Texas hunters have new regulations regarding the disposal of deer carcasses

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has approved new statewide regulations for the disposal of deer carcasses to reduce the spread of chronic wasting disease. According to the commission, the new rules will come into force at the beginning of the hunting season.

“Proper disposal of all potentially infectious material is critical to reducing the risk of disease transmission,” Blaise Korzekwa, white-tailed deer program leader at the Department of Parks and Wildlife, said in a statement. “The new regulations provide hunters with more options for processing deer to reduce this risk. If CWD is not managed and efforts are not made to limit the potential spread of the disease, the consequences for Texas and its multi-billion-dollar ranching, hunting, wildlife management and real estate economies could be significant.”

Under the new orders, officials say hunters can debone the carcass at the harvest site, noting that they must provide “proof of sex, and the tags are retained until the hunter reaches his destination,” the news release said. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, when hunters leave unused parts at the harvest site, “the risk of CWD spreading to other parts of the state is significantly reduced.”

“Meat from each deboned carcass must remain whole (i.e., not chopped, chopped, or ground) and kept in a separate bag, package, or container until delivered to its destination,” agency officials said in a news release.

Officials noted that disposal methods apply only to unused parts of native deer carcasses, such as mule deer or white-tailed deer, transported from the harvest area. The regulations do not apply to parts of carcasses of native deer species that are not transported from the fishing area. The commercial processor that hunters use to receive their crops will be responsible for the proper disposal of unused parts. Anyone who processes deer at home should throw the meat into the trash.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission encourages the following removal methods: