Tagging and Checking Procedures
Step 1:
Immediately after harvest, separate the transportation tag from your permit.
If you have more than one permit, be sure you are using the correct permit.
Step 2:
Attach the transportation tag to the game’s leg. You may now legally transport your game within Missouri.
Step 3:
Check your deer or turkey on the day of harvest using Telecheck.
Step 4:
Write your confirmation number on your permit.
Step 5:
Immediately attach your permit to the game, and the checking procedure is
completed. You may now transport your game out of state, take it to a processor
or process it yourself.
Things to remember before tagging and checking:
- Use the correct permit. Check your permit carefully before attaching the transportation tag when you are carrying more than one permit. In the excitement of the hunt, sometimes hunters accidentally put their any-deer permit on a doe, thus stopping them from taking a buck later on in the season. Remember: Removing a transportation tag from a permit will invalidate that permit.
- Until checked, the head of the deer must remain attached and turkey must have the head and plumage intact.
- Detaching the transportation tag invalidates the permit, so do not detach until immediately after harvest.
- The transportation tag and permit with confirmation number must remain attached to the game until processing for consumption begins.
- All deer and turkey must be checked before they are removed from the state.
- Deer and turkey must be checked by 10 p.m. on the day the game is harvested.
- Only the taker may possess and transport deer and turkeys before checking.
- After checking, deer and turkey may be possessed and transported by anyone, but must be labeled with the taker’s full name, address, Telecheck confirmation number and date taken.
- Avoid duplicate Telecheck records. If you are given an eight-digit confirmation number when you call Telecheck, your checking information has been successfully received and recorded. Write the confirmation number on the permit, attach the permit to the game and the checking process is complete. Do not call again to check the same deer or turkey.
To check a deer or turkey, call 1-800-314-6828.
Information needed to Telecheck turkeys
Turkeys must be checked by telephone or internet. During checking, hunters will be asked the age and sex of their turkey. Monitoring the age and sex of harvested turkeys through checking provides a valuable measure of the fall harvest. Aging and sexing turkeys is simple.
How to determine the sex of a turkey
Look at the lower half of the breast. Hens have brown-tipped breast feathers. Gobblers have black-tipped breast feathers.
How to age a turkey
To age a turkey, look at the two outer most feathers on the wing. Juveniles have pointed primary tips. Adults have rounded tips.
