New deer and turkey check-in system for Maryland hunters
July 21st, 2005 by Administrator
New deer and turkey check-in system for Maryland hunters
Beginning this fall, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is changing how hunters check in their harvests. Successful deer and turkey hunters will no longer be required to take their game to a traditional check station but will register it online at www.gamecheck.dnr.state.md.us or by calling 1-888-800-0121.
Hunting licenses for the 2005-2006 hunting season will be available starting July 15.
The changes in the check-in system will provide more convenience for the hunter as well as improve DNR access to harvest data. DNR will continue its long-standing relationship with the former check station operators by providing voluntary incentives for hunters to visit the retail stores associated with the traditional check-stations.
After bagging a deer or turkey and before moving it from the place of harvest, the successful hunter will start the new check-in process by immediately completing a revised field tag in ink and attaching it to the head of the deer or leg of the turkey. The DNR has designed and implemented a highly-durable field tag for the new system. These new durable field tags are constructed of Tyvek and are provided to each hunter with their license purchase in the 2005-2006 Guide to Hunting & Trapping in Maryland.
After completing the field tag and before moving the deer or turkey, the hunter will use ink to record the species, date, county, sex, and weapon-type in one block on the revised Maryland big game harvest record. The Maryland big game harvest record is included on the Maryland hunting license. Hunters not required to possess a Maryland hunting license (e.g. landowner) must still complete the field tagging procedure and fill out a big game harvest record. The big game harvest record is available from Maryland sport license agents at no charge.
After correctly attaching the field tag and completing the Maryland big game harvest record, the hunter can move the deer or turkey from the place of harvest and complete the harvest registration or check-in process. A hunter can complete registration online at www.gamecheck.dnr.state.md.us or by calling 1-888-800-0121. After answering a series of questions similar to those previously asked at traditional check stations, the hunter will receive a confirmation number that must be recorded in the corresponding block on the big game harvest record. Hunters must register their game no later than midnight on the day the deer or turkey is field tagged. The big game harvest record, with the recorded confirmation number, serves as the hunter’s possession tag and must remain in the hunter’s possession.
The field tag must remain permanently attached until the deer head or turkey leg is destroyed. DNR is also providing butcher/taxidermy tags for the hunter, meat processor or taxidermist. This durable Tyvek tag is also provided in the 2005-2006 Guide to Hunting & Trapping in Maryland.
Every hunter will receive a copy of the 2005–2006 Guide to Hunting & Trapping in Maryland upon purchase of their Maryland hunting license. Pages 26 and 27 in this publication provide step-by-step instructions for registering big game. Worksheets are also provided so that each hunter can be prepared prior to calling or going online.
For more information about Maryland’s deer hunting regulations, consult DNR’s 2005-2006 Guide to Hunting &Trapping in Maryland, or online at www.dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland’s forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland’s effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state’s number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov.