In California, after you shoot a deer and fill out the tag, you must have it validated and countersigned by the closest person allowed by law to do so. I just read an interesting article in the California Bowmen Hunters Jan 2012 Newsletter by Wayne Raupe CBH/SAA Legislative Coordinator discussing the subject. He make some great points about who is allowed to sign off and how soon it needs to be done.
Here’s a recent example that describes the plight of the SoCal hunter. A local hunter shot his deer and took it to the closest place to his harvest location for validation of the tag – a firehouse. When he approached and explained that he needed the firemen to sign off on his tag, they looked at him funny and told him to hold on. They said they had never heard of that and asked him again to state why he was there. They called the foreman and he also had no idea what to do, so they called someone else. The hunter sat there at the station house for almost two (2) hours before his tag was finally validated by the foreman who had to come from home.
Here are the deer tag reporting regulations copied from the California Code of Regulations:
- (a) Upon the killing of any deer the tag holder shall immediately fill out all portions of the tag including the report card completely, legibly, and permanently, and cut out or punch out and completely remove notches or punch holes for the month and date of the kill .The deer license tag shall be attached to the antlers of an antlered deer or to the ear of any other deer and kept attached during the open season and for 15 days thereafter. Except as otherwise provided, possession of any untagged deer shall be a violation. (Refer to Fish and Game Code, Section 4336).
- (b) Every person to whom a deer license tag is issued shall return the completed report card portion to the department within thirty days of taking a deer.
- (a) Any person legally killing a deer in this state shall have the deer license tag validated and countersigned by a person authorized by the commission as described below before transporting such deer, except for the purpose of taking the deer to the nearest person authorized to countersign the license tag, on the route being followed from the point where the deer was taken (refer to Fish and Game Code, Section 4341).
- (b) No person may validate or countersign his/her own deer tag or tag.
- (c) Deer and Elk Tags, Persons Authorized to Validate.
- (1) The following persons are authorized to validate or countersign deer and elk tags:
- (A) State:
- 1. Fish and Game Commissioners
- 2. Employees of the Department of Fish and Game, including Certified Hunter Education Instructors
- 3. Employees of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
- 4. Supervising Plant Quarantine Inspectors
- 5. Junior, Intermediate and Senior Plant Quarantine Inspectors
- (B) Federal:
- 1. Employees of the Bureau of Land Management
- 2. Employees of the United States Forest Service
- 3. Employees of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service
- 4. All Uniformed Personnel of the National Park Service
- 5. Commanding Officers of any United States military installation or their designated personnel for deer taken on their reservation.
- 6. Postmasters & Post Office Station or Branch Manager for deer brought to their post office.
- (C) Miscellaneous:
- 1. County firemen at and above the class of foreman for deer brought into their station.
- 2. Judges or Justices of all state and United States courts.
- 3. Notaries Public
- 4. Peace Officers (salaried & non-salaried)
- 5. Officers authorized to administer oaths
- 6. Owners, corporate officers, managers or operators of lockers or cold storage plants for deer brought to their place of business.
- (A) State:
- (1) The following persons are authorized to validate or countersign deer and elk tags:
§708.8. Deer Violations, Tag Forfeiture.
Something must be done and the wheels in my noggin are spinning. Someway, somehow, we hunters that have a voice need to step it up and inform these organizations of the regulations. I am just stuck in how to approach it and get it done. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Cheers!
Be First to Comment