It might not be the most pleasant topic for everyone to consider, but at some point, many of us will encounter an animal carcass. Whether you’re a hunter, farmer or a homeowner, you may need to dispose of a dead animal, or part of one, and knowing how to do it correctly is important.

Granger is not licensed to haul animal carcasses, so, in general, we cannot accept them in residential or commercial trash collection. However, we can accept certain animal remains according to the following guidelines:

Residential (non-farm)

We can accept bones and tissue from animals that have been killed and processed for food (e.g., the remains of a deer that has been properly field dressed) or animal carcasses weighing 15 pounds or less if they do not cause excessive nuisance odors (e.g., skunk or badly decayed animal).

Roadkill

We cannot accept any roadkill. Contact your local county road commission to see if they will remove the animal. If removal is not possible, consider using agricultural lime on the carcass to help the body decay and neutralize odors. You may also bury them in accordance with Michigan’s Bodies of Dead Animals (BODA) rules. (For more information on BODA rules, visit this site.)

Diseased Animals

We will not accept carcasses of animals that have died or been killed due to a suspected disease (e.g., animals harvested due to suspected chronic wasting disease). Contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) for help. PLEASE NOTE, WE WILL NOT ACCEPT THESE ANIMALS, REGARDLESS OF THE DIRECTION GIVEN BY MDNR.

Agricultural

Pre-approval is required, but we will accept up to three carcasses per week from private farms that can comply with all aspects of BODA and who will haul the carcasses to our landfill in a covered, non-conspicuous load before 9 a.m. These farms must certify they are licensed to haul their own animal carcasses.

Rendering Facilities

We will not accept carcasses from companies performing rendering services.

Others

Researchers, deer and meat processors and road cleanup crews are encouraged to contact Granger at 1-888-947-2643 to discuss specific situations.