Guy Carpenter, 42, spotted the dead animal on the central reservation of the A66 near Barnard Castle, County Durham, pulled his vehicle over and hoisted the deer onto his shoulders.
However, he was quickly stopped by officers in a passing police car who activated the vehicle’s blue emergency lights and told him he was committing a crime by moving the deer.
Following the incident on June 7, he received a court summons in the post and appeared at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Monday, charged with removing the carcass of a deer without the consent of the owner or occupier of the land under The Deer Act 1991.
The hearing heard an out-of-court resolution is being sought before Mr Carpenter’s next scheduled appearance in October.
But he has now told of the ‘extreme stress’ of the ordeal, adding: ‘A dead animal on the road would be seen as a liability, rather than an asset, to anyone.’
He said that by removing the deer himself he was saving others both time and money, adding that the ordeal is ‘unprecedented’ and ‘entirely unnecessary.’
Describing the incident, Mr Carpenter said: ‘The road was completely empty, there was not a single car coming that way.
‘I picked up the deer, put it on my back, and went to cross back over and a police car came whizzing towards me with blue lights on.
‘They stopped the car really abruptly. They pulled in front of me and said: “What are you doing?”’
Guy Carpenter appeared at Peterlee Magistrates' Court facing a charge under The Deer Act 1991
Mr Carpenter said he was planning to take the deer home and eat it, but even if it had not been safe to eat, he would have removed it from the central reservation for the safety of other drivers.
‘It was all a bit unnerving,’ he added. ‘It didn't feel justified in the slightest.
‘I am a perfectly responsible, decent, law-abiding member of society.
‘It completely undermines your faith in the justice system. Everyone I have told about it has been very supportive.’
It is understood that, under UK law, deer are considered ownerless until they are killed, after which the carcass becomes the property of the landowner where it was found.
In Mr Carpenter’s case, the deer belonged to National Highways as it was found on its network.
He has received support from Darren Grimes, the Reform deputy leader of Durham County Council.
In one email to Durham Police, he said: ‘On the public interest limb I would ask you to consider what is actually being prosecuted here - a man with no previous history (as far as I know) taking a dead animal off a road, with no victim, no loss, and no injured party.’
A Durham Police spokesman said: ‘A 41-year-old man has been summonsed to court for the offence of removing the carcass of a deer without the consent of the owner or occupier of the land.
‘It relates to an incident which is said to have taken place on June 7 in which a man was spotted carrying a dead deer across the A66 near Barnard Castle.
‘He is alleged to have told officers he intended to take the deer home to eat it.
‘Under The Deer Act 1991, it is an offence to take or move the carcass of a deer without the consent of the owner or occupier of the land or other lawful authority.’