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If you hit a deer, can you keep it?

I live in a suburban area, but it’s right on the edge of a more rural area. When I’m driving, I often see deer. As an avid hunter and foodie, I love deer meat—but I’ve never thought about what to do with a deer if you hit it. Can I keep the deer if I hit it with my car?

avatar
Eric Schad · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
If you hit a deer, you can’t legally keep it unless you have a permit. In most cases, a police officer can issue a permit on the spot.
With that said, police may not let you keep the deer if there are issues with the deer in your area. Sometimes, diseases can be rampant among a deer population, affecting the meat and making it unsafe to eat.
A deer steak or deer sausage is a nice consolation prize, but it still doesn’t fix your car after you’ve hit a deer. Since you live in an area populated by deer, you may want to consider
comprehensive coverage
. This is the only type of coverage that will pay for repairs if you hit a deer.
If you want to save money on your comprehensive coverage policy, use the
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