What is "FINAL DESTINATION" mean in the Hunting Regs??

I killed, tagged and field dressed a legal buck. I took the deer to the processor to have the meat processed. I picked up the head and cape (tag still attached to antlers) the next day and drove to my taxidermist. When I dropped it off there, she said the Processor should have kept the tag. I thought the Taxidermist was the "FINAL DESTINATION" Who was right??

I assume she was, as she is the "expert"

What ye say???

Tag stays with meat.

Sticky situation, try driving around with a nice deer head and no tag and see where that gets you.

I process my own deer, but took the head/cape to the processor with the tag on it still.

The processor usually keeps tag with meat, but have had one that just made a tag and wrote my lic.# on it, with all contact info

The processor keeps the tag and the taxidermist gets a wildlife resource document the processor turns in the tags to the game warden after the season, I guess it helps them get an idea of the harvest count that year. If you process your own deer I believe the freezer is the final destination but I'm not sure I'd still hang on to it until it is eaten, I did know a guy who was a known poacher that got turned in for not tagging a deer and the gw searched his freezer and took the meat.

+1

processor gets the tag, they should have copies of the WRD or you can find one in the outdoor annual.
If you process the deer at your house, just put the tag somewhere were you can find it. Remember, the rule is the deer gets
tagged and the hunting logged (on the back of the license) filled in before the deer gets moved after it is killed.

Thanks Guys, here is what the TPW sent me:

Thank you for your question below:



Question:



another question, I killed a legal whitetail buck, tagged it properly. field dressed deer and took it to a deer processor. I had them save the head and cape for taxidermy work. my tag was still attached to my deer when I picked up the head and cape . when I dropped it off at the taxidermist, she said the processor should have kept the tag. I told her, I thought SHE was the "Final Destination"



Was she correct?

Thanks,

James Skinner



Answer:



Most of the time, the taxidermists expect the tag to stay with the meat as required, and a resource document for the head and antlers. Your case is a little different, because you had already had the meat processed.



Processors are required to enter basic information into a record book prior to processing. Once this information has been entered and the deer is processed, they are not required to retain your tag. So you having the tag is not a problem, nor would it have been a problem if the processor had kept the tag.



Please let me know if I can assist further.



Kevin Davis

Asst. Commander

Wildlife Law Administrator

Law Enforcement Special Operations

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

4200 Smith School Road

Austin, Texas

512-389-4626 office

512-389-4867 fax

325-248-4425 cell

kevin.davis@tpwd.texas.gov

Texas Game Wardens Serving Texans Since 1895 - Law Enforcement Off The Pavement

Thanks, for posting the follow up. Good to hear it from the horses mouth.

Thanks for the info, nice to know.