Upon killing a bear, deer, wild boar or wild turkey and before moving the animal from the site of the kill, the successful hunter must validate the Big Game Harvest Report Card furnished with the big game hunting license by cutting or punching out the validation box that correctly identifies the big game animal harvested.
Before any harvested bear, deer, wild boar or wild turkey is skinned, dressed or dismembered for consumption and within 24 hours of the kill, the animal must be transported to a Wildlife Cooperator Agent within the immediate area of open season to be registered, or must be reported through the toll free Big Game Reporting System. The hunter may field dress the animal before registering it by bleeding the carcass and removing the digestive, respiratory and circulatory organs; but the hunter may not mutilate the carcass in a manner that obscures its species, identity, age or sex. When the kill occurs in a remote area, which prevents the animal from being transported as an entire carcass, the animal may be skinned and quartered before being reported by telephone or transported to a Wildlife Cooperator Agent to be registered. When a hunter harvests a big game animal in a remote area and plans to remain in the remote area for more than a day, the 24-hour time limit to register the kill is extended until the hunter leaves the area. Upon leaving the remote area, the hunter shall proceed directly to a telephone or to a Wildlife Cooperator Agent to register the kill
When a successful hunter presents a big game kill at a Wildlife Cooperator Agent for registration, the Wildlife Cooperator Agent shall issue an authorization number (which includes the date of the kill) to the successful big game hunter. The hunter shall record the authorization number given by the Wildlife Cooperator Agent or obtained by telephone in the space provided immediately adjacent to the validation box that has been cut or punched out on the Big Game Harvest Report Card. The record entered on the Big Game Harvest Report Card shall thereafter constitute authorization for continued possession of the carcass. Possession of a harvested bear, deer, wild boar or wild turkey without a validated Big Game Harvest Report Card including the authorization number obtained from a Wildlife Cooperator Agent or through the toll free Big Game Reporting System shall be unlawful.
Persons killing a big game animal and leaving it unattended must identify the carcass with their name, their hunting license number, and the date of kill. Once an unattended animal is registered, the animal need only be identified with the authorization number recived by the Wildlife Cooperator Agent or by telephone. It shall be unlawful for a person to possess a Big Game Harvest Report Card on which the species validation box has been cut or punched out, but on which the authorization number from a Wildlife Cooperator Agent has not been recorded, unless the animal is in the person's possession and being transported to a Wildlife Cooperator Agent or identified as described in this paragraph.
Persons who are by law exempt from the big game hunting license shall obtain a Big Game Harvest Report Card for License Exempt Hunters from a Wildlife Service Agent at no cost. Upon harvesting a bear, deer, wild boar or wild turkey, the exempt person shall validate the Big Game Harvest Report Card and report the big game kill at a Wildlife Cooperator Agent or by telephone.
Persons killing anterless deer under the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) shall follow the tagging and reporting requirements described in the instructions the have received as a participant in the DMAP program and are not obligated to take any action under the rules described here.
To report by telephone call 1-800-I GOT ONE (1-800-446-8663). THOSE NOT HAVING A TOUCH TONE PHONE OR, FOR ANY REASON, HAVE TROUBLE USING THE TELEPHONE REPORTING SYSTEM, MUST REPORT THEIR KILLS THROUGH A COOPERATOR AGENT.
This service is available 24-hours per day, seven days per week. Hunters should report their kill only once. If your report by telephone, there is no need to register the kill with a Cooperator Agent. A touch-tone phone is required. Have pencil, Big Game Harvest Report Card, and hunting license number from your big game report card handy when you call.