what is the legal way to pack out a Colorado bull ?

[stealthycat]

DIY hunt
solo backpack in a wilderness area

lets say I kill a nice 6x6 4 miles from trailehead and I get the meat deboned into 4 pack sized quantities and I can carry 3 out the first day, 1 out the next morning

The tag is a carcass tag, has to stay with the part that has the evidence of sex, right ?

Does that meat come out FIRST then ? I'll be putting the meat in a cooler at the truck at trail head. Or does it stay with the meat that's at the kill site where the horns are?

Horns come out last I assume is the legal way ?

Anyone know?

[saddlesore]

Regs say that meat left in the field must be tagged.You do not need to have a tag on while transporting. With that in mind,I'd say put the tag on the biggest piece of meat with evidence of sex and leave that in the field..That works out better anyway because if you are checked,you don't have to go rummaging thru all the meat to find the tag.

There is no regulation saying horns have to come out last. However, I'd be more concerned getting the meat out so it does not spoil before working to get the horns out. If you let the meat spoil and got the horns out first,you could be cited for wanton waste of meat.

The other thing is if you brought the horns out first, do you have a place to lock them up.More than one hunter had had his antlers stolen.

I wouldn't trust anyone's opinion on this (even mine)call CPW,ask the question,get the name of the person who gives you the answer and document it.Or get on the CPW web site and under " Contact Us', send an email, get the answer, print it, out and keep it with you.That way you have record of it AND the person that replied

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

I used to work part time for the CPW. And several times I rode with the game wardens. They would check camps even if no one was around. If there were coolers, they would open them and check.

So I developed my own tactics. I always left the tag on a major portion of meat with proof of sex attached on the last load out. All other meat was packed in a cooler at camp with a note for the warden stating that I was out for the rest of the meat and would be back with the tagged portion at a certain time if he wanted to come by later and check it out.

[stealthycat]

in today's world ... I could use my camera to snap photo's etc of everything, I bet that'd help a lot

[stealthycat]

Thank you for contacting Colorado Parks and Wildlife. You should indeed attach the carcass tag to a portion with naturally attached evidence of sex, and pack that portion out first. Typically, this is one of the hindquarters. You can wrap the evidence of sex in plastic wrap to avoid cross contamination. Leave the carcass tag attached to said portion, even while it's in the cooler at the truck. Make sure to keep the rest of the license on your person while you're en route to and from the kill site, and pack out the meat in however many trips it might take.

[Elkhunttoo]

Great question... I know the last two bulls I have killed here in Idaho I have wondered what I was supposed to do... guys I need to contact them

[RO1459]

The reply you received is from the CPW and may not be viable while hunting National Forest. I asked this question of a Forest Ranger from GMU 12 several years ago, and Evan said it's not that big a deal as long as the harvest is tagged with the proof of sex. He said he would still want to see the tag and would come back to inspect the harvest before I took it to the processor. He also said for me to keep the larger portion of the license on me while in the woods and to make sure I did not carry a rifle back in with me unless I had another tag. That said, those forests are in Colorado and may be ruled by Colorado laws as well. I would definitely keep that answer you got from the CPW with you when hauling game back in to camp. But let's be honest, how many times have you seen a Game Warden of any kind in the woods when you are hunting Elk. This will be my 34th year of Elk hunting and I have seen one. The funny part is that Evan did not come back to check my tag, and I have not seen him since. Have a great season and I hope you have to worry about which parts to carry out first.

[saddlesore]

The reply you received is from the CPW and may not be viable while hunting National Forest. I asked this question of a Forest Ranger from GMU 12 several years ago, and Evan said it's not that big a deal as long as the harvest is tagged with the proof of sex. He said he would still want to see the tag and would come back to inspect the harvest before I took it to the processor. He also said for me to keep the larger portion of the license on me while in the woods and to make sure I did not carry a rifle back in with me unless I had another tag. That said, those forests are in Colorado and may be ruled by Colorado laws as well. I would definitely keep that answer you got from the CPW with you when hauling game back in to camp. But let's be honest, how many times have you seen a Game Warden of any kind in the woods when you are hunting Elk. This will be my 34th year of Elk hunting and I have seen one. The funny part is that Evan did not come back to check my tag, and I have not seen him since. Have a great season and I hope you have to worry about which parts to carry out first.

If it was Evan Jones, he is not a Forest Ranger. He is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer. I suspect it was him as he patrols Unit 12. I have known him and his brother Jeremy since before Evan became a CPW officer. Heck of a nice guy ,but stickler for the law. You might not meet one on trails or the back country, but most encounters are at trail heads or along roads where hunters are camped. I hunt Unit 12 and only see Evan maybe once every other year.

No matter what state , U.S. Forest Service does not manage wildlife nor can they enact laws to do so. They manage the National Forest and enact/ enforce regulations for use in the national forest.. Each state manages wildlife and each does it differently . Several years ago, Forest Service employees were given the authority to enforce Colorado State game laws and I do believe CWP employees were given authority to enforce Forest Service regulations (not sure about that side though). Evan though you must buy a Habitat Stamp,that is regulated by CPW and has nothing to do with National Forest. Funds from it are used for conservation efforts in National Forest , BLM land and State Wildlife areas by CPW

[JKaboom]

stealthycat - good thread - and thank you guys for the additional comments.

[stealthycat]

I will take pics with my cell phone of the bull down, how its laying on the mtn, pics of the tags etc .......... all that can't hurt when packing an animal out in multiple trips

[Scorpyd shooter]

Good post, I was wondering same thing