Cutting and wrapping game meat in the field

[high and to the right]

I was wondering if anyone knows the regulations about cutting and wrapping your game animal while in the field and putting it in a freezer.

Some of us drive a long way to hunt and with the hot weather over the last years there is a danger of meat spoilage. Would a person be able to cut and wrap the whole animal, not be able to cut and wrap any of it or would one quarter with the evidence of sex be needed to be kept whole?

[srupp]

My understanding is YOU can NOT do this HOWEVER a licensed meat cutter/butcher can because he can CERTIFY this all came from one animal and what that animal was..ie one moose...you cant do this..

I wouldnt even consider this..

cheers
Steven

[Mr. Dean]

I kinda ran into this very problem a few years back.


I had 2 deer from 2 different MU's that were in private cold storage, located 5 hrs drive away from home. I wanted to self-butcher these critters and bring 'em back. Long story short, I found that they needed to be "inspected" by an "authorized" person, in order to be perfectly legit at this particular time... I called up the CO's office of the region they were hanging in and explained my intentions; with minimal heartache (read: NONE), the CO and I formulated a plan.

I'd suggest giving your CO a call....


EDIT:
Since this, I now have become sure of myself when it comes to cutting and travel with a fashioned cooler that allows for hanging quartered out animals. Thus elevating the "unknown" and bringing 'em home at leisure.

[high and to the right]

My thinking was leaning to the 'not allowed' category. I will check with a CO but I think that you are right in your assessment.

[Gateholio]

We had a thread on it before. I did wonder why it wouldn't be legal to simply leave the hide and evidence of sex on one chunk of the animal, and cut and wrap the rest. it's really no different than having the meat cut into quarters, with one piece having the fur attached.

[high and to the right]

I guess that if everyone just used common sense and logic we wouldn't need laws to confuse us. 4 quarters hanging in meat sacks with only one with a patch to reveal sex and animal is really no different than 3 quarters in a freezer and one hanging.

[Gateholio]

I guess that if everyone just used common sense and logic we wouldn't need laws to confuse us. 4 quarters hanging in meat sacks with only one with a patch to reveal sex and animal is really no different than 3 quarters in a freezer and one hanging.

that is my take on it, but I am no CO or lawyer.:)

[ROEBUCK]

on a augast hunting trip last year we took a generator and freezer with us on our trailer.
it probably cost us more in gas to run the generator and freezer than it would of done, to have taken our moose to the cooler at $20 a day plus a lot more agro packing a generator and freezer on a hunting trip!

[bearass]

We had to debone an elk this year because of heat and time.Braught it to the butcher, Co inspected it two hours later and we had no problems.

2005 I had shot a mule deer in bow season on the 2nd of sept very hot day it was 31 in the sun.We deboned the animal put it in two coolers duct tape the lid shut and submerge in the creek. Next day open lid and let some fresh air in there and check on the meat.On my way home I went threw a game check in creston and had no problems with the CO.

[Fisher-Dude]

The main reason that the COs want to see the 4 quarters is so that they can identify that it is one animal. Having a freezer full of cut and wrapped meat could easily be 1 1/2 animals, right? How does the CO know if it's one big animal or 1 1/2 smaller animals? Or, worse yet, four hinds cut 'n' wrapped with the hunter saying it's from one animal.

There ARE reasons for these laws, as silly as they may seem to those of us who obey them.

[BCBRAD]

So....if I debone an animal in the field ,pack it back to camp with a patch of hair and the sex evidence is everything cool. Do this occasionally with deer as I don't have a quad and can be several miles from the truck Yes it could be two little deer or one big one . Thats for the CO to prove or take my word on it, generally the meat chunks are big enough that a moron could tell it is one deer but CO with stiff dick don't think that good!

[Gateholio]

The main reason that the COs want to see the 4 quarters is so that they can identify that it is one animal. .


But that isn't what the law actually states, IIRC. I think it simply says "xxx CM of hide on one part of the animal"

[Ruger4]

To debone in the field, common sense would be prevail , ie , sex of animal , hide , head , antlers etc , now if you had 6 quarters on one tag you may have some explaining to do. Most CO's are level headed , avid hunters themselves , I will continue to debone in the field when weather is the enemy. Many times Co's have come thru camp counting quarters at the meat pole , sex intact , no issues....

[mcrae]

The main reason that the COs want to see the 4 quarters is so that they can identify that it is one animal. Having a freezer full of cut and wrapped meat could easily be 1 1/2 animals, right? How does the CO know if it's one big animal or 1 1/2 smaller animals? Or, worse yet, four hinds cut 'n' wrapped with the hunter saying it's from one animal.

There ARE reasons for these laws, as silly as they may seem to those of us who obey them.


This is the explanation given to me by the CO's as well. I posed this question to the local CO a couple years ago when he came by my camp to check out my elk. If you have four bags full of deboned meat with evidence of sex and species still attached your okay if you have an animal cut and wrapped in the field in little bits you could have a problem...

Buddy of mine and his dad shot a moose and then butchered it and wrapped it up ready for the freezer at their camp and then headed home. They had the trailer and freezer all rigged up for an August hunt. They figured it made sense to get it all done and head home. They went thru a game check on the way home and got a fine. The Co's believed them so they got to keep the moose.

Its one of those things that is open to interpretation I suppose but for me I will just leave the meat cutting and wrapping for my place of residence.

[Ruger4]

Having coffee with a buddy this morning who is a CO , I will confirm and get the info back later today

[KevinB]

There needs to be some balance.

Just because some flaunt the law doesn't mean that I should be subjected to a bunch more laws that are designed to make the life of the law enforcers easier.

I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be allowed to cut and wrap my own animal when and where and how I want. Once I cut my tag, it should now be my property and the government shouldn't have any more control over what I do with it than they do over how I want to cook it.

Laws like this don't do much to deter people who will cheat the laws anyways, but they sure create some needless hardship for honest people.

[Mr. Dean]

There needs to be some balance.

Just because some flaunt the law doesn't mean that I should be subjected to a bunch more laws that are designed to make the life of the law enforcers easier.

I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be allowed to cut and wrap my own animal when and where and how I want. Once I cut my tag, it should now be my property and the government shouldn't have any more control over what I do with it than they do over how I want to cook it.

Laws like this don't do much to deter people who will cheat the laws anyways, but they sure create some needless hardship for honest people.


True and exactly what led me to calling the CO when I needed to do what I needed to do.... I won't go into detail of our conversation/agreement on here but will say that "The Office" was very accommodating with my plight.

FWIW I dont think that I would ever get into cutting an animal up in camp, unless it was something that was going to be cooked up at the same time - Temp and sanitation would be my primary concerns.

[Gun Dog]

But that isn't what the law actually states, IIRC. I think it simply says "xxx CM of hide on one part of the animal"It's never simple for the government. The regs (page 20) basically say: That portion of the head that bears the antlers OR (the testicle/penis/udder AND the tail or piece of hide). That's for elk, moose & deer.

[KevinB]

It's never simple for the government. The regs (page 20) basically say: That portion of the head that bears the antlers OR (the testicle/penis/udder AND the tail or piece of hide). That's for elk, moose & deer.

here's the whole section:

"Anyone who possesses or transports the carcass or part of the carcass of the following animals must leave naturally attached to the carcass or one part of the carcass in the person’s possession the following listed parts:
(1) For elk, moose, and deer:
(a) If the animal is male, either
(i) that portion of the head which bears the antlers, OR
(ii) both a testicle or part of the penis, AND the animal’s tail or another readily identifiable part of the hide not less than 6 cm2.

(b) If the animal is female, either
(i) that portion of the head which in males normally bears antlers, OR
(ii) both a portion of the udder or teats, AND the animal’s tail or another readily identifiable part of the hide not less than 6 cm2."
-------------
Of course, the Wildlife Act doesn't define what a carcass or a portion of a carcass is.:roll: The Miriam Webster defines a carcass as "a dead body: corpse; especially : the dressed body of a meat animal"

So, to me, a portion of the carcass is really pretty much any part of what might normally be assumed to be the dressed animal, which I'd take to be gutted, skinned, and no head. Some people might feel that the head would be part of the dressed animal. I guess that could be arguable.

So, a reasonable interpretation would be that:

1. the antlers and the part of the skull connecting them won't do the trick, unless they are still attached to a portion of the carcass - but this would depend on what the definition of "carcass" was. If the carcass could include the head, then the antlers would suffice on their own, as long as the 6 cm2 piece of hide was left intact on the skull cap.

2. a little chunk of the carcass that has either a testicle or the penis, and another little chunk of the carcass with 6 cm2 piece of hide, will do the trick. It might be required to have these things both on the same piece.

There is nowhere in the synopsis that states that your animal must remain as an intact carcass, or that you can't cut, wrap, and freeze the rest of your animal when you are in camp. You could even cut, wrap, and freeze the "evidence" piece, as long as you have it with you.

I don't see the difference between this, and completely deboning a deer in the backcountry and carrying it out in pieces. So it's frozen in smaller pieces, big deal.

my opinion only, or course, and you get what you paid for....

[high and to the right]

Yours is a very logical interpretation but are we dealing with logical people?

[greenhorn]

What if we all start hunting with lawyers or notaries as partners. Then, you could get an animal down, take a picture, have the lawyer or notary do the paperwork saying it's legit (he/she could sign the picture or whatever), then cut, debone, take it out for dinner, or whatever you want...

Sounds foolproof:p