# Disposing of fish carcasses



## STRONGPERSUADER (Nov 5, 2006)

Ok, so I bag mine and throw them in the trash after I clean them as I don’t have a place for a garden. I’ve seen some toss them in the body of water they came from. Isn’t that against the law in Ohio? I’ve looked and couldn’t find it anywhere. What do you guys do with them?


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Freeze them and pitch them with the trash the night before pickup. 

Or, take them to ezbites house. He has a new fancy oven in the garage. 
He’ll eat the carcass.


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## walleye willey (May 29, 2014)

I bag them freeze them and put the frozen guts to the trash the morning my trash gets picked up, no stink that way


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

STRONGPERSUADER said:


> Ok, so I bag mine and throw them in the trash after I clean them as I don’t have a place for a garden. I’ve seen some toss them in the body of water they came from. Isn’t that against the law in Ohio? I’ve looked and couldn’t find it anywhere. What do you guys do with them?


I'm pretty sure it's against the law unless you own the body of water you're dumping them into...dunno...littering in a sense...


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

walleye willey said:


> I bag them freeze them and put the frozen guts to the trash the morning my trash gets picked up, no stink that way


Best way.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

My trashcans are closer to my neighbors house then mine. My neighbors have been down right nasty towards us since day one,for no apparent reason. I keep my yard nice,bring my cans back after trash run,offer bbq,all the neighborly things u should do. 
Sooo I fillet fish,discard guts/carcass in trash bins hopefully a week before trash runs on a super hot week. Then douse the cans in hot pepper seasoning to keep the critters out....
When I clean them at my uncles I place them in the apartment complex dumpster. I ordinarily would not do this,but he picks up quite a bit of trash from them that gets thrown or blown into his property,soooo.... lol.


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

Bag and freeze here......if ez bite lived closer though........


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## Workingman (Jan 21, 2016)

Mine get buried in the compost bin


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## G.lock (Apr 1, 2014)

I bag and freeze, but a Lodge I frequent in Canada collects all the fish remains from the cleaning house and runs them out to a island every evening for the wildlife to eat.
We would often anchor a 100 ft. off and watch everything from bald eagles to otters enjoy them.


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## Brutus Bluegill (Apr 30, 2016)

I was looking all over online a few weeks ago for the legality of this and also found nothing. I'm going to call my county wildlife officer and ask her. I need to ask her about something else anyway. I will report back what I hear.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Saugeyefisher said:


> My trashcans are closer to my neighbors house then mine. My neighbors have been down right nasty towards us since day one,for no apparent reason. I keep my yard nice,bring my cans back after trash run,offer bbq,all the neighborly things u should do.
> Sooo I fillet fish,discard guts/carcass in trash bins hopefully a week before trash runs on a super hot week. Then douse the cans in hot pepper seasoning to keep the critters out....
> When I clean them at my uncles I place them in the apartment complex dumpster. I ordinarily would not do this,but he picks up quite a bit of trash from them that gets thrown or blown into his property,soooo.... lol.


Lmao,that’s good stuff. 

I’m lucky to have property. I rotate between dumping in the pond and in the woods. They all got to eat. 

Agree with Shad and think it’s illegal to dump them in Erie.


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

I take it to my city's central compacter but in a pinch, I made a deposit in the trash can at my corner gas station before leaving town. 

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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

My job allows me to incinerate anything that needs incinerated  (keep that in mind wise guys) but I do know a man from Cleveland that takes his guts to Walmart parking lot garbage cans..


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## bumpus (Jan 17, 2015)

I got a bin in my woods the ***** and possums can get into but my bloodhound can't so it works out perfectly for me


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## I Fish (Sep 24, 2008)

Brutus Bluegill said:


> I was looking all over online a few weeks ago for the legality of this and also found nothing. I'm going to call my county wildlife officer and ask her. I need to ask her about something else anyway. I will report back what I hear.


I think I know the answer but look forward to hearing the official response.

When I used to go fishing in the south, the cleaning tables were often out on a dock. Just slit the belly and swim bladder and throw them in.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

In the woods they go...same as all other cleaned game carcasses.


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

I throw mine out back by my creek for the critters to eat. A game warden threatened me with a ticket for throwing dove carcasses in a picked corn field on private property that I had permission to dump carcasses on. The farmer told me to throw any bird carcasses back in the field, he said it’s “free fertilizer”. The badge heavy game warden ended up giving me a warning. He told me that I was littering. I have an environmental science degree, and I don’t consider it littering at all. I see it as recycling, nothing gets wasted in nature. Throwing animal parts in the garbage is wasteful.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

LOL,,,, *"The badge heavy game warden ended up giving me a warning. He told me that I was littering"*

*Then I would have told HIM to drive down rt11 & PICK UP EVERY ONE OF 'HIS' CARCASSES! ;>) (& reimburse everyone for auto damage!)*

anyway,,,,,,,,
Our campground raised the FEE on the walk-in freezer to $30 a year,,,, per camper. Some camps dump 200 casings a week,,,, I usually dump 24! SAME FEE!???? (I want $5 PER PERSON!)

SO,,,, me being me, & NOT thinking that's fare, I now dump my 'garbage' ON MY OWN PROPERTY, out by the hi-way creek crossing pipe.
Not only does it feed the hungry birds of prey ( then they don't end up eatting MY rabbits & squirrels?,, but many families actually stop to take pics of the buzzards, hawks, & sometime a Juvenal eagle) 
but it ALSO helps to rid the whole neighborhood of that *GAME WARDENS GARBAGE CAN DUMPING, BIRD FEED STEELING, FREE-ROAMING & TRESPASSING VARMINTS!!!?

LMBO,,,, they run fast across that road, but just can't beat those 18 wheelers!!! ;>)*


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## Bluegillin' (Jan 28, 2009)

I will be interested to hear what the actual law is, but in my opinion, as long as fish carcasses are not dumped by a boat ramp, swimming area, or other heavily used public area, I am not sure what the harm would be of dumping them in a lake or river. I have to imagine that between the turtles, other fish and crayfish that the remains would be gone in a matter of days. There have to be thousands if not millions of fish that die naturally every year in our waters and most are never seen because they are eaten by other fish or animals.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

Varmint bait


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

I just googled " Is it legal to dispose of fish carcasses back into the water in Ohio ?" and the first two responses that popped up were both this discussion on OGF So that got me nowhere !!! LOL


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## STRONGPERSUADER (Nov 5, 2006)

DeathFromAbove said:


> I just googled " Is it legal to dispose of fish carcasses back into the water in Ohio ?" and the first two responses that popped up were both this discussion on OGF So that got me nowhere !!! LOL


Haha! I did the same.


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## Brutus Bluegill (Apr 30, 2016)

Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-13-01 Section F says:

(F) It shall be unlawful for any person at any time to place or dispose of a dead fish in a stream, river, pond, lake, or any other body of water or upon the banks thereof, except dead fish or parts of fish may be used as bait or a lure.

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/1501:31-13


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Brutus Bluegill said:


> Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-13-01 Section F says:
> 
> (F) It shall be unlawful for any person at any time to place or dispose of a dead fish in a stream, river, pond, lake, or any other body of water or upon the banks thereof, except dead fish or parts of fish may be used as bait or a lure.
> 
> http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/1501:31-13


Simple enough, tell em your baiting ****


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

ezbite said:


> Simple enough, tell em your baiting ****


**** live in the water? Get to work.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

^^^


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## STRONGPERSUADER (Nov 5, 2006)

Thanks for getting back BB.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

bobk said:


> Freeze them and pitch them with the trash the night before pickup.
> 
> Or, take them to ezbites house. He has a new fancy oven in the garage.
> He’ll eat the carcass.


This! ^^^ My BIL and I would go fishing on Sunday and catch a bunch of whatever! My garbage pickup was on Friday, and the can would be reeking pretty good by then! That's when the idea hit me to wrap the offal in heavy newspaper and freeze it. Then, chuck it in the trash just before I put it out to the curb. 

Helped keep the stench down, and also help for ***** and other critters getting into the garbage cans and tearing them up!


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## Bedrock (Apr 15, 2012)

I know it is legal to scale your fish out in the lake using a fish scaler behind the boat. I contacted the ODNR years ago and they confirmed it was okay to use them. That chews the head and scales off leaving them in the lake. Only thing left is the guts and rib cage not going in the lake.
Down in Florida, the head boats and charter boats clean fish at the dock and throw the carcass in the water.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

bobk said:


> **** live in the water? Get to work.


Yea, the aqueous **** and they drive ranger boats..


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## Wow (May 17, 2010)

In next years compost under a layer of dirt, no doubt. --Tim


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Im pretty sure putting them into a body of water is technically illegal. They may have came from there but law enforcement dont know that. 

As another suggestion , you dont technically need a garden just a place in the yard you can dig a hole a couple feet deep.


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## s.a.m (Feb 22, 2016)

Feed the snapping turtles and soft shells!


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## JamesF (May 20, 2016)

ezbite said:


> My job allows me to incinerate anything that needs incinerated  (keep that in mind wise guys) but I do know a man from Cleveland that takes his guts to Walmart parking lot garbage cans..


I like Walmart!. I used to take stuff to work and toss it in the forging furnaces, there about the size of 4 car garage. Hot stuff, need to be fast.


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## ruffhunter (Dec 10, 2005)

yep i freeze too. got tired of digging holes in the yard and the ***** just dig em up anyway drawing odor, flys and bees.


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## Tbomb55 (Nov 27, 2008)

STRONGPERSUADER said:


> Ok, so I bag mine and throw them in the trash after I clean them as I don’t have a place for a garden. I’ve seen some toss them in the body of water they came from. Isn’t that against the law in Ohio? I’ve looked and couldn’t find it anywhere. What do you guys do with them?


Take the guts to work and toss them in the trash can outside the boss’s office.


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## Specgrade (Apr 14, 2017)

Cut bait?


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

Specgrade said:


> Cut bait?


I do use some but just the last 3 days was 72 walleye carcasses.....that's 4- 5 gal heaping buckets of guts!!!

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## JamesF (May 20, 2016)

miked913 said:


> I do use some but just the last 3 days was 72 walleye carcasses.....that's 4- 5 gal heaping buckets of guts!!!
> 
> Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk


I would call that a dilemma!!


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## s.a.m (Feb 22, 2016)

Feed the turtles.com


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Freeze & chuck on garbage day. To many to throw out back, we'd have every racoon & coyote coming for a dinner. In early spring, I'll chuck a few steelhead carcasses out, it's always fun to look out & see a few buzzards in the trees, lol.


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## bobw06231 (Feb 6, 2014)

Doboy said:


> LOL,,,, *"The badge heavy game warden ended up giving me a warning. He told me that I was littering"*
> 
> *Then I would have told HIM to drive down rt11 & PICK UP EVERY ONE OF 'HIS' CARCASSES! ;>) (& reimburse everyone for auto damage!)*
> 
> ...


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## bobw06231 (Feb 6, 2014)

Salt heavY aNd PUT in DOBOY'S TRUCK.AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS HE'LL START SNACKING ON THEM!!


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## capt.scott (Jun 27, 2007)

You do not want to dump your fish remains back into the water. Knew a individual that did this and receive a citation and hefty fine. I think it was bs a fish lives and dies in the water naturally so what is the difference. Used to bury my fish in the back yard. Neighbor complained actually told me quote you sure do fish a lot. He is a retired jack wagon mows his lawn two three times a week and golfs more than I fished which I told him. We live in a township he thinks it is a gated community. So he continues to complain next thing I have the health department show up and leave a message to contact them. I tell do not show up on my property uninvited. But I do invite him to come and look at the site. He comes checks it out my fish cleaning area and where I bury the fish. He doesn’t see a problem but does tells me bury the fish 6 feet deep. He didn’t specify if that was the top or the bottom of the hole. I still bury my fish now and then but also put a nice freezer in the backyard that I picked up for ten bucks at a yard sale. I put it close to the property line and my neighbor gets to look at it every day. It is way easier to bag and freeze than to dig a hole. I am glad he helped me think of it.


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## Specktur (Jun 10, 2009)

walleye willey said:


> I bag them freeze them and put the frozen guts to the trash the morning my trash gets picked up, no stink that way


that's what i do too


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## Bluewalleye (Jun 1, 2009)

Freeze and throw into trash on trash day. I took a guy fishing a month ago and he insisted on cleaning his own fish. So 2 days later I drove by his house and the smell was overwhelming. lol
He cleaned the fish then just put in the trash can. His wife was furious with him. lol


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

I used to have a good source for 5 gal buckets with lids so I would put the guts in, snap the lid on and put on the curb with the trash. Well incase you're wondering after about 3 days of 90 degrees enough gasses build up in there to split a bucket! My wife was sure there was going to be a CSI team at our house looking for bodies!

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## SemperFi (Mar 10, 2014)

Freeze and throw into trash on trash day, or find a farmer that will take them.


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## SJB (Mar 22, 2017)

Bedrock said:


> Down in Florida, the head boats and charter boats clean fish at the dock and throw the carcass in the water.


Personally, I don't see where this would be an issue, as long as it is not near a public area like a beach. Florida it is done as you have mentioned. I personally have seen it in the camp in Canada I have been to, this past spring in Alabama and in Playa de Carmen. When in Mexico, I was not aware they were putting carcasses in this area and could see barracuda and tarpon. Came back early the next morning and casted for them, hooking into a few barracuda. I was scolded by the marina manager, that this was no fishing as these were pet fish.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

We had a bud that would take all our perch offal for his garden. Back then, it was lot, before limits. His garden was growing like mad. One very warm summer week, he put that one 5 gallon bucket in the garage and forgot about it for several days. When wife opened garage, that was the end of his fish fertilizing days.


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## fvrdfshrmn (May 4, 2017)

I usually try to keep the bags from ice for crappie. Put the offal in grocery bag lined bucket as I clean. Then when finished I stuff that into the ice bag. Then in to deep freeze until trash pick up.


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

I have a big empty field on a hill side by my house, I own the field and live in the country. I put the guts in buckets, drive up the hill and spread them out a little. I swear that it doesn't take the buzzards 15-20 minutes and they are on those guts and they are gone in less than a half hour. I'm happy and so are the buzzards....


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## M R DUCKS (Feb 20, 2010)

Not fish, but.....I wish it was!
Last nite an old collage buddy calls me. He lives in the middle of Columbus. He has neglected house maintenance and his outside basement entrance ( the old double door-storm shelter type) has deteriorated and rotted away. Well, he has been smelling "an odor" for awhile. After who knows how many HOT days have passed, he discovers the source. He keeps making gagging sounds as we are on the phone! A deer apparently fell through the inadequate cover down into this hole.  At this stage, it is rotten, insect, maggot infested goo. He doesn't have anything like scoop shovel, trash can, tarp, insect spray, puke bags.... 
I brain stormed, and gave him possible ways to clean it up, and said unfortunately someone (him) is just going to have to get down in there with it. I load up items I think necessary and head his way. I tell him If he has any luck removing it before I get there to give me a call, as I am about :30-35 minutes away. Thankfully he calls when I'm about 10 minutes away and he was able to remove it! Now, it has to set until trash day....


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Eegads!


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

M R DUCKS said:


> Not fish, but.....I wish it was!
> Last nite an old collage buddy calls me. He lives in the middle of Columbus. He has neglected house maintenance and his outside basement entrance ( the old double door-storm shelter type) has deteriorated and rotted away. Well, he has been smelling "an odor" for awhile. After who knows how many HOT days have passed, he discovers the source. He keeps making gagging sounds as we are on the phone! A deer apparently fell through the inadequate cover down into this hole.  At this stage, it is rotten, insect, maggot infested goo. He doesn't have anything like scoop shovel, trash can, tarp, insect spray, puke bags....
> I brain stormed, and gave him possible ways to clean it up, and said unfortunately someone (him) is just going to have to get down in there with it. I load up items I think necessary and head his way. I tell him If he has any luck removing it before I get there to give me a call, as I am about :30-35 minutes away. Thankfully he calls when I'm about 10 minutes away and he was able to remove it! Now, it has to set until trash day....


Co2 fire extinguisher, spray it until it's as frozen as possible and work fast to get it out!!

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