CWD in Colorado?

[ozzy14]

Im assuming this topic has been discussed previously, but I couldnt find anything and am looking for some guidance. This year I will be hunting with a group of guys in Colorado, Unit 55 and being an optimist, we are hopefull to put some elk on the ground. Understanding the trophy potential is not what it might be in some other units in Colorado we are still hopefull that if we do put a Bull on the ground that one of the options would be to get a european mount done when we get back home.

That being said, how does one go about bringing a skull, with antlers attached back to Pennsylvania? The only guidance I can find at this point says that "all brain matter has to be removed from the skull", but I'm not quite sure if that is accurate and if it is, how we would go about removing the brain matter?

If anyone has any knowledge or experience with this topic we would greatly appreciate some help.

Thanks
Ozzy

[cnelk]

Ozzy

The hardest part about the CWD thing to do is to is shoot bull.

After a bull is harvested, you can either saw the skull cap off or cape out the head.
Once that is done, remove any brain matter from the skull.
You may have to remove the eyes, tongue.
A piece of wire works good to get the brain out.
Then rinse it out in a stream or something.

It's not a big deal, CWD has been around a long time. I have never shot an animal that had it, but I didnt many tested much either.

[Bullnuts]

Best thing I've ever found for removing brain matter is a high pressure washer. It'll peel the meat right off the outside of the skull and blow the brain material out. It gets messy, for sure, but it's fast.

[ozzy14]

Thanks Guys! Information is greatly appreciated! now...like you guys said...we just have to put a Bull on the ground!

[Waygoner]

As far as I know CWD has not been reported in any of the Gunnison GMUs. If you have enough time, Shane Guerrieri will boil a skull for $100.

[Jaquomo]

Car wash is a good option of you don't have time to get it boiled-out. Use a twisted coat hanger to turn the brain matter to mush, then spray away.

BE SURE to not spray in toward the nostrils, or you'll wreck the delicate nasal bones. Spray from back to front. The degreaser option also helps toward the finish. Like Bullnuts said, it can be sort of messy but really does the trick quickly. Just stand out of the way of the backspray and you'll be fine.

[ozzy14]

quick question. As was mentioned Unit 55 hasnt had any reported CWD cases. Does that mean, that our guys would be free to move the elk around the country as we please? Meaning, do the CWD guidelines only apply to those areas with reported cases?

[BrentLaBere]

quick question. As was mentioned Unit 55 hasnt had any reported CWD cases. Does that mean, that our guys would be free to move the elk around the country as we please? Meaning, do the CWD guidelines only apply to those areas with reported cases?

I believe it depends on the regulations of the state lines you will be crossing. I would heck the regs before you do so.

[elknturkey]

I'm assuming your flying. If so plan to fork out some cash. It cost me $326 to ship my horns and skull back. It does have to be free of meat. I had a taxidermist boil it and clean it up. If this happens again I will saw the saw the horns off and pin them back when I get home. Be much cheaper to ship that way. You can also bring em on the plane for like $100 but that's only if there is room. I didn't want to risk it incase there wasn't any room on my connecting flight. Oh and a pressure washer or car wash is handy if you wanna do it yourself

[Jaquomo]

+1 on cutting them off and pinning when you get back home. I fly for business almost every week and would never trust an airline with a whole rack anymore.

That said, if you have a day or so to prep, you can cut off the antlers and nest them together, taping them real good and covering all the tines with cardboard. Or put them in a box. Same with the skull. Then check them as baggage. We've flown back from Quebec twice with bundles of BIG caribou antlers taped together, never had an issue, only cost $60 total for the bundle since it was considered "one" checked bag. Sure is nice to see that bundle of antlers come off the conveyor belt, but we sometimes got some weird looks.

If you really want to jinx your hunt, work something out in the nearest town ahead of time so you already have the box(es) ready to go. You might be able to carry the skull in a small duffel as a carry-on if you really want to get creative. Three of us once brought back nearly a whole boned-out whitetail as carry-on, frozen in ziplock bags. Had to explain why we had all that meat to the girls at the x-ray machine in Chicago, who were really puzzled. "What dat?" "My ex-wife." Shocked look, followed by a call to the supervisor, who thought it was funny.

My Aussie red deer from this month's Bowhunter mag story was mounted there and shipped back in a crate, with the antlers inside alongside the shoulder mount. The pins work great, can't tell. Getting it back was a permitting hassle though, with 11 different permits and a broker on both sides doing the legwork. Even had to get a Homeland Security perrmit...

[elknturkey]

You can also put tennis balls on the tine tips. Looks like a Christmas tree to

[ozzy14]

Actually we will be driving out and back....30 hours of fun!

[Bullnuts]

Car wash is a good option of you don't have time to get it boiled-out. Use a twisted coat hanger to turn the brain matter to mush, then spray away.

BE SURE to not spray in toward the nostrils, or you'll wreck the delicate nasal bones. Spray from back to front. The degreaser option also helps toward the finish. Like Bullnuts said, it can be sort of messy but really does the trick quickly. Just stand out of the way of the backspray and you'll be fine.

AND be sure your truck is parked out of the way of the spray! The last deer I did this way, I ended up with about 5 pounds of head cheese stuck to the side of my rig. Skull was clean though! LOL

[Jaquomo]

First time I did it I ended up with head cheese splattered all over my face and on my sunglasses. I quickly learned to stay off to the side and reach the nozzle around to the back of the skull!

[>>>---WW---->]

I'd like to see Bullnuts and Jaquomo in the same stall at the local car wash. Nothing like watching two long legged ridge runners scrambleing for cover when they squeeze the handle. LOL!

[Jaquomo]

"Hey Bill! C'mere and look inside this skull while I rinse it out a little!"

Careful, Wapiti Willie, or I'll get you with the old "flour in the bugle tube" trick. (I actually did see somebody get doused with that trick in the little bar in Bighorn WY once.... "Blow as hard as you can!!!")

[>>>---WW---->]

LOL! We used to do the old coiled copper tube filled with water every time we got a new hand on our crew at work. Another good one is an old squeeze type mustard bottle with about three feet of yellow chalk line in it. You should see everyone jump when that line comes flying out at them.

What does this have to do with CWD in Colorado?? Actually not a darn thing. I just like razzing Bill and Lou. I know they will get even eventually.

[Jaquomo]

I live in the epicenter of CWD in CO and have been living on deer and elk since it was discovered. I may very well already have CJD-variant if it has figured out how to make the jump to humans.

I was going to post something else but forgot what I was thinking. Who are you people, anyway?

[Bullnuts]

I live in the epicenter of CWD in CO and have been living on deer and elk since it was discovered. I may very well already have CJD-variant if it has figured out how to make the jump to humans.

I was going to post something else but forgot what I was thinking. Who are you people, anyway?

Now that's funny. I think....

[>>>---WW---->]

I live in the epicenter of CWD in CO and have been living on deer and elk since it was discovered. I may very well already have CJD-variant if it has figured out how to make the jump to humans.

I was going to post something else but forgot what I was thinking. Who are you people, anyway?

Years ago when CWD was such a big deal, I worked at one of the check stations. I remember one of the so called big shots from the DOW making a comment about all the old hunters in the Ft. Collins area when ask if CWD could be transmitted to humans.

He said something similar to this. " There are tons of old timers over there in the Ft. Collins area that have been eating CWD infected deer their whole lifetime. Ain't none of them showed positive yet"!

[Bullnuts]

...and then he dropped dead.
Right WW?