# duck jerky and possession limits



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I have 21 ducks in my freezer.

I take 7 ducks out of my freezer and make jerky.

Can I go shoot 7 more ducks?




I ran this back on the old forum in 2006. Everyone that threatened to whip my butt over the thread is gone, so I'll run it again. 

.


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## mallardgoose (Oct 11, 2010)

As long as the jerky is consumed.


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## bug doc (Apr 19, 2008)

I seem to remember that once the meat has been prepared for consumption (i.e. jerked) then it no longer counts towards your possession limit.


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## robiland (Jan 20, 2008)

bug doc, that is what I am thinking if I remember right. If it has been prepped to eat or cooked, then it does not count. But thats beating up the spider webs in the old brain.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Yes.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

Here's another spin on that question-a few years ago I started separating the breasts and legs of all the ducks and geese that I shot in a season, the idea being to eat the breasts quickly and save all the leg meat for a big pot of duck BBQ for a super bowl party in February. At the end of that season I ended up with a bag of about 60 duck legs to process into BBQ meat, but only about 5 breasts in the freezer. It occurred to me when I was making the BBQ that having 30 pairs of legs could possibly put me in violation of the possession law-does anybody know if that would actually count as a violation of the law? I actually haven't done this again in case it was.


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

I voted no, but then got to thinking, it would make sense that once it is prepared for consumption, you could harvest more. Jerky and bottling game meat are both instances I would think that it makes sense that you shouldn't be over the possession limit.


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## Goshawk (Sep 7, 2007)

NO. You can not go shoot more ducks the meat is still in your possession until it is eaten or properly tagged and given away. It still counts against your possession limit regardless of any processing.
In regards to the legs... Possession limit is 21 ducks so anything over 42 legs would put you in violation.


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## Goshawk (Sep 7, 2007)

Goob, I took a walk through the "good old days" and dug up your post about this question and the Feds response to you....


wyogoob said:


> I posed this question to the Fish & Wildlife Service a couple of years ago:
> 
> I live in Wyoming and hunt waterfowl often in the US F & W preserves in Utah.
> 
> ...


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## dubob (Sep 8, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> I have 21 ducks in my freezer.
> 
> I take 7 ducks out of my freezer and make jerky.
> 
> ...


The short answer is 'NO!'


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## massmanute (Apr 23, 2012)

For what it's worth (and it isn't worth much) I once knew someone whose father was high up in the Utah Fish and Game department. According to this person the father had a freezer full of fish. This was a few decades ago.


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## massmanute (Apr 23, 2012)

Goob,

Does anyone else in your household have a license?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

massmanute said:


> Goob,
> 
> Does anyone else in your household have a license?


no

..............


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Goshawk said:


> Goob, I took a walk through the "good old days" and dug up your post about this question and the Feds response to you....


Good on ya. I was gonna wait awhile and post the answer; the letter from the duck cops explaining the rule

So the answer is "no", turning a duck into jerky or sausage doesn't take it out of your possession limit.

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