A hobby hunter may eat a killed animal, but is it also permissible to eat an animal killed in an accident?
September 2, 2025, 12:48 p.m., Editorial staff of IG Wild at Wild
After 19 wild boars on a country road in the Maine-et-Loire department in France , people in France are wondering whether or not to eat their meat.
“I couldn’t avoid them,” defended André-Alexandre, the driver of the car that ran over a herd of wild boars on the four-lane RD775 (Rennes–Angers) in Segré at the end of August. A total of 19 wild boars were found dead on the side of the road.https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsebastien.lemerrer.5%2Fvideos%2F1318940822920855%2F&show_text=0&width=560
Large game killed accidentally and at any time as a result of a collision with a motor vehicle may be transported provided that the driver has previously notified the National Gendarmerie or the National Police.
Any sharing of the meat is prohibited. However, it is permitted to eat an accidentally hit wild boar, deer, or roe deer yourself, provided you are the person responsible for the collision and notify the authorities. This is done to avoid being accused of poaching. Please note, however, that the French Environmental Code states that it is strictly forbidden to retrieve small game (e.g., hares, rabbits, or partridges) and protected species.
You find a dead animal
If you find a dead animal by the roadside, you should not eat it for health reasons: You don’t know what caused its death or how long it has been dead. If it was carrying a disease (e.g., bovine tuberculosis) or if bacteria or parasites (e.g., Trichinella larvae) have multiplied, you risk serious infection.
There are various procedures to minimize health risks. Evisceration must be done quickly to prevent the growth of bacteria (it’s estimated that one million bacteria develop per gram of contaminated meat ) and external pathogens such as dirt or flies. If the entrails have been damaged by shock, you should not eat the meat. Also, avoid bruised areas.
Thorough cooking (70–75°C for more than 5 minutes, with the meat gray throughout and not bloody) inactivates the risk of trichinosis or trichinellosis (a worm that is invisible to the naked eye). Freezing for at least 24 hours (between –20°C and –25°C) stops enzyme and bacterial activity.
What happens if you don’t take the carcass with you?
If you leave the carcass where it is, notify the local authority, which will contact a carcass disposal facility for animals weighing over 40 kg. The police or gendarmerie can also make the connection.
If the animal is injured, the National Office for Hunting and Wildlife informing the authorities, who can have the animal euthanized to avoid unnecessary suffering and protect public safety. If the animal belongs to a protected species, it will be cared for at a wildlife sanctuary.
Added value:
- According to studies, there are health risks associated with eating game meat
- Nutrition: The civilized taste
- Game meat from the hunter is carrion
- Game meat cannot be organic
- Meat from wild animals is not organic game
- Dementia: How harmful is game meat?
- Venison makes you sick
- Lead residues in game meat products
- Stupid people like game
- Attention: Warning about game meat from hobby hunters
Exposing the Big Game 