Hunters urged to dispose of carcasses responsibly

November 15, 2016

By Jennifer Bruns IDFG Regional Conservation Educator Hunters who are successful at harvesting a big game animal are required by law to remove and care for all of the edible meat. This includes the meat from hind quarters as far down as the hock, meat of the front quarters as far down as the knee, and meat along the backbone, which is the loin and tenderloin. “A successful hunt is doing things right from start to finish, said Regional Conservation Officer Mark Carson. Once a successful hunter has removed the edible meat, the unusable parts need to be disposed of properly as a courtesy to others. The waste should be double-bagged, securely tied, and put in your garbage container for collection. If your residence does not have garbage collection services, the remains may be taken to the county transfer station. These facilities will accept the inedible parts of big game for no charge from residents who live within that county. Dumping a fleshed out game carcass along the roadside or on someone else’s property is considered littering, which is a violation of Idaho law. “Some hunters do not know that the proper and easiest way to dispose of a carcass is along with your normal garbage,” Carson said. Nearly all hunters will dispose of the unwanted portions properly. Others will take the fleshed out carcass and dump them in poorly selected locations. Unwanted big game carcasses that end up on the side of the road or in ‘vacant lots’ become eyesores and public health issues. They can even become roadway hazards because they attract dogs and scavenging birds (ravens, magpies, and bald eagles). The scavengers then become dangers to drivers who swerve to avoid hitting them. Dumping unwanted remains is also inconsiderate of nearby residents. It reflects poorly on all hunters and damages the image of hunters among those people who do not hunt. It does not take many improperly dumped and highly visible carcasses to generate strong negative reactions. Calls come in to Idaho Fish and Game offices every fall about “poached” animals along roadsides. Most end up being improperly discarded remains of legally harvested animals. But it takes the valuable time of a Conservation Officer to check each one out. Contact the IDFG regional office for more information at  (208) 799-5010.