How to Tag & Report Your Deer
All deer must be tagged and reported to the Division of Fish and Wildlife
Tag It:

Once you harvest a deer, you must notch your tag (day, hour and month of harvest) before moving the deer for photos, field dressing or to leave the woods. Per RIGL 20-15-2, the notched tag must be affixed to and remain with the carcass. Use care to securely affix the tag so that the tag will not be lost when removing the deer from the woods or transporting to a check station, butcher or your home. The notched tag must remain affixed to the deer at all times until the deer has been prepared for taxidermy or consumption.
REPORT IT:
You must report your deer harvest within 24 hours. You can report it online or over the phone. Use your smart phone or desktop computer to report your harvest at https://rio.ri.gov/. If you do not have internet or cellular data access to report your deer harvest, you may call the Division of Fish and Wildlife at (401) 789-0281 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday to report your harvest.
When you are finished reporting your deer online or over the phone, you will be given a harvest report confirmation number. This number confirms that you have reported your harvest. Write the number on your tag and keep the tag affixed to the deer until prepared for taxidermy or consumption.Deer Check Stations
All deer taken during the first two days (Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 2 & 3) of the Muzzleloader Deer Season, and the first two days (Saturday & Sunday, Dec. 7 & 8) of Shotgun Deer Season, including deer taken with archery equipment, must be physically checked at a state operated biological check station, except those deer taken on Patience, Prudence, and Block Island, which must be reported using the online licensing system. Hunters bringing their deer to a check station DO NOT need to report their harvest online prior to going to the check station.
Operating Hours
November 2 & 3: 8:00 A.M. until 8:00 P.M.
December 7 & 8: 8:00 A.M. until 6:00 P.M.
Check Stations
- Durfee Hill Management Area: CLOSED for renovations
- NEW Smithfield Sportsman Club: 14 Walter Carey Rd, Smithfield, (41.8786, -71.5346)
- NEW George Washington Management Area: 2185 Putnam Pike, Chepachet, (41.919437, -71.759970)
- Arcadia Management Area: Rt. 165, Ten Rod Road, at Wood River, Exeter, (41.57305, -71.72163)
- Carolina Management Area: Pine Hill Road, Richmond, (41.46618, -71.68860)
- Great Swamp Management Area: 277 Great Neck Road, West Kingston, (41.47374, -71.57533)
- Tiverton Rod and Gun Club: 1529 Fish Rd, Tiverton, (41.62681, -71.18825)
Deer check stations are the main way the Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) monitors the deer herd. The DFW collects biological data such as age, weight, and antler beam measurements and Chronic Wasting Disease tissue samples that cannot be collected from online/phone reports. This collection of information is being used to evaluate and estimate the deer population and is critical to ensure the DFW is managing deer responsibly. It is critical and required by regulation that if you harvest a deer during the first weekend of muzzleloader and shotgun season that you bring it to a check station. Deer brought to a deer check station do not need to be reported online by the hunter.
In order to increase hunter satisfaction by reducing wait times and travel time to and from check stations, there will be a new deer check station open for this year’s muzzleloader and shotgun deer check station period. The new Smithfield Sportsman Club Check Station will be located at 14 Walter Carey Rd, Smithfield, RI 02917 (41.8786, -71.5346). In addition, Durfee Hill Check Station will be closed for renovations. George Washington Management Area will be open as a Check Station in replacement of Durfee Hill Check Station while the renovation is underway.