Lawmaker wants to make snagging roadkill legal

BOISE (AP) - An Idaho lawmaker wants to make it legal to snatch up roadkill, saying letting a dead animal rot on the highway doesn't make sense if someone can make a few hundred dollars off it.

Rep. Dick Harwood told the House Resources and Conservation Committee Monday people with hunting or trapping licenses should be allowed to harvest the pelts of animals like badgers, bobcats, red foxes, bears and mountain lions.

The St. Maries Republican says selling the hides of critters killed trying to cross the road could help people struggling in a tough economy. He estimates a bobcat hide could fetch as much as $400.

The committee voted to consider the measure in a full hearing.