Am I allowed to take an animal I have hit with my car in Denmark?
No — you may not take an animal you have hit, but you have a duty to stop and help. Under Road Traffic Act §9 you must stop immediately. If you have hit a roe deer, a stag or other large game that is wounded and runs off, you must call 1812, the Animal Protection emergency line, which sends a registered tracking-dog handler. Call 112 if a person is injured. You must not go after the animal yourself — you ruin the scent trail — but mark the spot where it ran in. Falck removes a dead animal for free for motorists. And the animal is not yours: it belongs to whoever holds the hunting right — the municipality on a public road — so taking it home is unlawful handling of found property.
📋 The rules
- You may not take a hit animal
- You must stop immediately under §9
- Wounded game: call 1812, Animal Protection
- Call 112 if a person is injured
- The animal belongs to whoever holds the hunting right
🔓 Exceptions
- You must not go after the animal yourself, but mark the spot where it ran in
- Falck removes a dead animal for free for motorists
- For a dog the duty to stop and report applies; for a cat it does not
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Taking a hit animal home is unlawful handling of found property and can bring a fine — the animal belongs to whoever holds the hunting right, not to whoever hit it. If you go after the wounded animal yourself, it gets more serious: hunting on without a hunting right is poaching, which can bring a fine, up to 2 years prison and loss of the hunting licence. That is why 1812 is not a courtesy but the right route — the line sends a registered tracking-dog handler, and your own pursuit destroys the very trail the dog needs.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I take an animal I have hit?
No. The hit animal belongs to whoever holds the hunting right — the municipality on a public road — and taking it home is unlawful handling of found property. You do have a duty to stop immediately, though.
What must I do if I hit game?
You must stop immediately under Road Traffic Act §9. If the animal is wounded and runs off, call 1812 and mark the spot where it ran in, and call 112 if a person has been injured.
Who do I call?
Call 1812, the Animal Protection emergency line, if the game is wounded; they send a registered tracking-dog handler. Call 112 if a person is injured, and Falck on 70 10 20 30 for a dead animal.
Can I go after the animal myself?
No. You ruin the trail the tracking dog needs, and hunting on without a hunting right is poaching, with a fine, up to 2 years prison and loss of the hunting licence. Mark the spot where the animal ran in instead.
Who removes a dead animal?
Falck removes a dead animal for free for motorists on 70 10 20 30. For a dog you hit, the duty to stop and report applies, while it does not for a cat — but the animal is still not yours to take.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I take roadkill denmark”
- “hit deer call 1812”
- “roadkill rules denmark”
- “tracking dog roadkill”
- “falck dead animal”
- “hit a deer”