Checking in Deer.

[KeeKeeRun]

Is it legal to telecheck a deer you did not harvest? The reason I am asking is, I heard the big deer the guy found telechecked it in. Rumor said this was done to make it a state record. I have read a few other forums here and from what I gather the guy moved the deer before getting a tag from a game warden. Is this legal? I can't remember what county so excuse me. But I remeber seeing a picture of the guy with the head sitting on the tailgate if that helps. Thanks in advance for your reply.

[JP]

My understanding is that you have to write the animal on the back of your tag/license prior to moving it. You don't have to call it in immediately (I think), but you dang sure better have it written down. Then when you get the animal to your truck to take home, you should call it in then or when you get home. Don't know, but thats what my warden told me. Most WMAs still have check stations, and this works for most of them too.....write it down, take it to check.

[JP]

Oh....and this is regardless of whether or not you shot it or not....Hit it with your truck, and you do the same, IF you want to move it.

[BOBCAT]

I heard he called the game warden who told him if he wanted to keep it he would have to tag it, which is what he did. ( I've seen the deer and would tag it with this years and next years tag if thats what it would take:D :D ) Redbone, Troy, or H-Digger might could tell us the details on the crawford buck

[USFS LEO]

If the deer was a road kill and he decided to tag it for the purposes of it being a record he could and would be legal (assuming it was open season) although I don't think the record books would recognize it, if I remember correctly there is a seperate catagory for "found racks" which are basically any racks that were not taken by legal hunting methods. Although if you call Frankfort you can get a confrimation number for a road kill without using your tag. You will need to notify a law enforcement officer of the accident although I think there are few deer collisions anymore that don't do significant vehicle damage so you would need a report anyway to satisfy state reporting requirements. Now if someone else killed the deer while hunting and the fellow tagged/checked it for them, both the hunter and the tagger are in violation. If the deer was just found dead of unknown causes he could tag it if he wanted. It is often difficult to address the legality of these situations because oftimes details are lost in the telling.