HUNTINGsmart! USA Knowledge Base

If you’re driving into town with a dead bear in the bed of your truck or tied to the rack of your ATV, make sure it’s covered up. Putting a bloody game animal in view of the public is irresponsible behavior and risks losing the respect that the hunting community has worked hard to gain. For example, if you’re driving behind a school bus and the children on board are all peeping over their seats to check out your cargo, you’ve got a problem.

Keeping the carcass covered will also keep any exhaust fumes or road dust from getting to the meat. Use a clean, wooden skid to prop it up away from the truck bed. This will provide the carcass with good air circulation. Remember to cover the carcass with cheesecloth, not plastic.

Wise Words: Clean Your Toys

Scrub down your truck bed or ATV trailer before your hunting trip if you’ll be using either to transport game. Think about all the junk we throw in our truck beds—jugs of washer fluid, bags of garbage, gas cans… stuff you wouldn’t want to eat so we suggest not flavoring your meat with it.