HARVARD — An Ayer man who accidentally struck and killed a deer while driving on Still River Road has received a supply of deer meat. The motorist claimed the animal and took it away.
The practice is legal if the driver, after reporting the accident, takes the dead animal to be tagged by the Fish and Wildlife Department, said Officer William Castro.
With its rural roads, wooded landscapes and apple orchards, Harvard has a substantial number of motor-vehicle-versus-deer collisions each year.
It’s unusual, said Castro, but not unheard of that a driver may intentionally hit a deer in the road to claim it by right. That’s not legal, he said.
Although most of the collisions are accidental, police and wildlife officials will investigate if circumstances seem suspicious, said Castro, such as if a driver hits more than one animal.
The recent incident, which was not considered suspicious, occurred Dec. 12 shortly after 6 p.m. — M.E. Jones
