Checking Game

Deer or Turkey Tagging and Checking Requirements

Step 1
Immediately upon taking a deer or turkey, and before moving game, the hunter must remove the appropriate deer or turkey tag from his license and fill out the required information legibly in ink. The tag must be securely fastened to the ear or antler of a deer or to the leg of a turkey. The tag must remain on the deer or turkey until final processing and storage.

Disability and 65 Plus Lifetime License holders, hunters under 16 years of age and Mississippi license holders under the Reciprocal Hunting License Agreement must immediately, upon taking a deer or turkey, remove and fill out the game tag provided in the hunting guidebook legibly in ink. You may substitute a piece of paper for this tag if it includes the hunter’s name, the date, time and zone number, written legibly in ink, from which the deer or turkey was taken. • If a deer was killed, refer to the deer zone map in the hunting guidebook and fill in the appropriate number in the zone column.

• If a turkey was killed, refer to the turkey zone map in the hunting guidebook and fill in the appropriate number in the zone column.
• If a deer or turkey was killed on a WMA, use the WMA zone number.

Step 2
Within 24 hours of taking a deer or turkey, check (your own) game at a designated wildlife check station, at a designated deer camp, with an AGFC employee or at www.agfc.com.  Members of deer camps in the Check Sheet Program must check deer on camp check sheets immediately upon return to camp, and in no case more than 4 hours after harvest. Entrails may be removed but evidence of the animal’s gender must remain. Deer may be quartered in the field, but the head must be retained with the remainder of the carcass. No big-game animal may be transported across state lines prior to being properly checked, unless  normal travel routes require said hunter to cross a state line in direct route to an official wildlife check station. The check station number will be recorded on the game tag. If you choose to give away all or a portion of your game to another person, you will need to use a game transfer form.

Checkstation List by County

Checking a Deer or Turkey on the Internet

Note: This option is not available for wildlife management area permit hunts that require checking game at locations stated on the permit.

Easy Online Checking Steps:

1. Log on to AGFC online checking.
2. Enter your name, date of birth, email address and if applicable, CID number (what's a CID number?).
3. Enter the date of kill and select the game type (deer or turkey).
4. Select the Zone or WMA where the game was harvested.
5. Select the County in which the game was harvested.
6. Select the Method used to harvest the game.
7. Complete information concerning your game, for example deer or turkey sex.
8. Confirm and/or change your information and submit to AGFC.
9. A confirmation e-mail will be sent for your records if you provide your email address.
10. Write the online check number on the back of your hunting license in the Station # column.

Tagging and Checking a Bear

Step 1
After killing a bear and before moving it, immediately fill out the game tag provided in the hunting guidebook. You may substitute a piece of paper for this tag if it includes the hunter’s name, the date and the appropriate zone number, written legibly in ink, from which the bear was taken. A bear may be quartered in the field.

Step 2
Within 24 hours of killing a bear, call (800) 440-1477 to check it. Hunters will provide bear check information over the phone to an AGFC employee who will explain how to extract and mail a premolar tooth for age determination.