West Windsor — Hal Smith stepped into action on Wednesday morning when he saw what appeared to be a rabid raccoon holding up traffic on the Brownsville-Hartland Road near his home.

The 64-year-old Smith called Vermont Fish and Wildlife, which he said rang to state police, and asked what he should do. The person on the other end of the line said they didn’t have anybody who could help and asked if he had a rifle, Smith said.

He did.

The individual then asked if Smith had a shovel.

He did.

“I said, ‘I don’t want any part of this,’ ” Smith said.

But he wasn’t going to let the raccoon wander off. After all, raccoons are primarily nocturnal, and this one was stumbling in the road in broad daylight, an indication, he said, that the raccoon could have rabies.

So he shot it, double-bagged it and put it on the side of the road. He hoped someone from the state would come pick up the dead animal, but as of Friday afternoon, that hadn’t happened.

So he posted a sign next to the bag that reads: “Dead Rabid Coon.”

He isn’t sure where to go from here. The person he talked to from state police encouraged him to bury it.

“There is frost in the ground,” Smith said. “And I can’t bury it where it is. It is right near a brook. … My only option apparently is to transport this thing and bury it on someone else’s property.”

He said he has repeatedly called authorities, but hasn’t had any luck getting someone to pick up the carcass.

Smith’s story may not be all that unique.

For the most part, state Fish and Wildlife officials only respond to calls when a suspected rabid or infected animal bites or gets into a tussle with a person or another animal, said game warden District Chief Greg Eckhardt, who works out of the Springfield office.

“If it wasn’t in a fight or didn’t bite anybody, we don’t pick it up and have it tested,” Eckhardt said, citing factors of cost and time.

“There is no perfect solution for sick animals,” he added.

He suggested residents in a similar situation double bag the animal to prevent contamination and bury it, or call the Rabies Hotline at 1-800-472-2437.

The Humane Society of the United States website also says seeing a raccoon during the day “is no cause for panic,” but in such cases people should look for signs of a staggering gait, an animal oblivious to noise or nearby movement, erratic wandering, discharge at the eyes or mouth, wet and matted hair on the face, repeated high-pitch sounds, or self-mutilation.

“A raccoon who appears ill or disoriented, or who engages in unprovoked aggression, may be rabid or infected with canine distemper or feline parvovirus,” the Humane Society website says. “If you come into contact with a wild animal, obtain professional assistance from your local animal control agency, and health department.”

Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.