As some Montanans see it, when it comes to the thousands of animal carcasses that litter the state’s roads and highways each year, there is only one logical thing to do: Eat them.

Under a new state law, people who come across dead deer, elk, moose and antelope — or strike them with their vehicles — may now haul the animals home for dinner.

“If there is some good stuff there, why not use it, rather than throw it away?” said Steve Lavin, a state representative from Kalispell, who introduced the legislation. “If someone has suffered damage to their vehicle, why not let them use that animal for some food?”

Mr. Lavin, who is also a captain with the Montana Highway Patrol, was inspired to draft the bill after years of responding to accidents in which animals had been struck by cars or trucks.