasty to flesh too because all that "jelly" tends to stick to the hide and must be fleshed off. Once they're done though, they look just as good as any other coon. And hey, who can pass up 5 dollars laying on the side of the road?

When otter were bringing $120.00 who cared where you got them. In fact most otter whether road killed or not pull apart on the skinner.

Most coon just get head hit and are not a problem. Like I said If the guts are hanging out leave em be. I like to pick up skunks and remove the essence right along the road then just toss them back In the ditch. Most skunks aren't worth skinning till late In the year anyway.

I will admit that mushy otters were better to skin when they averaged over $100.