JACKSON, Wyo. — With the high ungulate mortality rates this winter, community members may find big game carcasses in their backyard, but don’t be surprised if the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) isn’t able to remove it for you.
Every winter there are dead animals on the landscape, but this winter has been particularly difficult on wildlife. Mule deer or moose die in yards because of weakened conditions or vehicle collisions as they move to roads to escape deep snow.
A lot of the time, the Wyoming Department of Transportation will move carcasses that are along the roads, but with valley warming a rotting carcass is not something that’s ideal in yards closer to home. There are available options that come at a cost, like private business big game removal or self-removal to the Trash Transfer Station, where it costs 64 cents per pound for any wildlife hauled out. For a mule deer that can cost over $150, and for a full-grown moose that can cost up to $1000.
While WGFD has acquired a reputation as the ones to call for assistance, it’s not actually anyone’s official job in this department to provide personal yard carcass clean up.
“We just try and help people out when we can, as other priorities allow,” says Mark Gocke, public information specialist at WGFD. “It’s always a matter of priorities for Game and Fish.”
According to Gocke, priorities for WGFD response include elk mingling with people’s cattle or on private lands and carcasses located where they could attract an emerging grizzly.
As time and concerns allow, WGFD will do their best to help individuals in the community, but alternative and costly options may have to be considered, or removing a dead animal yourself.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, when disposing of a wildlife carcass there are a number of things to keep in mind to prevent exposure to infectious diseases and injury:
- Remove an animal as soon as possible after it’s discovered to prevent human-wildlife conflict with scavengers
- Wear personal protection equipment (PPE) including gloves, long pants and shoes
- Wrap the animal in an industrial trash bag or sheets to increase distance from yourself
- Find assistance for moving large game to reduce the risk of back injury
Remember that slowing down while driving, giving wildlife space and keeping dogs on a leash are important ways to help support surviving ungulate populations.
