Laws regarding harvest

[Hankharp]

Hey all,

Moved to WA over the winter and am excited to get hunting in such a beautiful state. Gearing up for black bear and after reviewing the regulations, I can’t find what the laws are regarding what we have to harvest from a bear that we kill. I know some states have really specific laws about this kind of deal for certain animals and I just can’t find anything for WA besides submitting a tooth to WDFW.

So, what is the law regarding harvest of skull and hide?

Cheers,
Hank

Edited to add, found this in state law regarding the meat:

68) "To waste" or "to be wasted" means to allow any edible portion of any game bird, food fish, game fish, shellfish, or big game animal other than cougar to be rendered unfit for human consumption, or to fail to retrieve edible portions of such a game bird, food fish, game fish, shellfish, or big game animal other than cougar from the field. For purposes of this chapter, edible portions of game birds must include, at a minimum, the breast meat of those birds. Entrails, including the heart and liver, of any wildlife species are not considered edible.

[KFhunter]

Are you wanting to know if you can leave the skull and hide in the woods?   Yes

Are you wanting to know the exact minimum of meat that you must take out with you?  It depends.


Can you clarify what it is exactly that you're asking?

[Bango skank]

I wonder what their rationale is behind not requiring salvage of lion meat.

[bobcat]

I'm pretty sure it's just because cats have never really been considered to be fit for human consumption, by most people. Same as coyotes.

[EmeraldBullet]

Pretty sure you are supposed to harvest as much meat as you can, its that vague and up to the wdwf officer to determine if you took enough. Also pretty sure its illegal to harvest the gallbladder as that's used in Chinese medicine or something and worth a lot of money. So harvest everything you can, except for that (kinda a contridiction)

[Bango skank]

I'm pretty sure it's just because cats have never really been considered to be fit for human consumption, by most people. Same as coyotes.

Define most people.  Cats are eaten by a LOT of people.  Theyre called asians.  There are a lot of them.  Cats may be considered not fit for consumption by most americans, but i think most cougar hunters want to eat them.  If the "most people" arguement is taking non hunters into account, which it most certainly is, then i would say that most people also dont see bear as fit for consumption.  And as for coyotes, and the potential argument of "asians eat dogs too," that doesnt matter.  Coyotes arent classified as game animals, whereas lions are.  And the law is specific to game animals.

[bearpaw]

Beat meat must be recovered in WA.

[Hankharp]

Thanks for the replies fellas. When I initially wrote the question I was looking for how much meat as well as whether the hide/skull had to be recovered.

Just to clarify, hide/skull/claws/internal organs can be left behind if need be?

[Knocker of rocks]

Beat meat must be recovered in WA.

TMI

[Bob33]

My experience has been that all quarters, backstraps and loin meat must be recovered from big game animals. After that it becomes a matter of discretion on the part of the hunter and officer as to what must be recovered. The law pertains to meat only. Other parts not required for proof of sex may be left.

[KFhunter]

wdfw wants a tooth, premolar which is right behind the big canine tooth, upper jaw
So you could yank that out then leave the skull.

Hide no problem leave it, guts no problem to leave.  You can bone it out and leave them

Not even sure proof of sex required on bears

[Bango skank]

Yeah proof of sex is still required on bears, despite the fact that all bear hunts are "any bear."  Seems kind of silly, but thems the rules.

[pianoman9701]

Beat meat must be recovered in WA.

TMI

[Machias]

If anyone kills a lion and does not want the meat, I will take it!!!   

[CoryTDF]

My buddy shot a cougar last year. We decided to have a "Meow Mixer" for my birthday. We had a bunch of guys cook it diffrent ways.

We had:
Kung Pow Kitty
Cougar Roast
Cougar Enchilada
Cougar Backstrap on a bed of caramelized onions with a dollop of gravy.

It was really tasty and acted a lot like pork while cooking. I would eat it again without a second thought.