Sportsmen and women hunting in units not included in the Division s monitoring program can have their animals tested by either the Colorado State University Diagnostic Laboratory or the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory. Game processing fees and other incidental expenses are not eligible for refunds. A person can discard the meat into a landfill, either directly or through their garbage service. If possible, it s a good idea to seal meat packages in a plastic garbage bag before it is put in with other household garbage for pick up. Also, it s a good idea to wait until pickup day to put the meat out, so that it does not defrost and become odorous or attract scavenging animals.
Persons can also incinerate the meat if they prefer.
It is advised not to feed the meat to any domestic or wild animals. The Division of Wildlife will not issue waste of edible meat tickets to persons discarding meat from an animal that tests positive for chronic wasting disease. Chronic wasting disease belongs to a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies . According to federal and state epidemiological research, no human has ever contracted chronic wasting disease or any other related neurological disease from deer or elk. Anecdotal evidence from hunters who have killed and consumed deer and elk in the endemic area more than three decades ago supports this.