Debone to cross state lines?

Ucsdryder

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My buddy is in the middle of a goat rope guided hunt in montana. It’s been a debacle from day one. Owner is now telling him he has to debone an animal, gutless (4 quarters and scrap) isn’t legal to cross state lines. My first instinct is the guy is full of crap but I’m on top of a mountain so I figured it would be better to ask here than google. I assume the brain would need to be removed for cwd purposes, but why the hell would you bone out an animal on private where you can drive to it?
 

Rich M

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Yup - debone it or risk it being confiscated at various state lines.

Expect to get checked if hes got elk or muley horns up for the world to see.
 
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Ultimately, it depends on rules of origination of the animal and final destination of each state.

Pass through doesn't matter.
 

wytx

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From the Montana website:
What hunters can bring home:

  • meat that is boned, cut, and wrapped; quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached
  • hides with no heads attached
  • clean (no meat or tissue attached) skull plates with antlers attached
  • antlers with no meat or tissue attached
  • skulls that have been boiled and cleaned to remove flesh and tissue
  • upper canine teeth, also known as "buglers," "whistlers," or "ivories"
  • finished head, partial body, or whole-body mounts already prepared by a taxidermist
  • tested and certified disease-free animals with proof of lab test result

What states is he crossing though, check their regs too.
 
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Washington you have to debone, not sure for Oregon, California you don’t have to debone.

Depends where the guy is planning to take the meat.

Debone and clean skull plate would be the conservative standard choice for the outfitter to avoid trouble.
 
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From the Montana website:
What hunters can bring home:

  • meat that is boned, cut, and wrapped; quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached
  • hides with no heads attached
  • clean (no meat or tissue attached) skull plates with antlers attached
  • antlers with no meat or tissue attached
  • skulls that have been boiled and cleaned to remove flesh and tissue
  • upper canine teeth, also known as "buglers," "whistlers," or "ivories"
  • finished head, partial body, or whole-body mounts already prepared by a taxidermist
  • tested and certified disease-free animals with proof of lab test result

What states is he crossing though, check their regs too.

Nobody can be expected to do every nit-pick little nuance thing a state does if you roll through without stopping other than for fuel and fast food.

If MT is CWD spooked, what their precautions are will be okay in ither states...
 
OP
Ucsdryder

Ucsdryder

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That’s “bring home to montana”. He’s going from montana to Colorado.
 

elkguide

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Even back East no animal bones, skull or anything other than meat and a cleaned skull/skull plate allowed to come into the state.
 

BFR

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Washington you have to debone, not sure for Oregon, California you don’t have to debone.
Yes you do have to debone game before entering California. If and that’s a big if, you are checked and have bone in meat you get a citation and lose your meat.

I debone game from anywhere I hunt, it’s easier to transport.
 

Htm84

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Yes you do have to debone game before entering California. If and that’s a big if, you are checked and have bone in meat you get a citation and lose your meat.

I debone game from anywhere I hunt, it’s easier to transport.

Sure about that?​

I harvested an animal out of state what can I bring back?

  • CCR Title 14, Section 712 regulations(opens in new tab). Restriction of Importation of Hunter-Harvested Deer and Elk Carcasses.
    • It is unlawful to import, or possess any hunter harvested deer or elk (cervid) carcass or parts of any cervid carcass imported into the State, except for the following body parts:
      • (a) portions of meat with no part of the spinal column, brain or head attached (other bones, such as legs and shoulders, may be attached).
      • (b) hides and capes (no spinal column, brain tissue or head may be attached).
      • (c) clean skull plates (no brain tissue may be present) with antlers attached.
      • (d) antlers with no meat or tissue attached, except legally harvested and possessed antlers in the velvet stage are allowed, if no meat, brain or other tissue is attached.
      • (e) finished taxidermy mounts with no meat or tissue attached (antlers in the velvet stage are allowed if no meat, brain or other tissue is attached).
      • (f) upper canine teeth (buglers, whistlers, ivories).
  • Basically, “no skull, no backbone” to avoid importing the highest risk tissues for carrying prion.
  • Best practice and best recommendation is to only bring back packaged meat and/or finished taxidermy mounts.
 

BFR

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Htm84, I stand partially corrected, you can bring legs/shoulders and clean hide and skull cap in, I misinterpreted your statement to mean you could bring the whole animal.
 

khunter

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That’s “bring home to montana”. He’s going from montana to Colorado.
Colo has no restriction on bringing meat with bone in. But take a few minutes ot debone quarters so hardly a ‘major’ issue and fits coolers MUCH easier deboned.
 
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Sounds reasonable to me

jail times sounds reasonable… Lol

Wonder when they had their last positive scrapie’s test. They testing all the Alfalfa coming from CO and KS too?

Im sure all Taxidermists are feeding brains to deer in their back yard…
 

KenLee

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jail times sounds reasonable… Lol

Wonder when they had their last positive scrapie’s test. They testing all the Alfalfa coming from CO and KS too?

Im sure all Taxidermists are feeding brains to deer in their back yard…
They aren't going to jail. Gonna cost em a chunk though.
You would be surprised where taxidermist scrap and processor's scrap gets dumped around here.
 
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