Bailey2143,
...in regards to proof of sex;
Except as otherwise provided in NAC 502.403, any person who kills a deer, elk, mountain goat, antelope or bighorn sheep shall, until the carcass is frozen, smoked, dried, consumed or accepted by a commercial processing plant for processing, maintain possession of at least that portion of the cape or scalp that includes the ears to the base of the muzzle and any antlers or horns. The cape or scalp and any antlers or horns from the animal must be possessed in such a manner that they remain or are kept together with the carcass of the animal.
(Refer to NAC 503.173)
...as to what needs to be removed in the field as ?edible meat?;
NAC 503.0047 ?Edible portion? interpreted. (NRS 501.105, 501.181, 503.050)
1. As used in NRS 503.050, the Commission will interpret ?edible portion? to mean, with respect to:
(a) A big game mammal, except mountain lions and black bears:
(1) The meat of the front quarters to the knee;
(2) The meat of the hind quarters to the hock; and
(3) The meat along the backbone between the front quarters and hind quarters;
(b) A game mammal:
(1) The meat of the front quarters to the elbow;
(2) The meat of the hind quarters to the hock; and
(3) The meat along the backbone between the front quarters and hind quarters;
(c) A game bird, the meat of the breast; and
(d) A game fish, the fillet meat from the gill plate to the tail fin.
2. The term does not include:
(a) Meat from the head or neck;
(b) Meat that has been damaged and rendered inedible by the method of taking;
(c) Meat that is reasonably lost as a result of boning or close trimming of bones;
(d) Bones;
(e) Sinew; or
(f) Viscera.
3. As used in this section:
(a) ?Elbow? means the distal joint of the humerus.
(b) ?Gill plate? means the operculum.
(c) ?Hock? means the distal joint of the tibia-fibula.
(d) ?Knee? means the distal joint of the radius-ulna.
(e) ?Tail fin? means the caudal fin.
(Added to NAC by Bd. of Wildlife Comm?rs by R041-09, eff. 10-27-2009)
So in response to your question you need to remove all four quarters, backstraps, and the tenderloins of your deer. You can debone in the field and leave the bones in the field if you want to reduce your pack weight. You don't have to retain sex on the rear quarter. Note the exception for 2(e) for meat damaged by your bullet etc. rendering it inedible. I would recommend photographing any otherwise edible meat if you leave it under this exception so you can provide proof to a warden if questioned. Don?t try and use this exception as an excuse to leave any edible meat.
As to the head, if antlerless, you could either remove and retain the head or alternatively if you wanted to reduce weight you could cape the head so that you have the ears, scalp, and the nose down to the muzzle. If you have a buck tag, either retain the head or cape the head off like antlerless but you also need to cut the horns off and keep those as well with the carcass.
As kalielkslayer stated, if you are bringing your animal back into states with CWD import restrictions like CA you would want to to cape your head and cut off the antlers as you can't bring the brain across state lines.
Good luck on your hunt and stay safe!
Horniac
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