skinning/quartering in the field

[len173]

This part of the regs has me slightly confused:



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:

(I)For moose, elk, 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 animals tail or another readily identifiable part of the hide not less than 6cm

. . . etc


So given this, how far can you go in the field? Can I skin and quarter the animal, so long as I bring the head with me when I hike out? Or does the head actually need to stay attached to the rest of the carcass? I ask because I don't own a truck, so what I haul out has to fit in my trunk; and I don't have a great place to do the work at home, so I'd prefer to skin and quarter it in the field, and leave the rest of it for 'yotes and wolves.

What do you guys that carve it up in the field do? Is there a particular method that works the best?

Thanks, the help is always appreciated

[CanuckShooter]

It depends on what animal you have, and what the regional and provincial rules are.

If your hunting 4 point season or spike fork moose etc. you are required to keep the antlers, or bottom jaw on a calf moose...read your regs closely....you don't need to keep the head.

Always leave evidence of sex, testicles or teats..and the tail [or a patch of hair that will identify the species] attached to one quarter and you'll be just fine...you can leave most of the bones behind if you have to pack it out deboned.

[len173]

Thanks for the info.

For now, I'm talking strictly deer. Having never harvested an animal before, it can be kind of confusing. And considering the penalties, the last thing I want to do is assume, and end up doing something illegal.

[hunter1947]

I bring the antlers out if it is a male and I keep the testicles with 4 inches of hair around them in a bag..

[gwillim]

I am in the same boat usually, halving a white-tail, or quartering a mulie to carry it out to the road. An easy thing to do is to have a few plastic shopping bags in the pack, and wrap the tail and testicles in a bag, without removing them from the quarter that they're attached to. Tie off with a bit of string to avoid getting hair all over your skinned animal. This year I got some of those stretchy game bags, and pull one of those over each half or quarter. put the whole thing on a rigid pack frame and Bob's yer uncle!