Is it legal ??

[izzy]

HI, I wonder if anyone could help me? Im reading the hunting regs regarding sex species and class. Is it legal to debone a deer/butcher in the feild,As long as sex, species is retained? What im trying to say is can i chop up my deer keep the genitals and tail intact for evidence and stuff it into backpacks instead of dragging the animal to truck.

[Redfrog]

Intact and attached, is the wording I believe.
I have done this, but never had contact with F/W in the process of bringng it home. I also packed the cape and antlers or horns along with the meat.
It is not a big deal to leave a piece of hide and sex id attached when you bone the quarter out.

[Rackmastr]

Evidence of sex, species and class must be retained (cannot be surgically or otherwise removed) on the carcass of big game animals, except black bear, until the carcass is delivered to either of the following:

* the usual residence of the person who killed the animal, and the carcass is actually being butchered, cut up and packaged for consumption. In the case of grizzly bear or cougar, the evidence of sex must be retained until the animal has been registered (click here or scroll down to view Compulsory Registration), or
* a premises* in respect of which there is a Food Establishment Permit issued under the Public Health Act or Licence for the Operation of an Abattoir issued under the Meat Inspection Act.

*Note: The evidence of sex, species or class cannot be removed until it is delivered to one of these premises.

The evidence of sex, species or class that must be retained is as follows:

* moose, elk, deer, antelope and non-trophy sheep - attached to the same part of the animal to which the tag is affixed, one of the following:
- testicles, scrotum, or udder, and in the case of deer only, the completely haired tail, or
- the head with horns or antlers attached if the animal has horns or antlers, or
- the head (complete with the skin on it) if the animal has no horns or antlers, and
* in addition,
- the complete skull plate with horns or antlers intact must be retained with the carcass of the male antelope, male elk or male non-trophy sheep
- the complete head must be retained with the carcass of a calf moose harvested under authority of a Calf Moose Special Licence.



Hope that makes it clear......if you're going to butcher up a deer, you have to keep at least one quarter with evidence of sex and tag on it....

[Sputnik]

I asked a similiar question a few years ago.

Only my question was: if you quarter an animal that requires you "retain" the head/antlers. You pretty much have to surgically or otherwise remove it from the part of the animal that has the tag attached, which in the case of Alberta is the tendon on the hind leg.

The answer I got was that so long as you only had 4 quarters in your possession the CO would likely let it go. Never had to test the theory yet.

You can easily quarter/de-bone an antlerless animal and maintain the letter of the law. But not antlered.

Until they change the location you can put a tag, and I personally don't see why they don't allow you to tag around the antler or through an eye socket.

[wthby]

my understanding from reading the rules is as follows:

- you can quarter and skin your moose
- you can debone all but the quarter with the tag on

wthby

aim small, miss small

[Rackmastr]

I asked a similiar question a few years ago.

Only my question was: if you quarter an animal that requires you "retain" the head/antlers. You pretty much have to surgically or otherwise remove it from the part of the animal that has the tag attached, which in the case of Alberta is the tendon on the hind leg.

The answer I got was that so long as you only had 4 quarters in your possession the CO would likely let it go. Never had to test the theory yet.

You can easily quarter/de-bone an antlerless animal and maintain the letter of the law. But not antlered.

Until they change the location you can put a tag, and I personally don't see why they don't allow you to tag around the antler or through an eye socket.


The rules make sense, and they work fine....no reason really to change. Attach the tag to the tendon (on deer, elk, moose, etc) and you can quarter it up and de-bone all but the one quarter if you want.

Keep the head with the carcass, or keep it together....its pretty clear in the regs that you have to follow ONE of the choices....

The evidence of sex, species or class that must be retained is as follows:

* moose, elk, deer, antelope and non-trophy sheep - attached to the same part of the animal to which the tag is affixed, one of the following:
- testicles, scrotum, or udder, and in the case of deer only, the completely haired tail, or
- the head with horns or antlers attached if the animal has horns or antlers, or
- the head (complete with the skin on it) if the animal has no horns or antlers,

and
* in addition,
- the complete skull plate with horns or antlers intact must be retained with the carcass of the male antelope, male elk or male non-trophy sheep
- the complete head must be retained with the carcass of a calf moose harvested under authority of a Calf Moose Special Licence.