Deer meat donation "ignorance is Bliss"

[grade-creek-rd]

Situation: a deer is struck by a car and had a broken leg. The deer is euthanized by a major metropolitan city police dept that has about a dozen such incidents each year here in Western Washington. An officer who is also a hunter overhears the incident and contacts a local homeless shelter who is very happy to receive a donation of meat. 75 pounds of meat is salvaged (less than 2 hours from time of death to freezer at the homeless shelter) and donated by the officer to feed 300 people (1/4 lb serving) and the officer...is told to never do this again by their Dept as it is a "liability", told "what if someone got sick from the deer meat?" Officer tries to explain that the WDFW donates to the same homeless shelter on a regular basis and the shelter already had a few deer in their freezer. Dept didn't care and told officer to never do this again...and even insinuated that the officer didn't actually donate the meat but kept it for himself, until it was verified with the homeless shelter that the meat was actually donated.

Yes, this really happened, and Yes, I am leaving out the Dept name, Officer name...and Yes, I have first hand knowledge of this actually occurring.

Just wanting to know what Hunt-Wa and fellow hunters thoughts are on this?

Grade

[syoungs]

not hard to believe in the times were living in, liability is the first thing you have to worry about now a days.

[7mmfan]

Clearly if our food isn't highly processed, saturated with salt and chemicals that "preserve" it, then it's not safe. I've heard of this happening before as well, its pitiful.

[HunterofWA]

deer meat is probably the healthiest meat out there and compared to other foods it makes the other meats (over processed like fast food) look and taste synthetic

[quadrafire]

Just have him transfer it through WDFW instead of personally. Problem solved it would seem.

[grade-creek-rd]

The Dept Animal Control Officer tried to get a WDFW Officer out to the scene for an hour (while the deer suffered in a yard) but no Officers where available...the city officer that donated the meat contacted 3 WDFW Officers they personally know but none could respond (various reasons) but the officer was given the OK by one of the WDFW Officers to collect the meat and the city officer even filled out the WDFW Salvage Permit (per WAC, this has to be done through the WDFW to possess the deer meat) and then transferred the meat from the salvage scene (officer used the "gutless method" at a secure location out of the eye of the public on city property so it would not "look bad" on the Dept for cutting up a deer...total time was just under 1 hour using the gutless method). The WAC was followed, as well as it was all documented with a city dept report so it was completely transparent that this was a donation to the homeless shelter...normally all deer are taken to the Humane Society and incinerated...which is such a waste.

Grade

[Bill W]

If the deer is "euthanized" by a bullet then the meat is fit to donate.  If it's by a shot at the vet, I can understand the meat not being fit to donate.  These are two different situations.

[grade-creek-rd]

Shot in the back of the head with a .223

[Special T]

Liability is only a concern from those with something to loose.  All large corporations and gov agencies are leary  of opening themselves  to liability when there is no gain.

I think the officer did good, and if I was around I  would have taken possession filled out the forms. I think the main work around could be having a private personally do the donation so as to avoid the liability concern...

[BDildine]

next time maybe see if the shelter is able to come "salvage" the meat with a little help? i think what the dept did stinks, but not much to do about it without specific details and being able to publicly support what they did...

[quadrafire]

The Dept Animal Control Officer tried to get a WDFW Officer out to the scene for an hour (while the deer suffered in a yard) but no Officers where available...the city officer that donated the meat contacted 3 WDFW Officers they personally know but none could respond (various reasons) but the officer was given the OK by one of the WDFW Officers to collect the meat and the city officer even filled out the WDFW Salvage Permit (per WAC, this has to be done through the WDFW to possess the deer meat) and then transferred the meat from the salvage scene (officer used the "gutless method" at a secure location out of the eye of the public on city property so it would not "look bad" on the Dept for cutting up a deer...total time was just under 1 hour using the gutless method). The WAC was followed, as well as it was all documented with a city dept report so it was completely transparent that this was a donation to the homeless shelter...normally all deer are taken to the Humane Society and incinerated...which is such a waste.

Grade

I would think this would get the department off of the hook for anything, but you know how things are these days.
Personally I think he did just what should have been done

[grade-creek-rd]

trying to stay anonymous here guys and gals...sure making it hard to do! but to answer a few more questions...Officer first asked if there was a citizen that could take the deer...no one wanted it (nice part of the city with upscale homes...not too many hunters in this part of the city) and the Officer called the shelter who told them they can only accept skinned and gutless carcasses...basically hanging deer or parts of deer (no guts or hide, but bones OK).

And Special T...thank you!...wish you were close by and available...the Officer feels like $hi! because of what they were told by the Dept

[Special T]

I grew up in Issaquah/Sammamish  and would have cut that thing up in some ones front yard on a tarp!

[jackelope]

Just have him transfer it through WDFW instead of personally. Problem solved it would seem.

This would be the way to go. Good to see the officer tried. The only thing anyone is concerned with anymore in this society is liability with all the sue-happy people in the world.  Sad really.

[RatRodMike]

Okay, crazy thought here.  Perhaps we could form a group of hunters that could intervene at just the right time in the process to keep officers that are trying to do the right thing out of trouble.  I believe that we couldn’t shoot the dear but we could fill out the salvage paperwork, haul the animal away for butchering and take the meat to a predetermined benefactor.  The group could meet regionally from time to time to make sure everyone is on the same page for legality reasons and to make sure the meat is cared for in responsible way.  Our names would be on a list that officers could use to find someone that was from the group and local.

Any thoughts?