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Food safety for recreational hunters

As New Zealanders we are fortunate to have a wide variety of wild foods at our doorstep. This provides many of us with the opportunity to supplement our table with foods such as wild pork or venison or duck.

The freedom to harvest food from the wild is considered a basic right of New Zealanders. NZFSA does not intend to regulate the harvest or preparation of non-commercial wild foods for personal use.

The information provided here looks at the food safety risks associated with wild game and game birds to help recreational hunters minimise those risks and make safe decisions about the wild food they catch, store and eat.

More information on seafood is given in our booklet Food safety for seafood gatherers.

The risks

There are two main food safety risks hunters face from wild game and game birds.

The first risk is bacterial contamination, which is usually the result of:

• external wounds or sores on the animal

• cross contamination during field dressing, especially if the gut is punctured

• incorrect handling after dressing.

The second risk is chemical contamination. This may be caused by:

• the animal eating poison baits used to control possums and other vermin

• wild pigs scavenging on poisoned carcasses of animals that have eaten poison baits

• exposing the carcass to chemicals or poisons, eg, transporting the carcass home in a vehicle that is also used to carry weed-killer or fuel.

What is non-commercial wild game?

Wild game covers any wild animal or bird you can hunt. This includes pig, deer, goat, tahr, chamois, duck, pheasant, quail, Canadian geese and rabbits.

Non-commercial wild game includes animals or birds that are hunted for personal consumption. It is illegal to sell wild game or game birds unless you are a certified hunter supplying wild game to a premises that has a registered risk management programme.

More information on commercial hunting in New Zealand

Wild game and game birds caught for personal consumption are not subject to the same kinds of regulatory controls, for example, venison bought from the supermarket. The quality and safety of wild game is directly related to the health of the animal and how well the meat is looked after in the field and at home.

Some hunters prefer to have someone else butcher their game for them. Recreational-catch service providers are listed butchers who cut up and process wild game for recreational hunters.

List of recreational-catch service providers

Sharing meat with family and friends

You can share your wild game meat with family, friends or visitors as long as you don’t exchange it for money or other goods or services. A restaurant can cook your meat, but again only for you and your immediate party.

Because no assurances can be given about whether the meat is fit to eat, you cannot donate, raffle, trade or sell wild game or game birds. For example, you can’t:

• give meat to your local school to raffle

• donate meat to a food bank

• sell the meat at a farmers’ market.

You can trade those parts of your catch that are not for human or animal consumption, for example, hides, skins, horns and antlers.

Recreational hunting of wild game animals

The information in this section applies largely to wild game animals, in particular deer and pigs. Specific information about game birds is covered later in the booklet.

Planning the hunt

When you are hunting game animals it pays to plan ahead. Along with organising any hunting permit, making sure you have a valid gun licence and enough ammunition for the trip, and telling someone where you are going and for how long, there are a few key things it’s recommended you check before you leave.

Identifying safe hunting areas

When planning a hunt you should find out if poisons have been laid in the area where you will be hunting.

If you will be hunting on private land, contact the landowner or manager to find out which poisons have been (or are being) used, and how long ago bait was laid. If you’re hunting on public land contact the Department of Conservation or your Regional Council. If hunting on Mäori land contact the trust responsible for the administration of the land.

Commercial pig hunting in the Marlborough Sounds is prohibited as pigs in this area may contain poison residues. It is recommended that recreational hunters also avoid taking wild pigs from this area. This area is known as a restricted procurement area (RPA).

Equipment

• A good knife is essential. Make sure your knife is clean and sharp before carefully packing it away with your hunting gear.

• Specialised gutting knives are good for inexperienced hunters as they reduce the risk of puncturing the gut.

• Take a clean carcass bag or cheese cloth to protect the meat from flies, dirt, grass and other potential contaminants that you don’t want to end up eating.

• Alcohol-based hand cleaner is useful for sanitising your hands when soap and water aren’t available. They can also be used to clean your knife and other equipment.

On the hunt

The best place to shoot an animal is in the head or forequarter. This makes for a quick kill and reduces the risk of puncturing the gut and contaminating the meat with gut content.

The healthy animal, inside and out

When deciding if an animal is fit to eat, consider the following:

• if possible, before you take a shot watch the animal and see if it is showing any signs of sickness. Is it moving around easily? Does it appear maimed or injured in any way?

• does the animal look unusually skinny or underweight (especially if there is plenty of food around)?

• does the animal have any wounds or signs of infection? Are they localised in one area, or in several places on the body?

• does the animal’s coat look normal? Animals like deer, chamois, or tahr usually have shiny coats (except during the moult). Pigs have much coarser hair, and their coat is unlikely to be a good indicator of health

• when the animal is first cut open, are there any signs of infection or disease? Does it smell unusually bad? Do any organs look inflamed, swollen or diseased?

If a wound or infection is localised to one area, this part of the animal can be trimmed off the carcass and discarded.

If the animal looks to be in poor condition overall (eg, has several open and infected wounds, is underweight, and when you cut open the animal the gut looks infected and/ or shows signs of disease) you may decide not to continue.

Keeping it clean

Once you are ready to field dress the animal there are a few things to remember to get the best out of your wild game.

Wherever possible ensure your knife and hands are clean before bleeding and gutting your catch. The best option is to clean hands and knives with soap and water, but if water isn’t available alcohol based hand cleaner or anti-bacterial wet wipes (available from your supermarket) are a good alternative. Remember to pack out what you pack in.

Wash your knife and hands regularly while gutting an animal to avoid contaminating the carcass with dirt, insects, grass or other contaminants.

Field dressing

Although it is not a food safety issue, animals should be bled as soon as possible after killing. Not bleeding the animal will affect the quality and taste of the meat.

As soon as you have bled the animal, you need to remove the organs and gut from the carcass. Removing the organs helps the carcass cool quickly and reduces the risk of bacteria multiplying and contaminating the meat.

• Begin by removing the pizzle and testes (if male). Then cut around the anus to free the anal tract, being careful not to rupture the bladder.

• Next run the knife down the belly of the animal, using your fingers as a guide by placing them under the blunt side of the blade. This will help reduce the risk of puncturing the gut.

• Once you open the gut cavity you can then pull the anal tract out and away from the carcass.

• Before removing the gut and internal organs free the diaphragm from the rib cage. Reach forward as far as possible into the chest cavity and cut through the oesophagus/gullet and windpipe.

These steps help reduce the risk of contaminating the carcass with faecal matter or gut contents. Take extra care when removing the gut from the carcass.

Check the organs and visible meat carefully for signs of disease. Make sure they are the right size and colour, and are free of any abscesses, cysts and/or pus. If the organs look engorged, or infected in any way the animal may not be safe to eat.

The heart is usually safe to eat. Never eat the liver or kidneys and don’t feed them to your pets. These organs filter poisons from the body and concentrate them. These poisons may make you very sick or could kill your dog if you use them for dog tucker.

Discard all offal waste well away from waterways, tracks, campsites and huts.

Do not wash the carcass while in the bush. Water can spread contamination throughout the carcass and the high moisture levels promote the growth of bacteria. If there is localised contamination on the carcass (eg, if an area has been soiled during gutting), trim the soiled area.

Where possible leave the skin on the carcass. The skin acts as a natural barrier against flies and other insects, and dirt.

Do not use fly spray on or around the carcass (skinned or not) to deter flies. This could lead to residues on the meat. Instead, cover the carcass with clean muslin cloth, or use a game bag, and hang it up high in a cool, dry place.

Taking cuts of meat

If you decide to butcher the animal in the bush and only take out a few select cuts, use the skin (hair side down) as a mat. This keeps meat off the ground and helps prevent it picking up dirt as you make the cuts.

Once you have taken your cuts, wrap the meat well in clean muslin cloth and tie it off tightly to avoid any contamination while it is inside your pack.

Tips on storing meat when on a hunt

• Where possible, leave the skin on. It’s a great natural barrier against contamination.

• If you have skinned the animal let the exposed meat surfaces of the carcass dry out. Dry meat surfaces reduce the chances of bacteria growing.

• Keep the meat as cool as possible. Hang the meat well out of the sun, up high in a cool, dry place.

Transporting and storing your catch

If you are walking out of the bush with a whole carcass, leave the skin on or keep the meat covered with muslin cloth. This protects it from contamination by flies and other insects or dirt.

Clean your vehicle before you go hunting so you have a clean place to put your animal carcasses. Keep your vehicle free from any poisons, baits or other chemicals, and dirt. Avoid stacking warm carcasses on top of each other as this will cause them to deteriorate quickly.

Do not transport a carcass on the bull bars or bonnet of the vehicle as the heat from the engine may promote the growth of bacteria and cause meat to deteriorate quickly.

Chill the meat as soon as possible to minimise the growth of bacteria. When transporting cuts of meat, place the meat in a chilly bin in your vehicle. Make sure the meat is packed in sealed bags and use ice packs to keep it cool.

Carcasses are often aged before being cut up. Once home, hang them in a cool place, preferably under refrigeration. Wrap the carcass in muslin cloth or a carcass bag to keep it clean and free from contamination.

Refrigerate meat as soon as possible. When freezing meat, package cuts in small amounts and spread them throughout your freezer to help the meat freeze quickly.

If you are storing raw meat in the fridge place it in the lower part of the fridge below cooked food to avoid any juices dripping on to cooked food.

Preparing wild game

Each hunter must take responsibility for ensuring that wild game is safe to eat, for themselves and others they share their catch with.

Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly, using soap and water and a clean towel, before and after handling raw meat.

If you are away hunting over several days and you shoot an animal early in the hunt, it is best to eat it immediately. It may not last until you get it home, unless the weather is very cold.

If you do eat your catch while still on a hunt, prepare meals ‘fresh’ each day. Bacteria that can make you sick will multiply happily in leftovers!

Always use clean utensils (eg, knives) and chopping boards when preparing food.

At home, if you decide to reheat a meal from the previous day make sure the food is cooked thoroughly and steaming hot right through to the middle. Do not reheat food more than once.

In all cases, the safest option is to cook wild game thoroughly. However, if you choose to eat wild venison steaks or roasts rare, make sure you cook the outside surfaces over a very hot heat to kill any bacteria on the surface.

Eat cooked food while it is still hot. Don’t leave it to stand at room temperature.

Feeding wild game to pets

There is the possibility that wild game used for pet food could contain unacceptable levels of poison residues. Dogs in particular are very susceptible to 1080 poisoning. Pets/working animals should not be fed meat from wild animals that have had any chance of being exposed to this or any other poison.

Wild food safety at home

• Wash knives, chopping boards and other utensils thoroughly after butchering or cutting up meat.

• Store raw meat in the lower part of the fridge below cooked food.

• Always marinate meat in the fridge, not on the bench.

• Cool leftover cooked food quickly and put it in the refrigerator as soon as possible.

• You can share your wild game meat with family, friends or visitors as long as it is not exchanged for money or other goods or services.

Wild pork and Trichinella

Wild pork may be infected with the Trichinella parasite. Trichinellosis, also called trichinosis, is the disease caused by eating raw or undercooked wild pork infected with the Trichinella spiralis worm.

Trichinella worms can be killed by thoroughly cooking your pork to 75°C or higher right through. When cooked, the meat should not be pink and the juices should run clear. Cooking the meat at these temperatures kills any worms in the meat. Any off-cuts or meat fed to animals, eg, dogs, should also be cooked to these temperatures. You can also kill Trichinella by freezing meat to -18°C or below for at least 20 days.

Smoking or microwaving pork products will not kill the worms.

Trichinellosis is a notifiable disease to both the public and animal health authorities in New Zealand. Infection of humans and domestic pigs is very rare.

Poisons and toxic residues

Vertebrate toxic agents, or poisons, such as brodifacoum, cyanide and 1080, are mainly used to kill possums and rodents. These may be laid free or in bait stations as cereal baits, pellets or mixed in a paste. Poisons and residues have buffer zone requirements and caution periods applied to indicate when and where it is safe to hunt.

How can wild animals come into contact with poisons?

Wild animals can easily access and eat these poisons, especially if the poisons have not been laid in bait stations. Wild pigs often scavenge on dead possums or rodents that have been poisoned.

Wild animals caught or shot in areas where baits have been laid may contain residues. No assurances can be given for the safety or fitness of the meat for consumption.

Anticoagulants

Brodifacoum, bromadiolone and flocoumafen are commonly used ‘anticoagulants’. They work by slowing or even stopping blood clotting, causing the animal to bleed to death (often internally). Not all animals die, some just accumulate the poisons in their liver and have blood clotting problems. If they eat enough poison they will eventually die. Some examples of these products include Talon, Pestoff Possum, Bromatrol and Storm.

Anyone can buy most anticoagulant poisons, such as Talon or Pestoff Possum. Products containing brodifacoum for possum control require the user to display signs where it is used in public areas.

While there are no known cases of ill health directly linked to eating wild game meat contaminated with brodifacoum, residues of this poison have been found in the livers of wild pigs. This may pose a serious potential food safety risk if eaten. Brodifacoum doesn’t break down when the meat is cooked and could still be present when eaten.

If wild game eat a small amount of the poison bait, or pigs eat dead animals which have been poisoned, the amount of poison consumed may not be enough to kill them. The poison then stays in the animal’s system for a very long time, and will be in the meat and concentrated in the liver and kidneys.

An animal which has very recently eaten a high, but non-lethal, dose of anticoagulant poison may have poison residues concentrated in the meat. Regularly eating meat over several months from such an animal poses the risk of continued and cumulative exposure to the poison. If this meat is eaten by a person on the drug warfarin (or any other blood thinning medication) the residues can exaggerate the effects of the medication.

1080

The pesticide 1080 is largely used for possum control. The scientific name for 1080 is sodium fluoroacetate. It is biodegradable and therefore breaks down in the soil or waterways. Although technically it could be harmful to humans, someone would have to eat a large amount of bait before falling ill. 1080 is highly toxic to dogs so don’t allow your dog to scavenge or eat any pellets or bait.

1080 may be laid as cereal baits, or carrots with 1080 added. It can also be mixed in a paste and put in pots nailed to trees, or on the ground, or made into pellets with flour and placed in bait stations.

The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) New Zealand has reassessed 1080 based on the most recent information available. ERMA’s reassessment of 1080 can be found on their website: www.ermanz.govt.nz.

Buffer zones

Buffer zones are the distance from where poison has been laid to where it is safe to hunt animals. Wild animals will roam and when hunting wild game the following buffer zones are recommended as absolute minimums. Avoid taking:

• wild pig from within 5km of an area where poison has been laid or dropped

• deer or goats from within 2km of an area where poison has been laid or dropped

• possums and rabbits from within 1km of an area where poison has been laid or dropped

• any other species from within 2km of an area where poison has been laid or dropped.

If the area where poison has been dropped is fully fenced, or there are natural barriers which will prevent an animal moving into the area, buffer zones may not apply. However, there is no guarantee that an animal won’t move beyond the fence or barrier and game should not be taken unless you are absolutely certain there is no risk. If in any doubt, do not hunt in the area.

Caution periods

The caution period refers to the time when the poison is laid to when it is safe to take and eat wild animals from that area again. You should always wait for the recommended time to pass before taking and eating wild animals on land where poison has been used (refer to table below).

Check with the Department of Conservation, the Regional Council, the land owner or manager, or the trust responsible for the land to find out which poison was used in the area, when it was used, and how long you need to wait before it is safe to hunt again.

Up-to-date information about where pesticides have been used [Department of Conservation]

Poison caution periods

	1080	Pindone/Warfarin	Anticoagulant2	Any other poison3
All wild animals	Four months or two months if 100mm of rain has fallen1	Two months	Three years	Four weeks

¹ Warning signs may be required to remain in place for longer as a precautionary approach to issues other than food safety. As carcasses from animals which have eaten 1080 can remain highly toxic to dogs for periods longer than when it is safe for people to take and eat wild animals, hunters are advised to keep dogs out of the area until warning signs have been removed.

²Anticoagulants referred to here are brodifacoum, flocoumafen and bromadiolone.
³ Excluding cyanide and cholecalciferol.

Restricted hunting areas

NZFSA identifies hunting areas where the chance of wild game contamination from poison residues is high enough to warrant the area being classified as a restricted procurement area (RPA). The Marlborough Sounds is the first RPA in New Zealand.

Information gathered by NZFSA indicates that wild pigs from the Marlborough Sounds may contain poisons. This is a result of the use of poisons such as brodifacoum (a rat poison) by individuals for pest control in the area.

Wild pigs become contaminated from scavenging on dead or weak rats and possums that have fed on the poisons, or from directly consuming the poison themselves.

Even though deer are similarly affected by poisons, there is no evidence to suggest any risk from residues present in deer in this area. The most likely reason is that, unlike wild pigs, deer do not scavenge.

Any other commercially hunted wild game taken from this area to be supplied for trade must go through tests for residues. However, no similar requirement can be made for wild game that may be eaten by a recreational hunter, their family and friends. NZFSA strongly recommends that wild pigs caught in the Marlborough Sounds by recreational hunters are tested before being eaten or avoided altogether.

Location of the Marlborough Sounds restricted procurement Area

The Marlborough Sounds restricted procurement area is within the Marlborough Province of the South Island. It is approximately the area of land and sea north and east of the Bryant and Richmond Ranges, north of the Wairau River and the coast line between Cape Soucis and Rarangi (settlement). It includes all the islands of the Marlborough Sounds (see map below).

As at June 2008 the restriction only applies to pigs in the Marlborough Sounds area.

Further information on the Marlborough Sounds RPA

Recreational hunting of game birds

The food safety information in this section applies to game birds, such as duck, swan, geese and turkey.

All game bird hunters hunting waterfowl on wetland areas (public and private) must use non-toxic shot. Game bird hunters must also hold a licence and be aware of hunting seasons and bag limits. For more information contact Fish & Game New Zealand, www.fishandgame.org.nz.

The risks

The main food safety risk hunters face from game birds is bacterial contamination. This is usually the result of bacteria in or on the bird and/or poor handling. As with wild game animals, you risk contaminating your catch if you transport your birds in a vehicle that is used to carry pesticides or chemicals. Make sure your vehicle is clean before you leave for the hunt.

Planning

Most game birds are cleaned and dressed after the hunt, but there are important preparations to make before you leave for the hunt:

• pack a chilly bin and ice packs to keep the meat cool, if breasting birds in the field

• take a length of string or wire to hang your birds off the ground and in the shade

• take a clean, sharp knife for gutting and breasting your birds

• take clean tap or drinking water if you intend to dress the birds in the field

• alcohol-based hand cleaner or wet wipes are useful for cleaning hands when soap and water are not available. They can also be used to clean your knife and other equipment.

Field dressing

Always hang your birds on the cool side of the maimai in the shade, or place them out of the sun. As the sun rises, keep an eye on the birds and move your catch if it begins to fall on them.

Always gut the bird as soon as possible even if you don’t pluck it until later. Make sure all your equipment is clean before you start.

When gutting the bird try not to puncture the gut as this will contaminate the meat. Remove the gizzard, heart, lungs and entrails. Using a bit of stiff hose, or similar, run it up and down the backbone to remove the material attached to either side. Clean your knife and hands between each bird to prevent cross-contamination.

If you breast your birds during the quiet periods of a hunt, clean the breasts well and place them in plastic bags in a chilly bin with ice packs to keep them cool.

If you find that the breast is bloodied or damaged by shot, try washing, scraping or trimming the damaged area. If none of the above work, throw it out. Use clean water to wash each breast and dry well with clean paper towels. Chill quickly, and refrigerate or freeze the meat as soon as you get home.

Plucking and cleaning

While plucking, if you come to a bird that has a portion that has gone ‘green’, discard the whole bird.

The feathers can be home to lots of bacteria, so thoroughly rinse all meat and carcasses with plenty of clean water, and pat dry with paper towels. Check the carcass very carefully for shot. Steel and lead shot will break teeth, and lead shot is harmful if eaten. Once you have finished plucking, place the bird on its bottom in a clean chilly bin to allow it to drain.

Hanging and storage

If you are going to age your catch, birds are best aged in the fridge. Hanging your birds increases the risk of contamination and, if not refrigerated, bacteria on the birds will multiply rapidly. Chill or freeze your birds as soon as possible.

No matter how well you wash and clean your bird you cannot remove all bacteria. It’s important to make sure your bird does not drip on other food and contaminate it. Always store meat in a sealed container in your fridge, on the bottom rack below other food.

After handling birds, thoroughly clean hands and all kitchen surfaces.

Cooking

Game birds need to be well cooked – ideally in a slow cooker or crock-pot, or use an oven bag to prevent the meat from drying out. It’s hard to process birds hygienically so you need to cook it well to make sure any harmful bacteria are killed.

How to avoid foodborne illness

Foodborne illness is the term used when you get sick from contaminated food. Bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses and toxins may contaminate food and cause stomach upsets, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea or worse.

Prepare, cook and store food carefully to avoid getting sick. If you think you have an illness caused by food, contact your doctor right away.

One of the best ways to reduce the risks of contaminated food is by following the 4Cs – Clean, Cook, Cover, Chill. While following the 4Cs isn’t always easy when you’re on a hunting trip, we recommend you follow them as best you can.

Clean

Clean hands are hands that are washed with soap and dried with a clean towel. It’s important to always wash your hands before handling food, and wash them after going to the toilet, handling raw meat, handling pets or other animals, and smoking.

Wash knives and other utensils, and scrub chopping boards between preparation of raw and cooked foods.

If you use your home kitchen for butchering wild game or game birds, thoroughly clean all surfaces and utensils afterwards.

Cook

Cook minced meat, sausages and wild pork thoroughly (meat should not be pink) and cook poultry until juices run clear. Reheat leftovers until steaming hot throughout and do not reheat more than once.

Do not put cooked meat back on the same plate that held raw meat.

Cover

Cover all foods before storing.

Keep raw meat and poultry covered and away from ready-to-eat food, fruit and vegetables.

Chill

Most bacteria that cause foodborne illness thrive at room temperature – keep food either very cold or very hot.

Thaw meat on the bottom shelf of the fridge so that the juices don’t drip on other food.

Where to find more information

Game bird hunting, seasons, and licensing [Fish & Game New Zealand]

Recreational hunting, clubs and advocacy [New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association]

Hunting in New Zealand's national parks, including hunting permits and pesticide summaries [Department of Conservation]

Up-to-date information on poison assessments [Environmental Risk Management Agency]

Firearm licensing and safe firearm use when hunting [New Zealand Police]

Contact details for local and regional councils [Local Government New Zealand]

July 2009