Is it illegal to pack deer out?

[Macintosh]

@nomadicbohunk @DooleyVT This is an older thread, since it got bumped up, its worth mentioning since it has changed just in case you havent seen. VT clarified their regulation to ALLOW quartering deer before check-in even during the rifle season. This is directly from the VTFW 2025 deer seasons guide. https://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/sites/fishandwildlife/files/documents/Hunt/hunting guides/2025-deer-season-guide.pdf




And, since Northeast guys are all about weight, you can get a very accurate weight estimate using this formula. Ive started carrying a cloth tape measure in my pack just for this.
Chest circumference cubed/425=dressed weight.
So a 41” chest circumference=
41*41*41/425=162lb

 

[dh.hamilton1]

In Va we now have the ability to check deer via phone or internet. We have to notch our tag before moving the deer but can then field dress it. Once it has been registered (called in or via internet) and a confirmation number issued and recorded on our license, we can break it down regardless of location. The only issue is having phone service in some mountain locations.

Same for WV per a recent phone call confirmation with our local DNR office.

However, the officer mentioned littering laws as in the carcass and guts needed to be left in the woods out of sight and not along a road or parking area.


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[BLJ]

Same for WV per a recent phone call confirmation with our local DNR office.

However, the officer mentioned littering laws as in the carcass and guts needed to be left in the woods out of sight and not along a road or parking area.


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Is that in the new regulations?
And animal carcasses are littering?

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Is that in the new regulations?
And animal carcasses are littering?

Yes, dumping an animal carcass on the side of the road is littering. The Commonwealth sends out stake bed trucks to collect roadkill. We certainly don’t need people dumping more on the side of the road to attract scavengers and look unsightly.

 

[BLJ]

Yes, dumping an animal carcass on the side of the road is littering. The Commonwealth sends out stake bed trucks to collect roadkill. We certainly don’t need people dumping more on the side of the road to attract scavengers and look unsightly.

I don’t live in the commonwealth.
And I didn’t mention anything about dumping them alongside the road.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I don’t live in the commonwealth.

Then what concern is it to you?

 

[BLJ]

Then what concern is it to you?

I quoted the response about WV. I live in WV and the rules are at times very vague and open to interpretation in WV.
That is my concern.

 

[accountantsanonymous]

Minnesota's rules allow the deer to be quartered but the head must be attached to one of the quarters until it is registered. With online registration, a person may be able to register it at the kill site then quarter it but I don't know how a game warden would read that.

Trying to figure this out myself. New to MN and have found a few good public spots that would be a nightmare to get an entire carcass out.

I read the above but had not seen anything about digital registration. I’ll call DNR today and follow up.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I quoted the response about WV. I live in WV and the rules are at times very vague and open to interpretation in WV.
That is my concern.

So, you don’t think that dumping animal carcasses on the side of the road is littering?

Edit - forgive my lack of precision. “Some official entity” in West Virginia sends out trucks to clean up the carcasses on the side of the interstate. There were a couple of poor souls piling them on top of a huge pile of dead deer when I drove along 64W the other day.

 

[BLJ]

Is that in the new regulations?
And animal carcasses are littering?

I quoted what I said so you could see it again.

I didn’t say anything about dumping carcasses along side the road.

You wanted me to have said that, but I didn’t.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I quoted what I said so you could see it again.

I didn’t say anything about dumping carcasses along side the road.

You wanted me to have said that, but I didn’t.

Ten seconds of Google:

 

[BLJ]

I didn’t say anything about dumping deer carcasses along the road.

Please show me where I said that.

I quoted the post above because I wanted more clarification.

And after looking through the regulations, it appears we can’t dispose of them anywhere.



Page 3 of the 2025-26 regs for WV.

 

[CMF]

In MS, some WMA/NWR have a check station to weigh them, measure antlers, and remove jawbone, so I assume if they want the weight, you have to drag them out. I'm not certain it's in the regulation, though. Open National Forest, it doesn't matter.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I didn’t say anything about dumping deer carcasses along the road.

Please show me where I said that.

I quoted the post above because I wanted more clarification.

And after looking through the regulations, it appears we can’t dispose of them anywhere.

View attachment 965266

Page 3 of the 2025-26 regs for WV.

The DNR officer told the gentleman above to leave them in the woods. Or, if not left in the woods, not to dispose of them along a road or near a parking lot or other place in public view (could be considered littering or illegal dumping).

You seemed skeptical that it would be littering. The law and common sense align on that point. My apologies that I missed the tone of your question.

I agree that the DNR regulations aren’t very helpful, but I think the other regulations, if combined, make sense.

As for what you can do with deer carcasses once you bring them out of the field… You can send them to the landfill along with all other ordinary garbage, so long as it isn’t an open dump. You can also bury them, but not near ponds or streams or other waterways. Or you can burn them. There seems to be a presumption to treat wild game animal carcasses as a potential vector for disease. But that’s just me looking at the statutes and regulations together. It’s not explicit.

Your point that it is confusing is legitimate. It’s very clear what you can’t do with them, but not what you can.

The regulation you quoted prohibits “dumping” them on public or private land. It’s not “dumping” if it’s on your land. It's not "dumping" if you leave it in place (but there you might have some grey area if the deer ran up to the side of the road to die).

In CWD counties, there are DNR provided disposal sites open during the rifle season.

 

[dh.hamilton1]

Is that in the new regulations?
And animal carcasses are littering?

I never saw anything in the regulations but like stated I spoke directly to the lieutenant of the WV DNR District 1 (Farmington) office. He stated it was legal to quarter and pack out a deer AFTER it has been officially check in (online or call in) and the 13 digit confirmation code is obtained. Obviously that presents some problems if you don’t have cell service.

It was something he brought up, basically stating that yes if you knowingly leave the carcass of the deer you have harvested along the road or in a WMA parking lot area, it is breaking littering laws. The carcass would need left in the woods out of sight.


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[Yoder]

In PA we can quarter them, I don't know the exact rule, but they don't have to be in one piece. There's no check in required, you just have to log onto the website and report the kill within a couple weeks or mail in a card. We don't usually hunt that far in. There's only been a couple that would have been worth it. We usually just use a cart.

 

[Speaks]

Minnesota's rules allow the deer to be quartered but the head must be attached to one of the quarters until it is registered. With online registration, a person may be able to register it at the kill site then quarter it but I don't know how a game warden would read that.

I live in MN though mainly hunt in WI.

The think in WI is less about keeping it together until registration and more about not being allowed to leave anything but guts in the woods. So sure take it apart but you are hauling the entire carcass out anyway minus only the guts.

I think the same is true in MN though should double check as I do intend to possibly do some late bow and ML hunting here and if I can register online and butcher in the field that would be preferable to me vs dragging a full deer through a half mile of woods.

 

[Macintosh]

Sometimes the difficulty isnt measured in miles. Imo its often nice to cut em up anywhere hip boots are required, even if it isnt “far”. Or an area with lots of blowdown or slash, Etc. My epiphany happened on an oak island in a marsh, I was only half a mile in but dragging a deer out would have been a royal &$@!!, and getting a cart in there would have been a total no-go.

 

[Macintosh]

There are specific state regs cited for several of the states in question in this thread:

M

Thread 'Which states prohibit or limit field-quartering of big game?'

Dec 21, 2023

My state (VT) apparently allows it in some cases, but it is universally ambiguous and there is zero clear published guidance. I am initiating the process with the board that does hunting and fishing regulations in my state to clarify the existing regs and try to make sure that any clarification allows field quartering--even the state deer and moose biologist says its a non-issue for them. All of the other states I've big game hunted allow this and have clear guidance on any rules that need to be followed (what parts need to come out, leaving proof of sex, etc). For example, a friend in...

• Macintosh
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[Jethro]

And after looking through the regulations, it appears we can’t dispose of them anywhere.

Can’t you put it out with normal household trash?