Two Wisconsin hunting companions recently launched a unique new web site, www.roadkillrecordbookclub.com>www.roadkillrecordbookclub.com. The concept for the web site came to the two one day during the summer of 2007 when Randy Iten, Prescott, WI, one of the founders, discovered a huge black bear laying in the ditch along Interstate 94 in Hudson, WI. It had just been struck by a truck

Iten, a lifelong hunter, who was enroute to a game farm to train his young bird dog at the time, knew exactly what to do. He called the Department of Natural Resources service center in Baldwin, WI, on his cell phone to report the road kill anomaly, (supposedly there are no black bears in St. Croix County, WI). The DNR officer who took the call assured Iten they would pick up the bear immediately.

Following his dog training session, Iten stopped by the DNR offices to make sure the big bear had been collected. While discussing the situation with officers Iten asked what was going to come of the bear. He was told it would be sold for $50. Iten, who has hunted bears many times offered pay the $50 and was issued a seizure permit. The bear was loaded onto a trailer and taken to Iten’s taxidermist for mounting.

Following discussions with his hunting companion, Richard Sanders, also of Prescott, the two formulated the idea of a record book for road killed animals.

“Some of the best white tail bucks in the country are killed on the highways every fall during the rut,” says Iten, “and it’s a shame to just leave them lay there. One of the nicest white tail bucks I have ever seen got hit by a car not five miles from my house. Big deer like that should be recognized.”

As the two discussed the concept of a record book for animals that are unfortunately killed on the nation’s highways every year, they formed specific categories for road killed animals-- big game, game birds, predators, small game and furbearers, etc.

“This started out as a joke between Richard and me but the more we thought about it the more it appealed to us,” says Iten. “Who is to say that a huge road killed black bear like the one I came upon should not be entered into the record book. Road killed animals can’t be listed in Pope & Young, Boone and Crockett or the Safari Club record books so why not give them their own place of registration?” He adds, “Just because they got hit by a truck or a car doesn’t make them any less important to nature.”

Iten and Sanders point out on their web site that picking up road kill is illegal in some states, or at least, may require a seizure permit from conservation officers. “We urge our members to always check the legalities of picking up a road killed animal with their local Department of Natural Resources or Game & Fish Department,” states Iten.

The Road Kill Record Book Club offers memberships, record book listings, an annual awards division plus wearable safety gear...caps, T-Shirts, etc. To learn more about the Road Kill Record Book Club, check out the web site, www.roadkillrecordbookclub.com>www.roadkillrecordbookclub.com

Media Contact:
Road Kill Record Book Club, info@roadkillrecord bookclub.com