FUN WITH ROADKILL

Roadkill is hard to see.

A beautiful animal that was pulverized when a vehicle slammed into, left to rot and decay alongside the road. Then, to make matters worse, the carcass encourages other animals to come near the road, mostly scavengers, which then have a greater potential to turn into roadkill themselves. Not a good situation.

This is the second post in an ongoing series. If you missed the introduction, you can read the full post by clicking HERE. If you just want to check out the INTRODUCTION VIDEO, here it is.

WHITETAIL BUCK

Recently, I saw a rather large whitetail buck that had been struck by a vehicle lying in the ditch when I was driving with my daughter, Pinkie-Pepper. I saw some antlers on it, so we turned around to look. Animals this big that are already bloated are not exactly pleasant to deal with. Besides trying to move them further from the road to avoid more roadkill from the scavengers the carcass will attract, there is not an incredibly large amount of things you can do with large roadkill that is past its prime.

However, any antlers that the deer has should be easy enough to remove without getting yourself completely disgusting. When I looked around at the available resources I had in the truck, I noticed my portable drill. Though this may not be your first choice in a situation like this, it certainly can get the job done.

For the more ambitious roadkill recycler who has a tough saw handy, one could just cut off the whole head and use it to make a skull mount like the one pictured above.

This deer had already lost one of its antlers in the accident (most likely) so a skull mount wouldn't have been a good idea for this one anyway. By drilling a few holes at the base of the antler, I was able to remove the one that was still attached.

FUN WITH ROADKILL 2 - WHITETAIL BUCK VIDEO

POTENTIAL USES FOR ANTLERS

Antlers are often used to create some interesting furniture, especially in places like the Ozarks where people enjoy the "rustic" look. Chandeliers like the one pictured above are a common sight, as are lampstands and other pieces. I might end up using this one as a hat rack or coat rack. If I had a pair, it could make a good gun rack or a holding for fishing poles.

Another interesting use for an antler is to make a knife handle from it. The one in the photo here was a gift from a friend of mine that he made himself. In the past, I've also worn one on a necklace, but these days I prefer to wear a knife.

Anyway, whatever you choose to do or not with the roadkill that you encounter, be safe out there, watch for animals crossing the street, and keep being creative.