Ontario fur managers group pushes province for better roadkill reporting regulations

Many may speed by a dead animal on the side of the road but some people have an interest in keeping that roadkill.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry received 1,151 applications to keep roadkill in 2017.

Making up the large majority of the total were 757 mammals and 390 birds. However, also on the list were a pair of reptiles and even two insects.

Robin Horwath, the general manager of the Ontario Fur Managers Federation, says though the act of keeping roadkill may surprise many in the general public, trappers and hunters are well-versed with the province's regulations.

He says a bypasser might be interested in collecting the fur of any defunct lynx, fox, beaver, coyote, wolf or raccoon they find on the side of the road.

"It really would be the only way the public could access a fur-bearing animal unless they bought it from a trapper, so that would be the main interest there," he said.

"If it's a moose, bear or deer, if it's a trophy bull or whatever, it could be to get the horns or a head mounted on the wall. And a lot of people, if it's fresh, would want it for the meat."

The ministry has no such rules for keeping reptiles or insects, unless they are endangered, leaving Horwath baffled and amused as to why someone would report them.

"If someone hit a butterfly, or a giant ant, or whatever, why would they even think about reporting it? The insect thing is pretty wild," he said with a chuckle.

Large mammals, birds of prey and fur-bearing mammals that are found dead in the wild must be reported to the MNRF, according to a section on its website.

Endangered and threatened species are the exception to the rule. They can only be kept "under very limited circumstances (e.g., for scientific and education purposes)."

Roadkill reports on the rise

The numbers have more than doubled since 2013, when only 520 keeps were reported to the province.

The MNRF started handing out information cards detailing the regulations in 2014, "which likely accounts for the increase in numbers of roadkill 'registered'" since 2013, stated a ministry spokesperson.

But Horwath believes it's rather the result of recent conservation efforts and a subsequent increase in wildlife.

He adds the numbers should in reality be much higher, due to the number of kept animals that go unreported.

"The reason the MNRF's number is low is possibly because people don't know they can do this, so they don't report the animal to keep it, whether it's for the pelt or the horns or the meat.," Horwath said.

"The other thing is some people might just take it home [knowingly] and not bother reporting it."

He believes the MNRF should be working more closely with the OPP and the Ministry of Transportation to spread the word about roadkill regulations.

Roadkill registered with Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (past five years):

2017 (1151 total):

• Mammals = 757
• Birds = 390
• Reptiles = 2
• Insects = 2

2016 (1113 total):

• Mammals = 754
• Birds = 358
• Reptiles = 1

2015 (1062 total):

• Mammals = 668
• Birds = 392
• Reptiles = 1
• Mussels =1

2014 (1004 total):

• Mammals = 651
• Birds = 350
• Insects = 2
• Amphibian = 1

2013 (520 total):

• Mammals = 376
• Birds = 144