I don't think anything is wasted, it has just made life a little easier for some critter.
When ya head shoots a grouse and then ya breasts it out and after settin er up on a stick fer some feller ta thinkin hes gots dinner an he kickes er off ta the road side an ya comes back tha next day usually tha thing is just a bunch of feathers, been et by some critter, nothin waisted.