What must a hunter do with a harvested animal before leaving the site?

When hunters harvest an animal, it is essential to field dress the animal and validate the tag before leaving the site. Field dressing involves removing the internal organs of the animal to preserve the meat, prevent spoilage, and make the animal lighter and easier to transport. This practice is particularly important in warmer conditions where meat can spoil quickly.

Validating the tag is a mandatory legal requirement that helps to ensure proper tracking and management of wildlife populations. The tag typically must be filled out with details such as the date and location of the kill, providing important data for wildlife conservation efforts and helping authorities keep records of hunting activities.

Packing the harvested animal for transport, while necessary, is only part of the process after the animal has been properly field dressed. Taking a picture with the animal is more of a personal choice and not a requirement of responsible hunting and wildlife management. Leaving the animal untouched would go against the ethics and laws surrounding hunting practices, which require responsible handling of harvested animals.