Help with understanding regs on trasportation

[ljsommer]

Hello folks,

   Apologies for my ignorance, but I believe the written regulation on this is as follows:
"It is illegal to possess in the field or transport game birds unless a feathered head or wing is left attached to each carcass."

My question is in the actual logistics in the field.
So:
1. Shoot bird
2. Take photos
3. Notch tag
4. Tape tag to ankle
5. Throw entire bird into cooler for long drive home?

But most folks I see on YouTube or hunting shows are processing their birds at the truck and taking the parts they want to keep and tossing the meat into ziplocs and calling it a day. If you're like me and have a long drive home, how should I be safely transporting my bird with regard to meat quality preservation (IE: Can I get my cuts out and ziplocked or is that a violation of the rules? Do I remove the parts I want and then toss the separate carcass into a garbage bag and include it in the cooler?)

Any  guidance would be appreciated

[phildobaggins]

Hello folks,

   Apologies for my ignorance, but I believe the written regulation on this is as follows:
"It is illegal to possess in the field or transport game birds unless a feathered head or wing is left attached to each carcass."

My question is in the actual logistics in the field.
So:
1. Shoot bird
2. Take photos
3. Notch tag
4. Tape tag to ankle
5. Throw entire bird into cooler for long drive home?

But most folks I see on YouTube or hunting shows are processing their birds at the truck and taking the parts they want to keep and tossing the meat into ziplocs and calling it a day. If you're like me and have a long drive home, how should I be safely transporting my bird with regard to meat quality preservation (IE: Can I get my cuts out and ziplocked or is that a violation of the rules? Do I remove the parts I want and then toss the separate carcass into a garbage bag and include it in the cooler?)

Any  guidance would be appreciated

1. Shoot bird
2. Notch tag
3. Attach tag to bird
4. Take photos
5. Throw entire bird into cooler for long drive home

You could get away with processing it in the field, but you're at the understanding/common sense of a game warden at that point. I always process at home though.

[GUscottie]

My question is in the actual logistics in the field.
So:
1. Shoot bird: first and most important part
2. Take photos: when feasible or when you remember (sometimes I forget)
3. Notch tag: Dunno of any birds aside from seaducks, and snow geese that you need to do this for, but "sure"
4. Tape tag to ankle: No tags in Wa, Wy or Montana (maybe other states???)
5. Throw entire bird into cooler for long drive home? I breast the birds and leave a wing attached when feasible. If you're coming home same day, I don't really see an issue with whole birds going home and processing when home.

[92xj]

My question is in the actual logistics in the field.
So:
1. Shoot bird: first and most important part
2. Take photos: when feasible or when you remember (sometimes I forget)
3. Notch tag: Dunno of any birds aside from seaducks, and snow geese that you need to do this for, but "sure"
4. Tape tag to ankle: No tags in Wa, Wy or Montana (maybe other states???)
5. Throw entire bird into cooler for long drive home? I breast the birds and leave a wing attached when feasible. If you're coming home same day, I don't really see an issue with whole birds going home and processing when home.

turkey section, not waterfowl, so there is a tag... 

And for the OP, just breast out the bird and leave a fathered wing or the head, neck skin attached to the great, if you don't want to take the whole thing home.  Don't forget to keep your leg with your tag as well.  Or, gut and pluck the whole thing, leaving feathers on the wing, or pluck the wing and leave the head attached. 

[Karl Blanchard]

Hello folks,

   Apologies for my ignorance, but I believe the written regulation on this is as follows:
"It is illegal to possess in the field or transport game birds unless a feathered head or wing is left attached to each carcass."

My question is in the actual logistics in the field.
So:
1. Shoot bird
2. Take photos
3. Notch tag
4. Tape tag to ankle
5. Throw entire bird into cooler for long drive home?

But most folks I see on YouTube or hunting shows are processing their birds at the truck and taking the parts they want to keep and tossing the meat into ziplocs and calling it a day. If you're like me and have a long drive home, how should I be safely transporting my bird with regard to meat quality preservation (IE: Can I get my cuts out and ziplocked or is that a violation of the rules? Do I remove the parts I want and then toss the separate carcass into a garbage bag and include it in the cooler?)

Any  guidance would be appreciated

1. Shoot bird
2. Notch tag
3. Attach tag to bird
4. Take photos
5. Throw entire bird into cooler for long drive home

You could get away with processing it in the field, but you're at the understanding/common sense of a game warden at that point. I always process at home though.

this.  I do gut the bird though before tossing in cooler and a frozen water bottle in the body cavity really pulls the heat out quick. I'm only driving 1.5hr home tops so I usually don't even mess with a cooler, just gut it and go home. Obviously as a guy gets into the hotter part of a season a cooler is advisable.

A turkey isn't an elk. They cool really quick with some ice. If you're REALLY concerned, tear the skin open on the legs (takes 1 second per leg) before you toss a bag of ice on him.

[ljsommer]

Hello folks,

   Apologies for my ignorance, but I believe the written regulation on this is as follows:
"It is illegal to possess in the field or transport game birds unless a feathered head or wing is left attached to each carcass."

My question is in the actual logistics in the field.
So:
1. Shoot bird
2. Take photos
3. Notch tag
4. Tape tag to ankle
5. Throw entire bird into cooler for long drive home?

But most folks I see on YouTube or hunting shows are processing their birds at the truck and taking the parts they want to keep and tossing the meat into ziplocs and calling it a day. If you're like me and have a long drive home, how should I be safely transporting my bird with regard to meat quality preservation (IE: Can I get my cuts out and ziplocked or is that a violation of the rules? Do I remove the parts I want and then toss the separate carcass into a garbage bag and include it in the cooler?)

Any  guidance would be appreciated

1. Shoot bird
2. Notch tag
3. Attach tag to bird
4. Take photos
5. Throw entire bird into cooler for long drive home

You could get away with processing it in the field, but you're at the understanding/common sense of a game warden at that point. I always process at home though.

this.  I do gut the bird though before tossing in cooler and a frozen water bottle in the body cavity really pulls the heat out quick. I'm only driving 1.5hr home tops so I usually don't even mess with a cooler, just gut it and go home. Obviously as a guy gets into the hotter part of a season a cooler is advisable.

A turkey isn't an elk. They cool really quick with some ice. If you're REALLY concerned, tear the skin open on the legs (takes 1 second per leg) before you toss a bag of ice on him.

Perfect thanks Karl makes sense!

[TriggerMike]

The game warden who checked our birds last weekend told me to leave the tag on the carcass until I get home but that I could breast it out and put the meat in the cooler. As long as the number of breasts and legs adds up to the number of tagged turkey carcasses that you're transporting then you're good.

[ljsommer]

The game warden who checked our birds last weekend told me to leave the tag on the carcass until I get home but that I could breast it out and put the meat in the cooler. As long as the number of breasts and legs adds up to the number of tagged turkey carcasses that you're transporting then you're good.

That's perfect thanks Mike! I was hoping that would be a logical, and permitted way to do it.