Big Game Harvest Reporting
Reporting big game harvests is a requirement in North Carolina. Hunters shall carry a valid paper Big Game Harvest Report Card or an electronic version on their mobile device with them while hunting deer, bear, or wild turkey. A harvest report card is furnished with the issuance of a Big Game Hunting License and is valid for only one hunting season, July 1 through June 30.
Validating a Harvest
Upon harvesting a bear, deer or wild turkey, and before moving the animal from the site of kill, the successful hunter must validate the paper Big Game Harvest Report Card by cutting or punching out the corresponding day and month the harvest occurred. Hunters using the Go Outdoors North Carolina App can validate and register their harvest either with or without Internet service.
Registering a Harvest
The successful hunter must register any harvested bear, deer or wild turkey BEFORE any of the following occur:
- The animal is skinned or dismembered;
- The animal is left unattended by the successful hunter;
- The animal is placed in the possession of another person; or
- 12 p.m. (noon) the day following the harvest.
Big game harvests may be registered in one of four ways:
- By using the the Go Outdoors North Carolina App.
- By calling 800-I-GOT-ONE (800-446-8663). A touch tone telephone is required.
- By clicking the “Report a Harvest” link located at gooutdoorsnorthcarolina.com.
- By reporting the harvest to a participating wildlife service agent location at license.gooutdoorsnorthcarolina.com/Licensing/LocateAgent.aspx.
- The Big Game Harvest Report Card no longer contains a Harvest ID number located above each harvest authorization line. Hunters will be required to select the appropriate tag type when reporting each harvest.
- Hunters who obtain their license and big game privilege by phone can request to receive their Big Game Harvest Report Card via email. If requested, a printed paper version can also be mailed. If the hunter harvests a big game animal before receiving their Big Game Harvest Report Card, the hunter must retain the authorization number for the reported harvest. Immediately upon receipt of the paper Big Game Harvest Report Card, the hunter must transcribe those authorization numbers and validate the appropriate line on their card.
- Big game animals may be field dressed before being registered. Field dressing includes bleeding and removal of digestive, respiratory and circulatory organs, but the hunter may not mutilate the carcass in a manner that obscures the species, age or sex.
Registration in Remote Areas
- Hunters using the Go Outdoors North Carolina App can validate and register their harvest in remote areas with or without internet service.
- When a hunter harvests an animal in a remote area, the animal must be registered by 12 p.m. (noon) the day after leaving the remote area.
- When a kill occurs in a remote area and the carcass cannot be transported intact, the animal may be skinned and dismembered before registration.
- Big game harvested in a remote area may be left with another person, provided the person has the successful hunter’s name and date of the kill.
Recording the Authorization Number
When a successful hunter registers a big game harvest, the hunter will be issued an authorization number for the animal. The hunter shall then record the authorization number in the space provided on the paper Big Game Harvest Report Card. This record shall thereafter constitute the authorization for continued possession of the carcass. Hunters registering a harvest on the Go Outdoors North Carolina App will have an authorization number automatically recorded on their device.
Reporting for License-Exempt Hunters
Persons who are by law exempt from the Big Game Hunting License requirement shall obtain a License-Exempt Big Game Harvest Report Card from a wildlife service agent or by calling 833-950-0575. (Note: License-Exempt Cards (no cost) are not available online.) Upon harvesting a bear, deer or wild turkey, the exempt person shall validate their harvest and report the big game kill using the same registration methods listed in this section.
License-exempt youth should not report their harvest on their parent’s Big Game Harvest Report Card, but obtain their own card.
Deer Management Assistance Program Harvest Reporting
Persons harvesting deer from properties enrolled in the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP), Community Deer Management Program (CDMAP), or Chronic Wasting Disease Management Assistance Program (CWDMAP), and opting to use the special tags, should follow the validation and registration requirements described in the participant packet. When registering the harvest, they will be directed to select the “Report a DMAP Tag” option and to provide the pre-printed numbers on the tag. Successful hunters shall record and maintain their authorization numbers. For more information about the DMAP, CDMAP, or CWDMAP, visit gooutdoorsnorthcarolina.com.