State agencies warn against dumping deer carcasses

With deer firearm season in progress across the region, the usual warnings about watching for deer on highways apply, but so do cautions to the hunters themselves about dumping deer carcasses illegally.

After a hunter kills a deer and processes it for the meat, they must get rid of what remains. Legally, you cannot dump the carcass along the side of a roadway, near a boat ramp, in a creek or on a wildlife management area, according to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. This is criminal littering and you can be cited for it.

Throwing carcasses over a bridge into rivers or lakes can contaminate sources of drinking water, and spread chronic wasting disease found in some nearby states. In November of 2017, Illinois Department of Natural Resources officers found ten deer carcasses in one creek near Effingham on the final day of the first firearm deer season.

Do not burn the deer carcass. According to the Missoui Department of Conservation, only commercial incinerators reaching over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit can generate enough heat for long enough to destroy the prions that cause CWD.

The KDFW says that ideally, you would leave the guts in the field or bury them onsite with landowner permission. The guts will be gone in a day or two thanks to scavengers like crows, vultures, raccoons red-tailed hawks. Ask the landowner if you can bury the leg bones, fur, hide and other leftovers from processing. Don’t leave them where people can see or smell them.

In a suburban area, contact your local municipality and see if you can bag it and dispose of it through the garbage. Many allow you to do this. Check with your local landfill and see if you can dispose of it there.

In Illinois in the last decade, specific guidelines were built into legislation after nearly 20 percent of calls to poaching hotlines were actually reporting dumping by hunters.

Officials continue to encourage the public to report any dumped deer carcasses, and identify vehicles used if you see it in progress.