A digital revolution in deer hunting is sweeping Eastern states with hunters being given the option to report their kills, and even “tag” deer through smartphone apps.
Maine is the latest state to launch a digital deer tagging pilot program, the Piscataquis Observer reported.
The digital expansion is just the latest area where everyday licensing requirements are moving to mobile and digital mediums including transit cards, airline ticketing and even driver’s licenses in states such as Colorado.
Digital Hunt Reports
Lt. Bob Mancini, a law enforcement officer with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, told Cowboy State Daily that his state has been using a hybrid digital/paper deer check-in system for the past couple of hunting seasons.
Just like in Wyoming, hunters must attach a “carcass coupon” portion of their physical deer license to the animal immediately upon kill, he said.
However, New Hampshire hunters have the option of “checking in” their deer electronically, through their phones, he said.
That allows hunters to instantly relay important data to New Hampshire Fish and Game, including such information as where and when deer are killed and the hunters’ age demographics, he said.
Other Eastern states, such as New Jersey, have had some form of digital deer tagging available for several years, he added.
Meanwhile, New York State has gone fully digital. Meaning, hunters there have the option of tagging and reporting game using only their phones.
“Users also won’t need to attach a physical tag to their harvested deer, bear, or turkey while they remain in possession of the carcass, including in their vehicle and at their home,” according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Wyoming Keeping Things Analog
Wyoming likely won’t jump on the digital hunting tag bandwagon anytime soon.
“At this time, Wyoming Game and Fish does not utilize electronic deer tagging or check-in technology. Hunters are expected to adhere to all carcass tagging requirements as outlined in our regulation brochure,” Game and Fish spokeswoman Amanda Fry stated in an email to Cowboy State Daily.
Game and Fish sets up big game carcass check-in stations along routes to and from popular hunting areas, with personnel on site.
Hunters are particularly encouraged to bring in deer carcasses, so that samples can be taken to test for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The disease is a growing concern for Wyoming’s mule deer herds.
In some Wyoming deer hunt areas this fall, it is mandatory to submit samples for CWD testing.
Making Things Easier For Hunters
Mancini said that at least for the first couple days of deer hunting seasons in his state, hunters are still required to stop by physical check-in stations. After that, they are allowed to check in their deer electronically.
He said New Hampshire has moved toward a partially digitized system to make things quicker and more convenient for hunters.
Like Wyoming Game and Fish, his department relies on funding from hunter and angler license fees, so “meeting the needs of the hunting and angling public” is a vital part of its mission, he said.
Mancini added that he’s been out West, on a deer hunt in Montana.
The sheer vastness of the landscapes in states such as Wyoming and Montana might make digital game tagging and check-in less practical here, he said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
