Getting all required meat from your harvested big game animal and disposal of the carcass
But, with deer hunting in the Black Hills and late cow/calf elk seasons getting underway, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department wants to make sure hunters take care of edible portions of big game and dispose of carcasses properly.
“Big game meat is a particularly healthy protein and we know how much sportsmen in Wyoming value this resource,” said Scott Edberg, Deputy Chief of the Wildlife Division for Game and Fish. “Our regulations are set up to help preserve the edible portion of an animal and we hope everyone heading out in the field in the next month or two has success filling up their freezer.”
It is legal for hunters to cut up or bone out a harvested big game animal in the field and the regulations define what needs to be removed. This is addressed in the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission General Hunting Regulations and states:
“Edible portion of big game animal” means the meat of the front quarters as far down as the knees, meat of the hindquarters as far down as the hocks, and the meat along the backbone between the neck and hindquarters including the loins and tenderloins, excluding meat on the ribs and neck.
If you decide to bone out your big game animal be aware some license types or season restrictions require the harvest of a certain gender, or minimum number of antler points, or require the harvest of a certain species of deer. If any of these requirements apply, you need to have the head, horns/antlers, deer tail or external sex organs from your animal in your possession while you are transporting it to your house or to a processor.
One other step to keep in mind is the proper disposal of the boned-out big game carcass, especially deer, elk and moose carcasses from hunt areas that are Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) positive. Proper disposal is at an approved landfill.
The dumping of bones along public roadways or on public or private land can be considered littering and fines could be levied. For complete requirements on the proper disposal and transportation of big game carcasses in general and as it pertains to CWD, please refer to your hunting regulation brochures.
“Big game meat is a particularly healthy protein and we know how much sportsmen in Wyoming value this resource,” said Scott Edberg, Deputy Chief of the Wildlife Division for Game and Fish. “Our regulations are set up to help preserve the edible portion of an animal and we hope everyone heading out in the field in the next month or two has success filling up their freezer.”
It is legal for hunters to cut up or bone out a harvested big game animal in the field and the regulations define what needs to be removed. This is addressed in the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission General Hunting Regulations and states:
“Edible portion of big game animal” means the meat of the front quarters as far down as the knees, meat of the hindquarters as far down as the hocks, and the meat along the backbone between the neck and hindquarters including the loins and tenderloins, excluding meat on the ribs and neck.
If you decide to bone out your big game animal be aware some license types or season restrictions require the harvest of a certain gender, or minimum number of antler points, or require the harvest of a certain species of deer. If any of these requirements apply, you need to have the head, horns/antlers, deer tail or external sex organs from your animal in your possession while you are transporting it to your house or to a processor.
One other step to keep in mind is the proper disposal of the boned-out big game carcass, especially deer, elk and moose carcasses from hunt areas that are Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) positive. Proper disposal is at an approved landfill.
The dumping of bones along public roadways or on public or private land can be considered littering and fines could be levied. For complete requirements on the proper disposal and transportation of big game carcasses in general and as it pertains to CWD, please refer to your hunting regulation brochures.
Wyoming Game and Fish (307) 777-4500
