Tagging Requirements
Prior to presenting a bear, deer, moose, or Wild Turkey for registration, a person may not possess or leave that animal in the field or forest unless that person has securely attached a plainly visible tag to the animal with that persons name, address, and license number on the tag.
Transporting Harvested Animals
A person may not transport a harvested wild animal or wild bird unless that animal or bird is lawfully possessed by the person. Once the animal or bird has been registered, it may be transported by another person. A person may not present for registration or allow to be registered in that person’s name, a bear, deer, moose, or Wild Turkey that the person did not lawfully kill.
Transportation Prior to Registration
Prior to registration, a person may not transport a harvested bear, deer, moose, or Wild Turkey unless that animal is open to view. For purposes of this section, “open to view” means the animal is not concealed and can be readily observed in whole or in part from outside of the vehicle or trailer being used to transport the animal.
Registration Requirements
A person who kills a bear, deer, moose, or Wild Turkey must:
- Remain with the animal until it is registered, exceptions found in Time Limits for Registering section.
- Present that animal for registration in that person’s name at the first open registration station for that animal on the route taken by that person; and
- Leave the registration seal attached to the animal until the animal is processed and packaged for consumption.
- Pay a fee of $5.00 for registration of Wild Turkey, bear, moose and deer.
Time Limits for Registering
A person may not keep an unregistered bear, deer, moose or Wild Turkey at home or any place of storage for more than 18 hours. This does not apply to an animal that is kept in an official registration station for the animal or at the office of a game warden. A person may leave an unregistered harvested animal in the woods if that person notifies a game warden within 18 hours as to the location of that animal and the circumstances necessitating leaving that animal in the woods.
A person on a hunting trip in an unorganized township and staying at a temporary place of lodging may keep an unregistered harvested animal at the temporary place of lodging for no more than 7 days or until that person leaves the woods, whichever comes first.
A person may not possess a bear, deer, moose, or Wild Turkey that has not been legally registered except as otherwise provided in the statutes regarding animals causing damage or nuisance.
Condition of Animal Presented for Registration
A person may not present a bear, deer, moose or Wild Turkey for registration unless it is presented in its entirety, except that the viscera and rib cage of the animal may be removed in a manner that still allows the determination of the sex of the animal.
Moose
A moose may be dismembered for ease of transportation, and the lower legs, head and hide of a moose may be removed. If the head of the moose is not brought to the registration station, a canine tooth or the lower jaw must be presented at the time of registration. Parts of a moose not presented for registration may not be placed where they are visible to a person traveling on a public or private way.
Bear
Hunters are required to remove a premolar tooth from the bear they harvest and provide the tooth when they register their bear. Hunters will receive instructions at the registration station or can go online. Hunters will be notified of the age of the bear they harvested on the Bear Hunting Page on the Department’s website.
Possession of Gift Bear, Deer, Moose, or Wild Turkey
A person may not possess any part or parts of a bear, deer, moose, or Wild Turkey given to that person unless that gift bear, deer, moose or Wild Turkey is plainly labeled with the name and address of the person who registered it and the year it was registered.
