Leaving Evidence of Sex

By Jon Rachael, Regional Wildlife Manager - Southwest Region

As long as most of us can remember, big game hunters have been required to leave evidence of sex attached to the animals they harvest. As with many Fish and Game rules, there were exceptions to this rule for deer and elk if the season was open for the harvest of either sex animal.

The complex variety of season structures across the state frequently resulted in some confusion about whether evidence of sex was required. For instance, in many southern Idaho game management units, youth hunters were allowed to shoot a doe during a season that was bucks-only for adults. The evidence of sex requirement was even more difficult to sort out in cases where a deer or elk was harvested in a hunt in which either sex was legal for harvest, but the carcass was transported without evidence of sex attached to another area open for harvest of male animals only.

To address confusion of when evidence of sex must remain attached to a harvested big game animal, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission modified the pertinent regulation to make the rule applicable in all big game hunts across the state beginning with the 2003 big game season. Hunters are now required to retain evidence of sex on ALL harvested big game animals.

This requirement can be met in one of two ways. The first involves leaving the head - including any horns or antlers - naturally attached to the carcass of any harvested animal. If the head must be removed to allow for the animal to be quartered or boned out for transport from the field, the second method to meet the requirement involves leaving the sex organs naturally attached to that portion of the carcass. Sex organs must remain attached until the carcass is delivered to a meat processor or it reaches the final place of storage for consumption. Horns or antlers must be transported with the carcass, if applicable.

In the case of mountain lions and black bears, external sex organs must be left naturally attached to the hide until it has been checked by a Fish and Game Officer or an individual approved by the Department of Fish and Game to check the animal.

Despite the fact that the new evidence of sex rule has been in place for three years now, failure to leave evidence of sex naturally attached remains one of the most common violations detected at Fish and Game check stations. Determining if this requirement has been met will be one of the first tasks completed by Fish and Game staff when you pull into the check station with your animal. So if you are fortunate enough to fill your tag this season, do two things immediately upon downing the animal. First, correctly validate your tag and attach it to your animal, then determine how you plan to leave evidence of sex attached to your prize.

If you have any questions regarding what the requirement of preserving evidence of sex on harvested big game animals entails, please review page 15 of the 2005 big game seasons booklet. If you still have questions, call the Fish and Game Nampa office at 465-8465.

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