Packing Big Game Meat out of state

Idaho Outfitters, if you have clients from out of state you need to pay attention to the laws of their state regarding how game can be brought in.  Washington recently changed their laws and you should account for where your clients are going when you are choosing what to do in the field.  

Here is an e-mail an Idaho outfitter recently received:

“good news is I traveled safely home. Bad news, unbeknownst to me WA instilled a new CWD rule for bringing in out of state game that requires everything to be deboned & no soft tissues… I dropped off the beautiful meat @ my butcher & in a routine WDFW check they confiscated the meat & destroyed it. In any event, had we known we could have easily de-boned the meat. Both my butcher & I are beyond disappointed & disgusted! 

Thought you should know about Washington’s restrictions as other states outside of Idaho also may have similar laws.

Again— great trip & another hallmark adventure.”

Help ensure your clients do not have something similar happen to them.  Here is what you need to know based on where your clients might be going.  

• WA clients: De‑bone everything.

• OR/CA/NV/MT/WY/UT clients: You may send quarters (no head/spine) or boned‑out meat.

Links to state-by-state guidance and rules

Washington

• Rule (WAC 220‑413‑030):

  https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-413-030

  
  

• CWD overview (WDFW):

  https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/diseases/chronic-wasting

  
  

Oregon

• CWD prevention & allowed parts (ODFW):

  https://myodfw.com/CWD

  
  

California

• CWD info (CDFW):

  https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Laboratories/Wildlife-Health/Monitoring/CWD#591962486-i-harvested-an-animal-out-of-state-what-can-i-bring-back

  
  

• CWD infographic:

  https://wildlife.ca.gov/Portals/0/Images/WHL/Disease/CWD/No-Time-To-Waste-Infographic.jpg

  
  

Montana

• CWD regs & disposal (FWP):

  https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/chronic-wasting-disease/management 

  
  

Wyoming

• CWD Management plan:

  https://wgfd.wyo.gov/media/17994/download?inline

  
  

Nevada

• CWD info & TRZ overview (NDOW):

  https://www.ndow.org/blog/chronic-wasting-disease/

  
  

Utah

• CWD information & current sampling areas (DWR): https://wildlife.utah.gov/chronic-wasting-disease

Make sure you know what is required by Idaho related to CWD.   Learn more here

Idaho Rules

Carcass transport Rules for 2025 season

• Whole carcasses of harvested or salvaged deer, elk, and moose may not be transported out of a CWD Management Zone.

• Animals should be quartered with spine left in the field (tail and evidence of sex attached to quarters). Head should remain in the field if lymph nodes have been removed for CWD testing.

• It is illegal to possess or transport a full carcass or any part of a deer, elk, or moose taken from GMUs 14, 18, and a portion of 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Selkirk Mountains crest) in any part of the state outside of these GMUs except for the following exceptions for meat and some other parts:

  • Head or lymph nodes to take to IDFG for sampling.

  • Meat that is cut and wrapped

  • Quarters or deboned meat that does not include brain or spinal tissue

  • Edible organs that do not include brains

  • Hides without heads

  • Upper canine teeth (ivories)

  • Finished taxidermy

  • Dried antlers

  • Cleaned and dried skulls or skull caps

  • Skull caps that do not include brain or spinal tissue

  • Domestic cervids