Carcass Disposal

Carcass Disposal

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
From the common sense department, I have talked with Fish and Game Officials throughout the NW and many of them have concerns about carcass disposal. Many hunters are now cutting and wrapping the deer, elk, and moose taken this hunting season. After the work is done, there's a pile of bones, a hide, and a head. Nearly all hunters will dispose of the unwanted portions properly. However, a very small number will not. It does not take many improperly dumped and highly visible carcasses to generate strong negative reactions.

 

Unwanted big game carcasses that end up on the side of the road or in 'vacant lots' become eyesores and roadway hazards. They attract dogs and scavenging birds (ravens, magpies, and bald eagles). The scavengers then become dangers to drivers who swerve to avoid hitting them. And to non-hunters, the practice leads to a bad impression of hunters. Calls come in to Fish and Game departments about "poached or dead" animals along roadsides. Some are probably the improperly discarded remains of legally harvested animals. Often, there is no way to tell if the animal was legally taken or not. But it takes valuable Conservation Officer time to check each one out.

 

Once a hunter has removed the edible meat, the unusable parts should be disposed of properly as a courtesy to others. Fish and Game spokesman, Steve Liebenthal: The waste can be double-bagged, securely tied, and put out for garbage collection. Many counties in Idaho have transfer stations. These facilities will accept the inedible parts of big game for no charge from residents who live within that county. If you are a hunter and you care about the image of hunting, a little peer pressure on fellow hunters about this topic may go a long way toward helping end the problem.

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