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After the harvest

After the harvest

Table of contents

    • Waterfowl regs home page and glossary of terms
    • Waterfowl management
      • Managing waterfowl
      • Citizens Waterfowl Advisory Committee
      • Waterfowl monitoring
    • Season dates and bag limits
      • Waterfowl hunting season dates
      • Goose management units
      • Bag limits
    • License types and fees
      • License types and fees by age
      • Hunter education
      • Mentored hunting
      • Apprentice hunting
      • Michigan residents
      • Michigan veterans with disabilities
      • U.S. military personnel
      • Treaty-authorized hunters
      • DNR Sportcard
      • Base license
      • Harvest Information Program
      • Waterfowl license
      • Federal migratory bird hunting stamp
      • Michigan Waterfowl Stamp Program
      • Pure Michigan Hunt
    • Purchasing licenses and stamps
      • Identification requirements
      • Where to buy licenses and stamps
      • Lost licenses and stamps
    • Wetland wonders
      • Managed waterfowl hunt areas
      • Michigan’s Wetland Wonders
      • Veterans preference drawings at managed waterfowl hunt areas
    • Reserved waterfowl drawing
      • Reserved waterfowl hunts
      • Application information
      • Eligible applicants
      • How to apply for a reserved waterfowl hunt
      • Drawing results
    • When and where to hunt
      • Hunting hours
      • Waterfowl hunting zones
      • Safety zones
      • Public lands
      • State lands
      • State parks and recreation areas
      • National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas
      • Local municipalities
      • Waterways
      • Rights of way
      • Trespassing
    • Equipment regulations
      • Hunter orange
      • Elevated platforms and ground blinds
      • Bows, crossbows and firearms
      • Transporting bows, crossbows and firearms
    • Hunting methods
      • Falconry
      • Decoys and calls
      • Baiting
      • Hunting with dogs
      • Commercial hunting guides
    • Wildlife diseases
      • Avian influenza
      • Dioxins
    • Invasive species
      • Aquatic invasive species
      • Nutria
      • Russian boar
    • After the harvest
      • Transporting game animals
      • Migratory bird band reporting
      • Handling and processing migratory bird meat
      • Buying and selling game animals
      • Migratory bird hunter surveys
    • Report all poaching

Transporting game animals

What are the rules for transporting game animals?

You can transport your own and another person’s lawfully taken game. You cannot destroy the identity or evidence of the sex of any bird. If you are transporting migratory birds, one fully feathered wing must be left on the bird. If transporting another person’s migratory birds, they must be tagged with the person’s name, signature and home address, and the number of birds by species, dates of kill and hunting license number.

How should I tag my birds if I want to leave them in the possession of another person?

No person or business may receive or have in custody any migratory game birds belonging to another person unless such birds are properly tagged. If you are leaving your migratory birds in the custody of another person, you must tag the birds with the following information:

  • Your signature.
  • Your address.
  • Your current base license or Sportcard number.
  • The total number of birds involved by species.
  • The dates these birds were killed.
How many migratory birds can I possess or transport?

You cannot possess or transport more than the daily limit of migratory birds at or between the place where the birds were taken and whichever one of the following locations you arrive at first:

  • Your automobile or principal means of land transportation.
  • Your personal abode or temporary or transient place of lodging.
  • A commercial preservation facility.
  • A post office or common carrier facility.
Can I ship migratory birds?

Yes. You can ship migratory game birds. The package must be marked on the outside with: (1) the name and address of the person sending the birds, (2) the name and address of the person to whom the birds are being sent and (3) the number of birds, by species, contained in the package.

Where can I learn more about importing migratory birds hunted in other countries?

For information regarding the importation of migratory birds killed in another country, you should consult 50 CFR 20.61 - 20.66 or contact Senior Resident Law Enforcement Agent, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 3800 Packard Road, Suite 160, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. One fully feathered wing must remain attached to all migratory game birds being transported between a port of entry and one’s home or to a migratory bird preservation facility. No person may import migratory game birds killed in any foreign country, except Canada, unless such birds are dressed (except as required above), drawn, and have the head and feet removed. No person may import migratory game birds belonging to another person.

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Migratory bird band reporting

I harvested a migratory bird with a leg band. Should I report it?

Yes. You can promote sound waterfowl management by promptly reporting all banded birds harvested, including date and location taken. This information is used to determine annual survival, migration routes and contribution to the state harvest from different breeding grounds. To report bands, go online to ReportBand.gov. Please note that even if the band you recover is inscribed with a 1-800 telephone number, you can only report it at ReportBand.gov.

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Handling and processing migratory bird meat

What are the precautions I should take when processing waterfowl?
  • Harvest only waterfowl that act and look healthy.
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth when handling birds.
  • Do not eat, drink or smoke while handling carcasses.
  • Field-dress and prepare game outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
  • Wear disposable or rubber gloves while processing waterfowl.
  • Remove and discard intestines soon after harvesting and avoid direct contact with the intestinal contents and fecal material.
  • Wash hands, utensils and work surfaces before and after handling any meat.
  • Keep waterfowl cool (either with ice or refrigeration), below 45 degrees, until processed, then refrigerate or freeze.
  • Cook waterfowl to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
  • Wash hands and change clothes before having contact with domestic poultry and birds.
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Buying and selling game animals

Can I buy or sell game animals?

No. You cannot buy or sell game animals, except as provided by Wildlife Conservation Order 4.3, available at Michigan.gov/DNRLaws.

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Migratory bird hunter surveys

Is there a way for me to give feedback or provide information about my hunting season?

Yes. Some hunters are randomly selected each year to participate in state or federal harvest surveys, including collection of birds’ wings, tails and other body parts. Accurate and complete reporting is essential for biologists to estimate the annual harvest and impact of hunting. Please do your part to help manage waterfowl by responding to surveys. The knowledge gained permits selection of annual regulations that maximize hunting opportunities while perpetuating healthy waterfowl populations for future hunters.

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