Most of these cases are prosecuted as State violations, and are petty offenses. The penalty is a fine only . For that reason, most people don't hire an attorney, and either forfeit a bond, or pay the fine. No cases are appealed. Without appeals, there can be no appellate decisions that are written and published in the reporters. So, you just are not going to find " case law " on this point, in most cases. I looked years ago, and decided there must be a more profitable way to waste time finding nothing.
The best you will do is find a state statute that instructs lawyers, and judges how state statues are to be construed. The language varies from state to state, but basically, the statute are to be strictly construed when criminal penalties are applies, but broadly construed to give purpose to the intent of the law makers. If a statute can be construed one way which will make it a Constitutional violation, it must be construed by courts in such a way as to not make it unconstitutional. Since our game laws obviously allow people to each wild animals they take legally, use the antlers and bones, and tanned hides for various items, and its obviously legal to sell a taxidermied game head, for instance( otherwise every antique shop, auction, and second hand shop owner would be arrested, ) all the states recognize reasonable use, and recognize the animal parts cannot refer to something that has been transformed for another use. Rended oil, whether edible, or simply used for lubrication is obviously a transformed part of the animal, and actually makes use of a part that is traditionally thrown away as non-edible. The law cannot be construed to provide criminal penalties for transforming a part of an animal that would otherwise be thrown away, When the games laws allow that portion and others to be thrown away without violating game wasting laws. Once a game part is transformed, it can be transferred or sold without violating the law. The law was intended to protect game species from poaching, and over hunting, by eliminating the markets for animal parts. The state also regulates how legal hunters can dispose of their game, either by consuming it themselves, giving it away, or giving it to a recognized charity organization. The law is intended to bar the sale of game by legal hunters as a further way to suppress poaching and the illegal sale, and purchasing of game animals, and parts.
As long as the oil comes from an animal that was legally taken, after work by the hunter/ owner, its a tranformed product, and no longer a game " part ". It was a part when it was a lump of fat; now that its oil, its been transformed.
That is the basic argument. No public purpose is served by prosecuting someone for possessing, much less rendering oil from bear fat from a bear they were legal licensed and permitted to take. The same for possession a pillow that is stuffed with bear fur, or the fur of some other animal. Or a pillow made from animal skins, and furs. The same with leather jackets made from deer hides taken by the owner.
