Section 231. Validating tags and checking deer by licensee or permittee

A. Any person killing a deer shall, before removing the carcass from the place of kill, validate an appropriate tag on his special license for hunting deer and turkey, bonus deer permit, or special permit by completely removing the designated notch area from the tag. Place of kill shall be defined as the location where the animal is first reduced to possession. It shall be unlawful for any person to validate (notch) a deer tag from any special license for hunting deer and turkey, bonus deer permit, or special permit prior to the killing of a deer. A deer tag that is mistakenly validated (notched) prior to the killing of a deer must be immediately voided by the licensee or permittee by writing, in ink, the word "VOID" on the line provided on the license tag.

B. Upon killing a deer and validating (notching) a license tag, bonus deer permit or special permit, as provided in subsection A of this section, the licensee or permittee shall, upon vehicle transport of the carcass or at the conclusion of legal hunting hours, whichever occurs first, and without unnecessary delay, present the carcass and validated (notched) license tag, bonus deer permit or special permit to an authorized checking station or to an appropriate representative of the department in the county or adjoining county in which the deer was killed or report the kill through the department's automated harvest reporting system. All deer killed after the first Saturday in January (as prescribed in 4VAC15-90-10 and 4VAC15-90-70) must be checked by telephone or Internet. At such time, the person checking or reporting the carcass will be given a game check card furnished by the department or a confirmation number from the automated reporting system. The successful hunter shall then immediately record the game check card number or confirmation number, in ink, on the line provided on the tag that was validated (notched) in the field. If checked at a big game check station, the game check card must be kept in possession with the carcass until the carcass is processed. If the carcass is left unattended, the game check card must be securely attached to the carcass. If the kill is reported using the automated harvest reporting system, no check card is required as long as the hunter who killed the animal is in possession of the carcass. If the automated harvest reported carcass is left unattended or transferred to the possession of another individual, written documentation including the successful hunter's full name, the date the animal was killed, and the confirmation number must be created and kept in possession with the carcass until the carcass is processed. If the carcass is left unattended, this written documentation must be securely attached to the carcass. Processed carcass parts of a deer killed legally in Virginia may be transported; however, upon request of any authorized law-enforcement officer, sufficient verbal or written information necessary to properly establish legal possession must be furnished immediately.

C. It shall be unlawful for any person to destroy the identity of the sex of any deer killed unless and until the license tag, bonus deer permit or special permit is validated (notched) and checked as required by this section. Successful deer hunters are allowed to dismember the carcass to pack it out from the place of kill, after an appropriate license tag has been validated (notched) as required in subsection A of this section, as long as they do not destroy the identity of the sex and all the parts of the carcass are present when the deer is checked at a big game check station or reported through the automated harvest reporting system. Any deer found in the possession of any person without a validated (notched) license tag or documentation that the deer has been checked (via a big game check station or the automated harvest reporting system) as required by this section shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth to be disposed of as provided by law.

D. Upon killing a deer within an area designated by the department for deer disease management and on days designated by the department, the licensee or permittee shall present the carcass, on the day of kill, at a location designated by the department for the purposes of disease surveillance or biological monitoring.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 19, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2004; amended, Virginia Register Volume 20, Issue 23, eff. August 25, 2004; Volume 27, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2011; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. August 15, 2013; Volume 31, Issue 25, eff. August 1, 2015.

Statutory Authority

§ 29.1-501 of the Code of Virginia.