Transporting animals across state lines?

[Deleted member 38069]

I have been thoroughly checked on Interstate 90 in SD. (Middle of the state) It was a mandatory check point, all pickups and campers and anyone who had been hunting or fishing had to exit and vehicles were checked. Many citations were written for too many pheasants. We were transporting a SD mule deer and had no issues. Also hit another mandatory checkpoint just outside the little town or Rock River WY a couple years ago. All great officers who did their job and got us on our way in a hurry.

I've been stopped in SoDak as well but it was on a county road and not interstate 90. I'm sure that would be a lot to deal with.

 

[Atla]

Geez, glad I saw this - never thought it would be an issue. We are driving from NC to WY and back this fall to hunt antelope...

So what do you do with a head if you are getting an animal mounted?

And I see for Wyoming, only 25lbs PER ANIMAL is allowed to be exported? What are you supposed to do with the rest?

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Geez, glad I saw this - never thought it would be an issue. We are driving from NC to WY and back this fall to hunt antelope...

So what do you do with a head if you are getting an animal mounted?

And I see for Wyoming, only 25lbs PER ANIMAL is allowed to be exported? What are you supposed to do with the rest?

"Unless tagged" - you can only export 25lbs if you don't have the tag for the animal. So you can't give your buddy 50lbs of elk and he can't leave the state with it...

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Geez, glad I saw this - never thought it would be an issue. We are driving from NC to WY and back this fall to hunt antelope...

So what do you do with a head if you are getting an animal mounted?

And I see for Wyoming, only 25lbs PER ANIMAL is allowed to be exported? What are you supposed to do with the rest?

No problem going anywhere even with an entire antelope carcass as long as you have a legal license and carcass tag filled out properly since they aren't susceptible to CWD and that's the issue we're talking about here. In your case if you want to have an antelope mounted back where you live I would either have it fully caped out and the cape frozen to take home with you or possibly partially cape it and freeze the entire head with cape attached.

 

[Atla]

No problem going anywhere even with an entire antelope carcass as long as you have a legal license and carcass tag filled out properly since they aren't susceptible to CWD and that's the issue we're talking about here. In your case if you want to have an antelope mounted back where you live I would either have it fully caped out and the cape frozen to take home with you or possibly partially cape it and freeze the entire head with cape attached.

Somehow I missed this entire thread was about CWD. But the poundage for untagged meat makes sense.

Thanks for clearing all this up!

 

[skunk]

There's a summary map of restrictions here:
http://cwd-info.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/USSummaryCarcassRestrictions.pdf

There's also a detailed list of restrictions by state here:
http://cwd-info.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CWDRegstableState-Province.pdf

For example, I am hunting in New Mexico so when I bring a deer back home to Wisconsin, I'll be traveling through:
- New Mexico - No statewide restriction and my area is not a CWD area
- Texas - Import rules apply to entire source state, not just affected regions - However, they do allow bringing heads to a taxidermist. You need a waiver form filled out. However, it doesn't mention anything about traveling through the state. Also, you have 7 days to take it to a taxidermist in Texas, if you're using one there. So with that, if you're traveling through, it isn't even clear that this form applies. Probably better to have it just in case.
- Oklahoma - No restrictions
- Kansas - No restrictions
- Missouri - No importing high risk parts. However, they allow bringing in heads: "Carcasses or parts of carcasses with the spinal column or head attached my be transported into the state only if they are reported to an agent of the department within twenty-four (24) hours of entering the state and then taken to a license meat processor or taxidermist within seventy-two (72) hours of entry." So once again, if you're not staying there, this doesn't apply.
- Iowa - Import restrictions for specific CWD zones, not entire state. My unit is not a CWD unit so doesn't apply to me but if you did have a deer from a CWD unit, they don't even seem to have a temporary limit for bringing a head to a taxidermist. I highly doubt that's enforceable as anyone living in Iowa would not be allowed to bring a deer to a local taxidermist... But I'm not a lawyer.
- Wisconsin - Import restrictions for entire state but you can bring in a head to a taxidermist as long as you do so within 72 hours of entering the state.

 

[BluegrassBilly]

In case anybody needs to travel through the Bluegrass state:

Can I bring meat and antlers from another state into Kentucky?
Yes you can; however, if you are hunting in a state or province where CWD has been found (which includes five of our bordering states: Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia), you cannot bring back into Kentucky any part of the brain or spinal column. This includes transporting carcasses through Kentucky. (Example: If you live in Tennessee and hunt in Illinois, you cannot transport the entire carcass through Kentucky to get home, which means the brain the spinal column from a deer in Illinois cannot enter the state of Kentucky). The info below lists what can and cannot be brought into Kentucky from a CWD-positive state.

Allowed and Prohibited Cervid Parts from a CWD-infected State or Province:
ALLOWED:

Quarters or other portions of meat with no part of spinal column or head attached
Boned out meat
Antlers
Antlers attached to a clean skull plate
Clean skull
Clean upper canine teeth
Hides with no head attached
Finished taxidermy mounts

PROHIBITED:

Brain
Spinal Column

 

[duckhunt]

Great info guys. Thanks

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Any tips on removing the brain matter?

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Boil/simmer 4-6 hours, then take to car wash. If you hit the brain cavity from a couple angles with a power washer it gets things pretty tidy. Just be sure to wear rubber boots and rinse them well. That's what I do anyway.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I should add that that is my method for cleaning for euro mounting, I've never had to worry about restriction re: crossing state lines. Maybe there are legal definitions for a clean skull, don't know.

 

[CForest]

Boil/simmer 4-6 hours, then take to car wash. If you hit the brain cavity from a couple angles with a power washer it gets things pretty tidy. Just be sure to wear rubber boots and rinse them well. That's what I do anyway.

My biggest struggle with this is how would a guy do this 1400 miles from home??? I'm already running out of space for my gear let alone a giant pot and heat source to boil the water. Obviously the car wash part is easy. Guess I better just make sure to only shoot something big enough to get mounted then all I need is the skull cap lol

 

[Easternhunter1]

My thoughts exactly we are 2200 miles to home. And 'i don't need the NYS DEC wreaking havoc on any thing I spent several years of points, vacation time and money on

 

[apick]

So +1 on being 2500 miles from home when I head to MT for opening week of mule deer season. In the event that I'm fortunate enough to take a trophy, not only do I have to adhere to crossing state lines, but there are also restrictions within the state of MT itself. I learned this directly from the FWP website here:

http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/diseasesAndResearch/diseases/chronicWastingDisease/management.html

From the FAQ's:

Carcass parts that may be taken out of the TRZ include:
• Meat that is cut and wrapped or meat that is boned out;
• Quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached;
• Hides with no heads attached;
• Skull plates or antlers with no meat or tissue attached;
• Skulls that have been boiled and cleaned to remove flesh and tissue;
• Upper canine teeth; and
• Head, partial body or whole-body mounts prepared by a taxidermist.

So for any taxidermists out there, how am I supposed to cut the cape off the head for a decent shoulder mount? Recommended videos appreciated!