Deer Harvest Reporting System in Effect this Season

by | Nov 8, 2019 | Hunting

There are new regulations this season involving mandatory reporting of all deer harvested in Florida.
Photo Credit: Mark Mauldin

Deer hunting season here in Northwest Florida officially started this past Saturday (10/26) with the opening of archery and crossbow season; muzzleloading and general gun season will both open later this month. If you are fortunate enough to find success hunting in the woods, it is important that you remember substantial changes have gone into effect regarding the mandatory reporting of harvested deer. The following is a only a summary of some of the new regulations – complete official hunting regulations are available from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The primary new regulation, put as simply as possible (again, this is only a summary):

All hunters must log their harvested deer prior to moving it from the point of harvest and report their harvested deer within 24 hours.

A hunter may log a harvested deer on a paper 2019-2020 Deer Harvest Log or via the FWC Deer Harvest Reporting App. The app allows a hunter to log and report a harvested deer, completing the process. If a hunter logs a deer on the paper form, they must also report the deer by calling 844-392-DEER (3337) between 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET or reporting online at MyFWC.com/HarvestReport. When successfully completed, either of these options, calling or going online, will result in a confirmation number. The confirmation number must be recorded on the Deer Harvest Log for the process to be complete. Note: using the app also generates a confirmation number that is automatically saved in the “sent” folder within the app. Follow the link for step-by-step instructions for using the FWC Deer Harvest Reporting App.

  • All harvested deer must be logged (on paper form or with the app) prior to being moved from where they were originally found.

  • All harvested deer must be reported (phone, online, or app) and confirmation number recorded on the paper log (or automatically on the app) within 24 hours of harvest**.

**Hunters must report harvested deer: 1) within 24 hours of harvest, or 2) prior to final processing of the deer, or 3) prior to the deer or any parts of the deer being transferred to a meat processor or taxidermist, or 4) prior to the deer leaving the state, whichever occurs first.

Hunters should be prepared to log and report harvested deer before they go hunting. They should have a copy of the 2019-2020 Deer Harvest Log with them, or have the FWC Deer Harvest Reporting App installed on their mobile device. In order to successfully log and report a harvested deer the hunter will also need the following information:

  • Name (first and last name of the person who harvested the deer)
  • Date of birth
  • FWC Customer ID number (CID)
  • Date of harvest
  • Time of harvest
  • Public or private land
  • County
  • Deer management unit
  • Wildlife management area (if applicable)
  • Method of harvest
  • Antlered or antlerless deer
  • Number of antler points (if antlered deer was indicated)
  • Antlerless male or female (if antlerless deer was indicated)
  • For deer taken on private lands, whether a deer program permit was used (Antlerless Deer Program permit or Private Lands Deer Management Program permit)
  • 6-digit Tag number (if a deer program permit was used)

Another change for this hunting season is the establishment of the annual statewide bag limit of 5 deer per person of which no more than 2 deer can be antlerless.

 

FWC Deer Harvest Reporting APP
https://myfwc.com/hunting/deer/harvest-report/?redirect=harvestreport

 

FWC Deer Harvest Reporting Log
https://myfwc.com/media/21998/deer-harvest-log.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Mauldin
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