Your state's tagging laws

[RobG]

I'm interested in your state regulations for tagging of big game animals.

Here is Montana's:

License Validation and Tagging
• Immediately after killing a game animal, a hunter
must cut out the proper month and day of the kill
from the appropriate license and attach it to the
animal in a secure and visible manner.
• To properly validate a license (sometimes
referred to as a tag):
– The triangles denoting the month and day the
animal was killed must be completely removed.
Tearing, slicing or punching the tag is not legal.
• The properly validated license must remain
with the meat (including cold storage) until
consumed. If quartered, the license should
remain with the largest portion of the carcass.

 

[Don K]

Illinois:

Immediately upon kill and before the deer is moved, transported or field dressed the hunter must cut out the designated notch on the leg tag to invalidate it, and the tag must be attached and properly sealed. The deer must remain whole (or field dressed) until it has been checked in. (you can phone in for check in and then break the animal down after you have a confirmation number)

 

[kansasdad]

Kansas brochure stating tagging requirements shown here. Tag is required to be affixed before moving the carcass from the kill site.

Electronic check-in allows the hunter to break down an antlerless elk/doe in the field, and should verify proper across state line transport. (My deer permits in Kansas are not sex specific, but antlered vs antlerless, thus evidence of sex is not required). The brochure does remind out of state hunters that crossing state lines may require other regulations to be aware of and followed.

 

[kansasdad]

Electronic tagging info from the Kansas website.

Please note that there is a warning to non-residents that your home state regulations (evidence of sex, etc ) will apply to Kansas harvested animals upon return to your state.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

• The properly validated license must remain
with the meat (including cold storage) until
consumed

The above requirement was C/Pd from the Montana statute RobG put up in his opening post. How many of you Montana residents keep the tag at your house until every piece of meat from that animal is consumed and how many of you even knew that is a requirement?


Below is the tagging requirement now in place in MI. I have no idea when it was changed to read that way because in the past the sticky tag could be wrapped around the leg of a turkey or the antler of a deer. It also allowed the validated tag to be carried out with the deer until at your vehicle and then the tag was to be attached before it was transported to the residence or processor. As you can also see, if the antlers are taken and the meat is left at the processor the tag is to accompany the antlers, rather than to stay with the meat. I wonder how many people, along with myself, had no idea this was all changed at some unknown time and how many tickets have been written when people were following the law that had been in effect for decades like I have!
Tagging Big Game
Immediately after killing a deer, bear, elk, or turkey, you must validate your kill
tag and fasten it to the antler, lower jaw, or lower leg in such a manner that the
tag remains securely attached to the animal. Do not stick or wrap the kill tag to
the antler of a deer or to the leg of a turkey. The best way to attach a kill tag is to
lay a strong piece of wire or cord across the sticky side of the kill tag so the tag
can be folded in half. Tie the wire or cord to the animal. Make sure the kill tag is
completely legible and visible for inspection. The kill tag must remain attached
until you process or butcher the animal, or the animal is accepted for processing
and recorded by a commercial processor or taxidermist.
Note: If the antlers or head are returned to the person submitting the animal to the
commercial processor, the kill tag shall accompany the head or antlers.

 

[bigskyblueman]

I keep the tag in the freezer with the meat the entire time the meat is there.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Check this out: http://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting_trapping/registration_tagging/

Until recently a moose had to presented "in its entirety." A friend once had a high school football team help him drag it out. Lots of silly laws out there.

 

[jryoung]

California:

All tag holders upon the killing of any big game shall immediately fill out all
portions of the tag including the report card. The hunter shall immediately fill
out all information requested on the harvest report card and tag completely,
legibly, and permanently punch out holes for the month and date of the kill.
The license tag must be attached to the antlers of an antlered animal or to
the ear of an antlerless animal immediately upon being killed.

Deer and elk tags shall be countersigned before transporting, except for the
purpose of taking it to the nearest person authorized to countersign the
license tag. Bear tags shall only be countersigned by a CDFW employee
before transporting, except for the purpose of taking it to the nearest
CDFW employee. If CDFW offices are closed, the bear tag shall be validated
within one (1) business day of transporting the bear from the point where taken.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

California
All tag holders upon the killing of any big game shall immediately fill out all
portions of the tag including the report card. The hunter shall immediately fill
out all information requested on the harvest report card and tag completely,
legibly, and permanently punch out holes for the month and date of the kill.
The license tag must be attached to the antlers of an antlered animal or to
the ear of an antlerless animal immediately upon being killed.


How in the world are you supposed to do all of that at one time IMMEDIATELY, LOL! Talk about someone writing some real BS!

 

[jryoung]

It's only BS if your reading comprehension and ability to follow instructions is lacking. Completing and attaching a tag under the guidelines isn't rocket surgery...for most.

 

[blb078]

Here is MO, they even give a little slide show in the link.
http://mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/regulations/deer-regulations/tagging-procedures

Using Missouri's deer- and turkey-hunting permits couldn't be easier. Just remember: Bag it. Notch it. Tag it if you leave it. Check it. The brief slide show to the right shows you how.
Things to remember before tagging and checking
Use the correct permit. Because many hunters carry multiple permits while deer and turkey hunting, check your permit carefully to make sure you’re using the right one before notching it and attaching it to your game.
Notching voids the permit. Do not notch the month and day on your permit until you harvest a deer or turkey.
Until checked, heads of deer must remain attached, and turkeys must have their heads and plumage intact.
Deer and turkeys must be checked by 10 p.m. on the day they were harvested.
All deer and turkeys must be checked before they can be removed from Missouri.
Only the person who harvested the deer or turkey may possess and transport the game before it has been checked.
After checking, deer and turkeys may be possessed and transported by anyone, but they must be labeled with the taker’s permit or full name, address, and Telecheck confirmation number. Deer must also be labeled with the date taken.
Avoid duplicate Telecheck records. If you are given an eight-digit Telecheck confirmation number, your checking information has been successfully received and recorded. Write the confirmation number on the permit, and the checking process is complete. Do not call again to check the same deer or turkey.

 

[MN Public Hunter]

MN, page 78 of the handbook...


HOW TO... Tag Your Deer and Validate Your Site Tag
Your Deer License and Site Tag comes as a 2-part form. The upper half is the Site Tag for tagging the deer in the field. The lower half is the Deer License and Registration Slip.
1. At the kill site you must:
a. Detach the Site Tag from the Deer
License/RegistrationSlip.
b. Before moving the deer, validate the
tag by using a knifeor similar sharp object to cutout the appropriate notches indicating:
• Monththedeerwaskilled,
• Dateitwaskilled,and
• Timeofdayitwaskilled(amor
pm). Mark carefully—if more than onemonth, date, or time iscut out or marked, the tagbecomes invalid.
2. A person may move a lawfully taken deer from the site of the kill without attaching the validated tag to the animal only while in the act of manu- ally or mechanically dragging, carrying, or carting the animal across the ground and while possessing the validated tag on their person.
3. Thevalidatedtagmustbeattachedtothedeerwhenthedeerisplacedon a motor vehicle or an ATV, a vehicle or a trailer being towed by an ATV or brought into a camp, yard or other place of habitation.
4. Toapplythetagtothedeer:
• Tieorattacha10-to12-inchtwine,ziptieorwiresecurelytothedeer
around the base of an antler, through a slit cut in either ear, or between the tendon and bone of a hind leg, leaving the two long ends of the string or wire free. Note that this will require you to bring a cable tie, piece of wire or string into the field with you.
• Pulloneendofthetwineorwirethroughoneofthepre-cutholeson the Site Tag and tie it together. Note that tags no longer fold and are not adhesive.
• Thetagmustremainattachedtothedeeruntilprocessedforstorage.

 

[idnative1948]

Idaho- Page 101 of Big Game

Tagging and Transporting Game
Proper Tagging and Transportation of Animals and Meat
Immediately after any deer, elk, pronghorn, black bear,
mountain lion, or gray wolf has been killed, the hunter
harvesting the animal must comply with the following
regulations regarding the proper tagging, transportation and
shipment of a carcass:
• The appropriate big game tag must be validated and
securely attached to the animal immediately after the kill.
The validated tag must remain attached to the carcass until
the meat is processed and reaches the place of final storage
or personal consumption.
Note: Immediately after the kill, the triangles denoting the
month and day must be cleanly and completely removed.
Tearing, slicing or punching the tag is not legal.
Proper location of tag:
• Deer, elk and pronghorn: Attach to the largest portion of
the carcass.
• Black bears, mountain lions or gray wolves: Attach to the
hide.
Any license, tag or permit that is defaced or altered is invalid
from the date and time of issue. It is unlawful to use or attempt
to use any license that has been defaced or altered.

 

[dustinf]

I've hunted in 9 states and 3 countries since 2012.

All of the conservation officers I've dealt with are reasonable people.

Rob, you are over thinking this way too much.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

It's only BS if your reading comprehension and ability to follow instructions is lacking. Completing and attaching a tag under the guidelines isn't rocket surgery...for most.

Baloney! It tells you in each one of those three sentences to do each one of them IMMEDIATELY. You can't do three things at the same time like the word IMMEDIATELY means unless you're GOD! It should be more in line of the way the MN states to do things like 1--- do this, 2--- do this, 3---, rather than immediately like is in the MN instructions.

 

[npaden]

In New Mexico you print out your own license at home. I always print out some extras in case I forget one and put one in my vehicle and one in my backpack. Doesn't seem like a good way to do things to me, but that's how they do it now. It saves them money by not having to print and mail the licenses.

Here's their regulations.

1. Immediately after killing any big game or turkey, the species must be recorded (properly blacked out or punched) in the space designated on the license.
2. Date and time of the kill(s) must be recorded on the license immediately upon arrival at a vehicle, camp or place of storage.
3. Any kill left unattended in the field, in a vehicle or in camp must be accompanied with a properly recorded license (see above, 1., 2.) or with specific, permanently written licensee information, including the hunters full name, license number and date of the kill. It is unlawful to possess any big-game species or turkey in the field, place of storage or residence without a properly recorded license (see above, 1., 2.) or without the required written licensee information.
4. Bear, cougar and bobcats also must be tagged with a pelt tag (see Hunting Rules & Info pages 112, 117, 123) and must be accompanied by a properly recorded license (see above, 1., 2.).
5. Every bighorn sheep ram head taken in or imported into New Mexico must have a seal inserted into one horn by NMDGF or another wildlife agency. The seal authorizes possession and transport of the head within New Mexico. Bighorn sheep heads found, in the field, in New Mexico remain the property of the State (see Hunting Rules & Info page 95).

Here's the jest of the Texas regulations.

all deer must be tagged IMMEDIATELY upon kill in a secure manner anywhere on the deer, with an appropriate license tag with the month and date CUT OUT.

Although they have a harvest log and other stuff that you have to fill out in addition to simply tagging the deer.

Pictures and examples on their website.

http://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/licenses/tagging-instructions/tagging-deer

I added the bold type, but Texas already had the word IMMEDIATELY in all caps. I guess they think it is important.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

"In New Mexico you print out your own license at home. I always print out some extras in case I forget one and put one in my vehicle and one in my backpack. Doesn't seem like a good way to do things to me, but that's how they do it now. It saves them money by not having to print and mail the licenses."

That has to be the dumbest of anything on any of the state books when a person can print as many tags as they want to on their own computer after they draw for one animal! Talk about being something ripe for poaching!!!

 

[RobG]

Thanks. Keep them coming.

 

[Colberjs]

Oklahoma:

 

[1_pointer]

In Indiana we make our own tags!

Immediately upon killing a deer, the hunter must complete a temporary tag on paper that states the hunter’s name, address, sex of the deer, license number (if applicable) of the individual who took the deer, and the day and month of the kill. A hunter is not required to place the tag on the deer while dragging it out of the field as long as the hunter has filled out and is carrying the required information. A hunter must maintain immediate custody of and visual contact with the deer carcass unless the completed temporary transportation tag is attached. The tag must be attached to the deer before the hunter leaves the deer or loads the deer in a vehicle.

The person who takes the deer is responsible for the delivery of the deer to an official deer check station within 48 hours of the kill, or use the CheckIN Game online system to obtain a confirmation number within 48 hours of the kill. The CheckIN Game confirmation number must be written down on the temporary transportation tag and kept with the deer until processing begins. Go to www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/6271.htm for a searchable list of available check stations in each county.

The deer head must remain attached to the carcass until the tag is attached and locked at the deer check station. If the deer is taken to a check station, a permanent seal must be attached to the carcass. The permanent seal must remain attached until processing of the deer begins.

There is a pdf on the website of a transportation tag, but I just use luggage type tags. I generally have good enough cell service so I check in the deer using my phone and write the confirmation # on the tag and I'm done. Until this service was possible, it was not legal to cut up/quarter a deer for getting it out if that was needed.