The mode of transportation does not matter when transporting parts of game animals across state lines relative to CWD requirements. Recommend reviewing states CWD requirements before you bring your game animal "parts" home. The key word in all the regulations is "importation" which I have tried to get clarified versus "transporting" through state. I have left messages in 2 states for response and hope to hear so soon. I also sent similar request to cwd-info.org. I am still researching the definition of "importation" versus "transporting" across states and hope to get further clarifications shortly.
Attached is a table of CWD regulations across the States from MI and can be found on the CWD-Info.org website :
http://cwd-info.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/CWDRegstableState-Province_Spring19.pdf
I printed this out on 8.5x11 and you couldn't read it without a really good magnifying glass. I reprinted on 8.5x14 legal and it was little better but still tough to read unless you are 18 years old with 20/10 vision. I was hoping the definition of "importation" applied to the resident of the state and not transporting through the State but that is not crystal clear. Some states do include the term "transport" so again what do they mean to non-residents traveling through? I have read regulations my entire career and these are not well written relative to understanding hunters cross state lines to get to hunting in other states. They are tunnel visioned to their own state so I am not going to guess without actual interpretation from a specific state.
Link to CWD info:
http://cwd-info.org/
The problem with this site is it is not 100% accurate on who has responsibility within a specific state. I have found for example, that the page for Iowa is incorrect since it states their Agriculture department has responsibility which it does for "live" animals but the page includes discussion on game animal parts as well which is the DNR area and not addressed in the agency contacts. Which brings you to the point of asking "Do I have all the info I need?" from this site?
Attached is a table of CWD regulations across the States from MI and can be found on the CWD-Info.org website :
http://cwd-info.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/CWDRegstableState-Province_Spring19.pdf
I printed this out on 8.5x11 and you couldn't read it without a really good magnifying glass. I reprinted on 8.5x14 legal and it was little better but still tough to read unless you are 18 years old with 20/10 vision. I think this table provides a much better consolidation of regulations from DNR perspective if you can read the dang thing in printed format. Of course you can read it on screen easier by enlarging font and then scrolling across as needed. But I was going to bring with me as a backup in case we got into something so we could prove "due diligence" if we had to in most scenarios. Again the interpretation of "importation" versus "transporting" through the state is not clear. If the importation definition used in goods coming into the USA could be applied where the importation does not occur until it arrives at the destination state that have Foreign Trade Zone approach, then I am all in.
Some states have substantial financial penalties for bringing "whole" skulls back, spinal cord attached meat and so on. Some states will allow if you bring directly to processor or taxidermist. The rules are ridiculously complicated across multiple states unless you take the simple route of just bring back a
pristine clean skull cap (no tissue on it at all), quarters, and no spinal related bone. The real problem is you are transporting across state lines and it
may not matter where you live regulation wise, it
may be the state that you are traveling through can get you hosed up unless you understand the regulations and how they apply to transporting across state lines.
For example in MI:
"Posses Carcass – Deer from
CWD State [ C4.1(9) ] – misdemeanor offense with a maximum of 90 days in jail, a minimum
fine of at least $50 to a maximum
fine of $500, Court costs and State fees, and the loss of hunting privileges at the discretion of the Court pursuant to MCL 324.43559."
This applies to all cervids.
We are hunting CO 2nd rifle season and our group that actually is across multiple states and we have decided to take the simple route of no skull, clean skull caps, quarters and plain meat.
Even if we killed a wall hanger, we would still skull cap, cape and butcher same way so really not a huge deal UNLESS you want an European Mount. Then decisions have to be made how to deal with it.
I know some of us would like to put our head into the ground on these regulations but CO's across the states are probably being tasked to watch for potential transport violations relative to western hunt dates or even adjoining states. Is it worth the hassle of losing your animal or potential mounts etc for failing to meet game animal transport requirements whatever they are?
I would also bet states are looking for that really good "Poster Child" for enforcement and I don't plan on being that guy.
Lastly, if you are truly an expert on the CWD transportation through states, I would like to hear your opinions that are based upon actual documented interpretations. Where you live is no problem, just being a "traveling man" is the problem.
