Chronic wasting disease and staying legal...

[mossyhorn]

This has become a big issue now and even more so with inter-state travel. I’m hunting Montana this year and if I kill an elk, I’d like to do a euro mount. How do I stay legal?

The rules in most states say I need all flesh removed from a skull cap. So does that mean it’s illegal to keep an intact skull for a euro mount?

In a CWD pamphlet I’ve read, it recommends that you do not cut thru the spine or any other nervous tissue with a saw due to cross contaminating reasons. But they don’t give any kind of guidance on how to deal with the skull.

I tried emailing Montana F and G CWD department with these same questions and got no reply back. That was about 6 weeks ago.

So what’s everyone doing in this situation?

 

[Bulldawg]

Boil the skull and remove all organic material from the skull and you should be fine. I'm not up to date on Montana's regulations but I know that some guys that are traveling back to some midwest states that can't bring back brain matter or spinal material will boil heads before they leave the state, say Colorado, and they are good to go. Just throw a burner and pot in the truck with all the other hunting stuff and if you kill a bull spend a day cleaning the skull.

 

[rayporter]

+1^^^

 

[Scrappy]

I read once that guys would clean the skull out best you can then stop by a car wash before you leave the state to finish cleaning. I'll be in Montana this year as well and this is my plan if successful.

 

[Brendan]

The legality is determined by the states you drive through (potentially) and your home state (definitely) as opposed to MT, so MT FW&P aren't who you need to be asking. But - like everyone said, boil and clean the skull before you leave Montana and you'll be fine.

 

[mossyhorn]

I live in Washington. Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington basically all say the same thing as far as import regs. I still have to travel thru Montana too.

 

[bowieknife50]

When you clean up the skull from the outside on the back/bottom side there is the foramen magnum(literally means big hole). When you get to that you can use a tool or sick to scoop brains out. Then boil or spray out and clean again.

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