Montana Tagging/transport requirements

[targetpanic]

Quick question guys,
I was just reading through the tagging requirements on page 17 of the Montana deer, elk and antelope regulations and just wanted clarification. Upon killing a deer you have to cut out the dates on your tag and attach it to the animal (lets assume I wrapped it around the antlers of a mule deer), if you gut it out and drag it out whole then the antlers serve as proof of sex, if you quarter it then you need to leave penis or testicles naturally attached to a quarter...is that correct? Is there any further requirement (online, call-in, or check station) for tagging or is it now good to bring to the butcher. Coming from out of state the laws are certainly different than home and I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT to break any of them!!

 

[MTGomer]

No reporting required.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

All western states have slight variations on the regs but if you want to make sure you are legal in AK, ID, WY, MT, CO, etc. validate the tag at the kill site before you start cutting on the animal (bring a pen as several states require you to sign the tag). Attached the tag/permit to a hind quarter, I like to place it on the large tendon behind the knee. Your tag has to stay with the largest portion of meat so it goes to the butcher not the taxidermist and if you bone it out take the tag on the load that is going to push you over the half-way mark. The tag needs to stay with the meat until consumed so it's a good practice to keep your tags in a envelope or zip lock inside or hanging on the outside of your freezer. If you have 200lbs of boned out elk meat and decide to have a processor grind 80lbs of sausage for you keep your tag in your freezer, if you grind 120lbs the tag goes to the processor.

Just to be careful I always leave proof of sex naturally attached until I get my home or the meat processor. When boning out you should be able to keep the entire quarter as one piece, skin out the testicles and vas deferens and keep them attached to the rear quarter with the tag. For females, I typically keep the vulva or a nipple attached. If you remove the big tendon behind the knee or have to cut the boned out portions of meat into small pieces for transport, i.e. a cow moose quarter you can just poke a hole in large piece of meat and zip tie your tag to it. This year in AK I attached a locking tag to a cow caribou is this manner.

I believe AK and CA are the only states that require online reporting for ungulates outside of the big three.

 

[michsteelguy]

A couple of years ago, my hunting buddy questioned why I left the genitals of my mule deer buck (which we dragged out whole). I had explained to him that I had seen somewhere (I believe on sportsmans channel TV) that antlers alone are not enough for proof of sex. It would seem that sex would be obvious if antlered, but I guess that may not be the case 100% of the time. When we arrived at the processor, he confirmed that to be true, ...... that genitals must accompany the deer even if it is a antlered buck..... my 2 cents FWIW.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

A couple of years ago, my hunting buddy questioned why I left the genitals of my mule deer buck (which we dragged out whole). I had explained to him that I had seen somewhere (I believe on sportsmans channel TV) that antlers alone are not enough for proof of sex. It would seem that sex would be obvious if antlered, but I guess that may not be the case 100% of the time. When we arrived at the processor, he confirmed that to be true, ...... that genitals must accompany the deer even if it is a antlered buck..... my 2 cents FWIW.

Not necessary in MT, so long as the antlers are physically attached.