Colorado Rules for Handling a Dead Wild Animal

Yes. C.R.S. 33-1-102(51)(a) defines wildlife as wild animals "whether alive or dead". A Colorado Parks and Wildlife rule, 2 CCR 406-0 #017.A, allows any person to possess or dispose of dead wildlife that is unfit to eat and has no marketable value, provided disposal follows state and local health standards and pollution laws. The rule does not cover migratory birds, threatened or endangered species, species whose possession is expressly prohibited, or parts with trophy or commercial value.

Not on your own say-so. Under #017.B, dead wildlife that the CPW Regional Manager judges to have trophy or commercial value, such as a head suitable for mounting, is disposed of under the Regional Manager's direction. Possessing any part of a bear or mountain lion is prohibited without CPW authorization (#020.G), so call CPW first for either. Ask CPW before keeping anything, and keep the carcass whole.

Only the edible portions, and only with one of three CPW authorizations: a prior letter of authorization, a scientific collecting permit for the species, or a donation certificate. For a donation certificate you must notify CPW within 48 hours of taking possession, and you may have to present the animal for inspection (#016.C). Drivers in a wildlife-vehicle collision must report it to the Colorado State Patrol on *277.

We found no Colorado rule that requires testing a deer found dead on private property, or that stops it being taken to a landfill. CPW says about half of Colorado's deer herds have animals known to be infected, and it asks people to report adult deer, elk or moose carcasses that look unusually thin. For a harvested deer that tests positive, CPW advises double-bagging every part for the trash or the landfill.

Do not throw it away. Colorado's health department names bats and skunks as the state's main rabies sources and says bitten or biting animals should not be disposed of, because they may need testing. Call your local health department, and your doctor or vet. The department waives its testing fee for skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and bats when contact with a person, pet or livestock is suspected.

Yes, because plague and tularemia occur naturally in Colorado wildlife. Colorado's health department says not to handle dead rodents or rabbits with bare hands, not to mow over sick or dead animals, and to report die-offs to local public health. For dead mice, it warns never to sweep or vacuum, because deer mice carry hantavirus. The CDC cleanup steps it links to start with airing the space for 30 minutes and soaking the mouse in disinfectant or a bleach solution before double-bagging it.

Federal, mainly. Since December 31, 2024, 50 CFR 21.16 lets anyone pick up a dead migratory bird to dispose of it within seven days, but nobody may keep the bird, its feathers or any part. Five or more dead birds, or a suspected illegal kill, must be reported to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement first. The federal rule notes that state permits may also be required, and Colorado's rules contain no matching salvage provision. CPW's advice is never to handle sick or dead wild birds; if it must be done, wear gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and a fitted face mask, double-bag the bird and contact CPW. Pigeons, starlings and house sparrows are not federally protected.

A small one, in many places. Boulder County Public Health, the Jefferson County Sheriff and Pueblo County's health department all describe bagging a small animal for an outdoor trash container. Check your city first: Thornton's code bars dead animals from city-provided carts unless the director approves. A deer is a different job. Colorado's health department says landfills accept animal carcasses with the landfill operator's prior approval.

Check with your county health department first. The burial figures that circulate for Colorado come from state guidance written for livestock and mass die-offs, and they are not a homeowner rule. City codes differ: Pueblo's, for one, bars burying an animal anywhere in the city.

We found no Colorado licence specific to removing dead animals, which is not the same as a statement that none is needed. Colorado regulates trapping live wildlife (Colorado Parks and Wildlife) and applying pesticides for hire, including repellents and poisons (Colorado Department of Agriculture). Ask any company you hire how it handles both, and whether your city or county requires a business licence.