Are there any precautions for handling, processing, or eating meat from deer or elk?
To minimize the risk of transmission of any infectious diseases when handling or processing animals, the following precautions are recommended: • Deer or elk that are observed to be ill, or found dead, should not be handled and should not be eaten. • Wear rubber or latex gloves when handling or processing carcasses. • Avoid handling or cutting through the skull or spinal cord. Use separate dedicated knives, saws and cutting boards to butcher deer, particularly if you cut through the spinal cord or skull (such as when removing antlers). Do not use regular kitchen utensils. Wash thoroughly with soap and water any knives, butchering tools, work surfaces, hands and any other part of the body that has been exposed to animal tissues, blood, urine, or feces. Equipment should then be rinsed with boiling water or sanitized with a chemical sanitizer. • As an additional precaution against CWD, soak cleaned knives and tools for one hour in a fresh solution of household chlorine bleach (unscented)
