Before you even decide to take a deer home, it is essential that you know what a fresh kill looks like. In this article, I use various photos I have taken of roadkill deer to help beginners learn what a salvagable deer looks.

This roadkill deer has been dead for several hours. It’s 35 degrees outside, and your freezer is empty. However, there is one problem; his guts are hanging out. Would you still eat him?

This doe has “clear eyes.” Although slightly glassy with dialated pupils, they resemble closely how they would if she were alive. However, her eyes may not be telling the full story…