So, traveling out to Archer County last weekend, I saw a bunch of road killed deer. a few had the heads cut off, apparently a nice buck.

I thought you needed to call Game Warden and get approval to do anything with a road killed deer.

what is the rule?

In Texas it is illegal possess a deer or any part of a deer that has been hit by a motor vehicle. Only exception I'm aware of is TPWD biologists taking samples from freshly road killed deer in CWD containment zones. I do not believe Archer County is in a CWD containment zone.

Illegal to take unless game warden gives you permission ( he will give you a document in leu of tag)... ask me how I know after a deer totalled my 92 jeep

Seriously?

Been in the Outdoor annual since the first one.

It is unlawful to possess a deer or any part of a deer that has been hit by a motor vehicle.

---> TPWD

i follow the laws, but find that one pretty dumb.

The deer is dead....it shouldn't matter if a lucky person keeps the antlers or eats it.

The only legal way to claim a road killed deer is to get a game warden to issue you a permit. There may be exceptions, but in most cases they’ll let you take the meat, and they’ll keep the head. Heads missing from deer on the side of the road we’re most likely taken illegally.

There’s valid reasoning behind it. If it’s allowed, some people would be inclined to hit them on purpose. As it is, a lucky person can legally take the meat home. They just need to do so through the proper channels.

This is one of those situations that should need no regulation for men. Being that it is, speaks to the character of some men.

Many years ago I hit a deer right before I got into Bandera. There happened to be a GW getting gas at the service station. I stopped and asked him if I could take the deer home and butcher it. He said sure but once I cut it open I would change my mind about eating it. I went back and picked it up took it home and started skinning it. It was completely blood shot. I took it and dumped it in the pasture for the buzzards.

I see deer from time to time on the side of the road with their heads removed. My assumption has always been that the rule is in place to discourage people from stopping on the highway to remove the head and causing a traffic hazard. No idea if this is valid or not, just my guess...

It is illegal, but I have been passing a buck on my way to work all week and could use a new set of antlers to rattle with.

I hunted for close to 20 years with several law enforcement guys. One morning on the way to the gate I hear a pistol shot. I would find out later that the brother of a lease member had run over a doe in the highway. The deer did not die but was immobile. One of the LE guys on the lease drove up behind him, saw what happened and put the deer down with his service weapon and then continued on to his hunting spot. The guy that hit the deer loaded it up and went on his way as well. That night, the game warden visited deer camp. He located the untagged tag and began asking questions. Both the guy that ran over the deer and the policeman that put the deer down were present and told their stories and showed the game warden the damage done to the truck. The warden wrote him a ticket for possession of an untagged deer.

In Illinois they encourage you to pick up deer road kill. I guess they don't want anybody to run over them after they are dead and crash. My brother-in-law lives up there and has a friend who doesn't hunt but keeps his freezer full of deer meat.

I have cut off heads or antlers of I don’t know how many road killed bucks and will continue to do so. I’ve eaten road kill several times, even had a LEO friend drop off a fresh one because he knew I wouldn’t let the meat go to waste if there was anything to salvage. I’d make a pot of beans or a deer chili and bring him a bowl. It’s stupid to let the meat go to waste.