Cornell University bans wild game processing in dorm kitchens

Cornell University has updated its Community Living Standards to explicitly prohibit the processing of wild game in communal dormitory kitchens. This policy change is a direct response to an incident in September where two students used a shared kitchen in Ganędagǫ Hall to skin and butcher a legally hunted black bear.

The students, later identified by student Aaron Chin on the MeatEater podcast, reported that they had intended to process the animal at a friend's residence but shifted to the dormitory kitchen due to an emergency. While the incident went viral on social media and prompted an investigation by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, officials found no legal or hunting violations.

Despite the lack of legal wrongdoing, the university implemented the ban to ensure sanitary conditions and provide clarity on appropriate behavior in shared residential spaces. The school noted that while students may store and cook prepared meat, they must use certified outside vendors for butchering and processing wild animals.