Roadkill on the menu . . .

Roadkill served in R.I. clubs

Published: Dec. 23, 2009 at 3:46 PM

SMITHFIELD, R.I., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A chef at a Rhode Island sportsman's club said he has earned the nickname "Roadkill" due to his signature dish -- venison from the side of the road.

Richard "Roadkill" Bourque, chef for the Smithfield Sportsman's Club, said he is on the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's list of vendors authorized to retrieve, prepare, cook and serve deer killed on the state's roads, the Providence (R.I.) Journal reported Wednesday.

Officials said the list was started 35 years ago to prevent the meat from the approximately 1,000 deer killed on the state's roads each year from going to waste. Vendors are allowed to retrieve carcasses that have been beside the road for less than five hours, depending on the season and temperature.

Bourque said he received a recent call in the early morning about a young deer reported dead on the side of Route 95. The chef said he dressed and butchered the animal before putting it in the freezer with other meat bound

for the club's meals.