I was successful this fall with a Mule deer buck during the archery season which came out of an area with mandatory CWD testing. I figured that since this was a mandatory program it would be well laid out as instructions on what to do as a hunter as well for meat cutters handling untested animals.
I did some research and had an idea on what i wanted to do but i was amazed that there isn't much of a set program/guideline and the meat cutter have nothing so far that i am aware of.
Because the CWD Prion is transported in saliva, urine, droppings, lymph nodes, brain and spinal column this is where the attention has to be from a hunter to not transport these items to new areas, here is what i did and others should consider the same:
- removed the entrails from the animal where i shot it. (Bagged heart/liver for after testing consumption)
- immediately skinned animal back at camp nearby and cleaned carcass as usual.
- chicken winged the deer removing the front shoulders / removed the hinds from the hip joints giving 4 qtrs (left nards on one hind / tail on other)
- removed all meat from the carcass
- because early Sept, all this meat went into a large cooler packed with ice
- rainy day, had a good fire going so we burned all the rib cage, spine, legs trimmings in a HOT fire essentially cremating the reminents of this deer. If you cannot burn, return skeleton to the area of your kill site so in case of contamination you are not spreading the CWD
- Cut horns off skull plate.
- delivered head in plastic bag to head collection site, filled out tag for head/hunter info
To the butcher:
- Advised butcher it was a deer from a mandatory CWD inspection area (tell him up front)
- No information had been provided to him on how to handle
- i always prefer boneless so after research asked him to cut boneless (NO BANDSAW) and save the bones
- picked up meat from butcher, and bones and all are in a bag in my freezer awaiting test results.
The testing could take 4-6 weeks to get data back as some testing may be done in Sask as they are more on top of this.
They will advise you immediately if your animal tests POSITIVE for CWD, and will come to your home to pick up the meat as just as a precaution they don't want it consumed.
so if your animal tests NEGATIVE, you will not be advised but i was told that the results would be posted on their website as general information- for example: 5 mule deer, 3 whitetail, 1 elk picked up from X(your) location on DD/MM/YYYY date all tested negative for CWD
It is best until you receive a negative result that the carcass is not transported whole or properly disposed of so in case of a positive result the decease is not leap frogged through the province via an unknowing hunter.
i think the information is very poor out there right now so the onus is on the hunter harvesting the animals to educate himself on how to deal with them safely.
Boning out a deer is very easy and something all can learn.
The contact did not feel they would find any positive cases however they want to start the monitoring in areas with the highest possibilities.
The government contact I spoke with was:
BC CWD Program
Cait Nelson
250-751-3219
cait.nelson@gov.bc.ca
I think if any others have suggestions or ideas which can help hunters understand, please feel free to adding to this thread.