Call Before Consuming Tags

October 5, 2023

Question: I harvested an animal with a tag on its ear that reads “call before consuming.” What should I do?

Answer: Those tags are placed on deer, bear, pronghorn, elk and bighorn sheep that have been treated with a drug by CDFW and have the potential to be harvested. Drugs may leave residues in the animal’s system that make it unsafe for human consumption for a given period of time. Eventually the drugs are metabolized by the animal. The time between use of a drug and when it is no longer in the animal’s system is called the withdrawal period.

If hunters harvest an animal with a “call before consuming” tag, they should call the phone number listed, (916) 358-2790, prior to consuming any part of a carcass to confirm that it was outside of the withdrawal period. CDFW avoids using drugs in game species close to the hunt season but occasionally the need for chemical immobilization during this time does occur. Calling the CDFW number also helps us better understand the fate of an animal that may be part of a study.