How central Ohio deals with roadkill
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The dog days of summer are officially here, and they fall directly in between the two busiest seasons for roadkill collectors.
Several studies have ranked Columbus as a heavily car-dependent city, meaning most -- if not all -- drivers have come across dead animals on the roadways, likely recently. After swerving to miss a carcass or at least making note of one, if you’ve ever been left wondering how roadkill is managed around central Ohio, NBC4 has you covered.
Who handles roadkill, and how?
Roadkill maintenance varies between state and local agencies, depending on the road. Generally, refuse collectors with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT Districts) are in charge of maintaining highways across the state’s 88 counties, such as Interstate 70 and its auxiliaries and Interstate 71.
Franklin County is served by ODOT District 6, as are Delaware and Pickaway, among several others. District 5 oversees Knox, Licking and Fairfield counties, among several others. ODOT District 6 can be reached at (740) 833-8000, and ODOT District 5 can be reached at (740) 323-4400.
On roadways within Columbus city limits, the onus falls on the city’s division of refuse collection. Just one driver takes the city’s dedicated vehicle out three days per week to pick up roadkill, according to a Columbus Department of Public Service spokesperson.
To contact the city’s 311 Service Center over roadkill collection, head here.
The Franklin County Engineer’s Office takes over when it comes to county roads. To contact their office, head here.
When is roadkill most common?
The two seasons with milder weather in Ohio, spring and fall, tend to be the busiest for collection, according to the city spokesperson.
Between the two central Ohio ODOT divisions, the agency collected more than 2,700 dead animals in 2022 and more than 2,400 in 2021. With half of 2023 over, so far, ODOT Divisions 5 and 6 have collected more than 1,100 dead animals, according to an ODOT spokesperson.
Can I take roadkill home?
Short answer: yes and no.
Ohioans are legally allowed to take dead deer found on the roadside home if they obtain permission, either via a receipt or a permit from a local wildlife officer, sheriff's office, or the Ohio State Highway Patrol, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Dead birds cannot be taken home in most circumstances.
For a fee of $33, the ODNR Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab -- located in Reynoldsburg -- will test deer if the deer is suitable for testing.
A number of other states allow residents to take roadkill home, including bordering states Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia.