In the state of Washington if it is deer season, and you have the appropriate tag, and you tag the critter you may claim the road kill. Otherwise, it rots. If you take it you get arrested, because the state doesn’t want people hunting year round with their vehicles.
I investigated a van/bear collision. The bear was dead. The game warden would not allow anyone to take the bear. It was going to rot. I advised a couple of guys that were eyeballing the bear that I would be leaving and not returning for a couple of hours, and that I would be real surprised if the bear was still there. It wasn’t.
our local cops have a “call list” for people to come get road kill. cheaper and faster to have a couple local boys come grab it than to have the county/ state paid workers come clean it up.