Improperly Skinning, Cutting or Packing a Carcass in Ontario:

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Last Updated: September 13 2026

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Question: I was ticketed in Ontario for improper skinning, cutting or packing a carcass, what should I do before the court date?

Answer: If you received an Ontario ticket or summons for improper skinning, cutting or packing a carcass, the safest first step is to read the exact offence wording and section 20 Ontario Reg 665/98 on your document, preserve your tag and its instructions plus photos/videos of the carcass, transport records, and any processing or butcher notes, because liability often turns on whether the species, type, age, or sex remained easily identifiable and whether preparation followed the tag instructions while section 20(1) still applied   Do not pay automatically unless you have reviewed the specific allegation and evidence, since paying a ticket is usually treated as a guilty plea   A paralegal at DefendCharges.ca™ can help you organize the disclosure, understand what the Crown must prove for the hunter and separate possession parts of the charge, and plan next steps before deadlines; call (647) 559-3377 in Ontario.

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Improperly Skinning, Cutting or Packing a Carcass in Ontario

Received a ticket or summons for Improperly Skinning, Cutting or Packing a Carcass in Ontario?  You have been charged with a provincial offence under Ontario hunting law.  The charge may concern skinning, cutting, or packing an animal killed under the authority of a tag so that its species, type, age, or sex could not be easily identified, failing to follow the instructions that accompanied the tag, or possessing a carcass prepared contrary to these requirements.

Note: Please contact DefendCharges.ca™ by phone at: (647) 559-3377 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.

Do not panic.  Being charged does not automatically mean you will be convicted.  Ontario does not prohibit all field dressing, skinning, cutting, quartering, or packing after an animal is killed.  The issue is whether the identification requirements and tag instructions that applied to the carcass were followed while section 20 of Ontario Regulation 665/98 still applied.

This page explains what an Improperly Skinning, Cutting or Packing a Carcass charge means, what must remain identifiable, when section 20 applies and ends, how tag instructions affect the charge, the separate possession offence, what must be proven, current fines and possible consequences, evidence, legal issues and defences, and what may happen next.  This offence is part of Wildlife Possession & Transportation Charges.

I Received an Improperly Skinning, Cutting or Packing a Carcass Ticket or Summons.  What Should I Do?

A summons is a court document requiring you to attend court or respond as directed.  Read every document carefully and do not miss the response deadline or required court date.

Start with the exact offence wording and section number.  Your documents may identify the issue as the species, type, age, or sex of the animal no longer being easily identifiable, preparing the carcass contrary to tag instructions, or possessing a carcass that had already been unlawfully skinned, cut, or packed.

Keep the ticket or summons, photographs and videos of the carcass, the tag and accompanying instructions, licence documents, photographs taken at the kill site or during transportation, butcher or processing records, messages, GPS information, and anything else connected with the charge.  Do not delete, alter, discard, or modify potentially important evidence.

Should I Pay the Ticket?

Paying the ticket will generally be treated as pleading guilty and will result in a conviction, meaning a finding of guilt.  Before paying, identify the exact clause or subsection on your ticket and consider what part of the carcass identification, tag instruction, or possession rule the prosecution says was violated.

What Is an Improperly Skinning, Cutting or Packing a Carcass Charge?

Improperly Skinning, Cutting or Packing a Carcass is a plain-English title covering several related offences under section 20 of Ontario Regulation 665/98.  The regulation applies to a licensed hunter who kills a wildlife species under the authority of a tag.

While subsection 20(1) applies, the hunter must ensure that the carcass is not skinned, cut, or packed in a manner that prevents the species from being easily identified.  If the tag specifies the type of species or the age or sex of the animal that may be hunted and killed, the applicable type, age, or sex must also remain easily identifiable.

The carcass must also not be skinned, cut, or packed contrary to the instructions that accompany the tag.  Section 20 also creates a separate offence for possessing a carcass that was skinned, cut, or packed contrary to subsection 20(1).

The exact offence therefore depends on the wording on your ticket, the tag and its instructions, the condition of the carcass, and when and where the preparation occurred.  Other wildlife possession and transportation offences are organized within Wildlife Possession & Transportation Charges.

What Must Remain Easily Identifiable?

The species must remain easily identifiable while subsection 20(1) applies.  If the tag specifies the type of species or the age or sex of the animal that may be hunted and killed, that characteristic must also remain easily identifiable.

The regulation does not prescribe one universal identifying feature for every tagged animal.  What matters can depend on the species, the authority granted by the tag, and the instructions that accompanied it.

Skinning, cutting, quartering, or packing a carcass is therefore not automatically illegal.  The question is whether the way the carcass was prepared prevented the identification required by section 20 or violated the applicable tag instructions.

When Does Section 20 Stop Applying?

Subsection 20(1) stops applying once the animal has been transported from the site of the kill to the site of processing and is being prepared for long-term storage.

The timing and location of the preparation can therefore be important.  Photographs, transportation records, butcher or processor records, timestamps, GPS information, and witness evidence may help establish whether the carcass was altered before or after that point.

Why Do the Tag Instructions Matter?

Section 20 specifically prohibits skinning, cutting, or packing a carcass contrary to the instructions that accompany the tag.  The actual instructions applicable to the tag used for the animal should therefore be preserved and reviewed.

The charge should be compared with those instructions rather than with a general assumption about how a carcass should be prepared.  If the instructions required a particular identifying feature to remain with the animal, the evidence should show whether that requirement was actually followed.

What If the Charge Is for Possessing an Improperly Prepared Carcass?

Subsection 20(3) creates a separate possession offence.  It provides that no person may possess a carcass that was skinned, cut, or packed contrary to subsection 20(1).

Possession generally means having or controlling the carcass and does not necessarily require ownership.  Unlike subsection 20(1), which applies to the licensed hunter who killed the animal under the authority of a tag, subsection 20(3) applies to any person who possesses a carcass prepared in contravention of subsection 20(1).

What Law Applies?

The principal rule is section 20 of Ontario Regulation 665/98, Hunting, under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997.  Subsection 20(1) establishes the carcass identification and tag instruction requirements, subsection 20(2) establishes when those requirements stop applying, and subsection 20(3) creates the related possession offence.

What Must Be Proven?

The prosecutor, meaning the lawyer or representative presenting the government's case, must prove every required part of the particular charge beyond a reasonable doubt.  Beyond a reasonable doubt is the high legal standard that must be met before the court can find you guilty.

For a charge under subsection 20(1), the issues may include:

• Your identity as the licensed hunter involved;
• That you killed the wildlife species under the authority of a tag;
• That the carcass was skinned, cut, or packed;
• That the required species, type, age, or sex could not be easily identified, if that is the charge;
• If the charge concerns tag instructions, what instructions accompanied the tag and how the preparation was contrary to them; and
• That the conduct occurred before subsection 20(1) stopped applying.

For a possession charge under subsection 20(3), the prosecution must establish that you possessed the carcass and that it had been skinned, cut, or packed in contravention of subsection 20(1).

What Is the Fine?

The current set fine is $200 for each of the section 20 carcass offences listed in the Ontario Court of Justice set-fine schedule.  A set fine is the preset fine used when a particular provincial offence is dealt with by ticket.

The $200 set fine applies to:

• Skinning, cutting, or packing a carcass so that the species cannot be easily identified;
• Skinning, cutting, or packing a carcass so that the type of animal cannot be easily identified;
• Skinning, cutting, or packing a carcass so that the age of the animal cannot be easily identified;
• Skinning, cutting, or packing a carcass so that the sex of the animal cannot be easily identified;
• Skinning, cutting, or packing a carcass contrary to the instructions accompanying the tag; and
• Possessing a carcass unlawfully skinned, cut, or packed.

The set fine is not necessarily the total amount payable.  A victim fine surcharge is an additional amount Ontario adds to a fine after conviction, and applicable court costs may also be added.

The general statutory maximum for an individual convicted of an offence under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 is a fine of up to $25,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.  A higher maximum can apply where an offence was committed for commercial purposes.  These are statutory maximums and are not the automatic or usual result of a $200 ticket.

Can This Charge Affect a Hunting Licence?

A hunting licence cancellation or prohibition is not automatic merely because you have been charged.  A charge is not a conviction.

After conviction, however, the court may prohibit a person for a specified period from possessing, applying for, or obtaining a licence related to the offence and from engaging in the activity for which that licence would be required.  If the person already holds the affected licence, the court must order it cancelled when such a prohibition is imposed.

Could the Carcass or Other Property Be Seized?

Yes, where the statutory requirements for seizure are met.  A seizure means property has been taken into official custody.

Depending on the investigation, relevant property may include the carcass or portions of the animal, the tag and related hunting documents, containers or packaging, photographs or electronic records, and other property believed to provide evidence of the offence.

Forfeiture means permanent loss of ownership.  Seizure does not itself establish guilt or automatically mean property will be permanently lost, but forfeiture may follow where the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 authorizes it.

What Evidence May Be Used?

These charges often depend on what the carcass looked like, what identifying features remained, the tag instructions, and where the animal was in the transportation and processing process.  Relevant evidence may include:

• The carcass or portions of the animal and photographs or videos showing its condition;
• The tag, accompanying instructions, licence, and hunting documents;
• Evidence showing the species, type, age, or sex of the animal;
• GPS information, timestamps, maps, transportation, butcher, processor, or storage records;
• Conservation Officer notes, photographs, recordings, and observations;
• Witness evidence; and
• Statements attributed to you or other people involved.

Disclosure is the relevant information and evidence in the prosecutor's possession or control that you are entitled to receive, subject to the law.  Disclosure should be obtained and reviewed before important decisions are made about a disputed charge.

What Possible Defences or Legal Issues May Apply?

The defence depends on the exact section 20 offence, the carcass, tag, instructions, location, timing, and available evidence.  Not every defence or legal issue applies to every charge.

The Required Identification Remained Clear

The fact that a carcass was skinned, cut, quartered, or packed does not by itself prove the offence.  The evidence may show that the species or, where applicable, the type, age, or sex remained easily identifiable.

The Tag or Instructions Do Not Support the Charge

For a type, age, or sex charge, the tag must specify the characteristic that may be hunted and killed.  For a tag-instruction charge, the actual instructions and condition of the carcass should be compared to determine whether the required rule was violated.

Subsection 20(1) No Longer Applied

The identification and tag instruction requirements stop applying once the animal has been transported from the kill site to the processing site and is being prepared for long-term storage.  The timing and location of the preparation may therefore be central to the charge.

The Evidence Does Not Establish Possession

For a subsection 20(3) charge, the prosecution must establish that you possessed the carcass and that it had been prepared in contravention of subsection 20(1).  Being near a carcass does not automatically establish possession.

Due Diligence

Due diligence means taking all reasonable care in the circumstances to prevent the offence.  Evidence that you reviewed the tag instructions, preserved required identifying features, checked the carcass before transportation, or took other reasonable compliance steps may be relevant.

Honest and Reasonable Mistake of Fact

An honest and reasonable mistake of fact means honestly and reasonably believing facts that, if true, would make the conduct innocent.  This is different from simply not knowing what the law requires.

Evidence or Statement Issues

Photographs, tag instructions, identification evidence, location and timing records, Conservation Officer observations, witness evidence, and statements should be reviewed carefully.  Their accuracy, completeness, context, reliability, and lawful use can affect whether the charge is proven.

What Happens Next?

Your ticket or summons should identify the next procedural step and any response deadline or court date.  Do not miss that deadline while obtaining legal advice, requesting disclosure, or deciding how to respond.

After disclosure is obtained, the exact charge can be compared with the carcass, tag, identifying features, tag instructions, location, processing stage, photographs, officer evidence, and any defence supported by the circumstances.

The prosecutor may withdraw the charge, meaning the charge is no longer being pursued, or the matter may be resolved by a guilty plea or another agreement, or proceed to trial.  The appropriate response depends on the evidence, legal issues, possible consequences, and circumstances of your case.

How Can DefendCharges.ca™ Help?

DefendCharges.ca™ can review the wording on your ticket, summons, seizure notice, or other documents and compare it with the wildlife, carcass, tag, identifying features, records, and activity involved.  This can help identify the exact charge, the legal requirements that apply, and the factual issues that may be important to your case.

If the matter proceeds through court, DefendCharges.ca™ can explain the court process, review the available evidence and legal issues, discuss possible penalties or other consequences, and help you understand your options for responding to the charge.

Have Questions About Hunting Charges?

Whether you have been charged with one hunting or wildlife offence or several, understanding your legal options is important.  DefendCharges.ca™ can review your case, explain the charges you are facing, and help you understand your legal options and the best course of action.  Contact us today to discuss your situation.

Key Takeaways

• Section 20 requires a tagged animal to remain identifiable in the ways required by the regulation while subsection 20(1) applies;
• Skinning, cutting, quartering, or packing a carcass is not automatically illegal, but the applicable identification requirements and tag instructions must be followed;
• The rule stops applying once the animal has been transported from the kill site to the processing site and is being prepared for long-term storage;
• A separate offence applies to possessing a carcass that was unlawfully skinned, cut, or packed;
• The current set fine for each listed section 20 offence is $200; and
• The exact offence wording, tag, instructions, carcass evidence, and disclosure should be reviewed before deciding how to respond.

Conclusion

An Improperly Skinning, Cutting or Packing a Carcass charge should be reviewed using the exact offence wording, condition of the carcass, tag and instructions, identifying features that remained, and where the animal was in the transportation and processing process.  Skinning or dividing an animal does not by itself establish the offence.

Before paying the ticket or entering a plea, review the charge, disclosure, photographs, tag documents, identification evidence, timing and location information, possible defences, and potential consequences.  Legal representation can help determine whether the evidence proves the particular section 20 offence.