Reporting Deer, Bear, or Turkey Harvest

If you take a deer, bear, or turkey, you are required by law to report your take via the DECALS system. You must call the toll-free automated reporting system at 1-866-GAME-RPT (1-866-426-3778) within 48 hours of take.

Have your deer, bear, or turkey report tag (small tag attached to the carcass tag) with you when you call. You will be asked for important information that is only available from this tag.

Note: Hunters no longer need to report harvested coyotes.

For All Species

Either your Backtag Number or the Document Number (DOC#) which appears on the report tag or carcass tag
Taker's name and date of birth
County and Town of kill
WMU of take
Month and day of kill

Additional information for individual Species:

Deer:

Implement used in hunt (bow, muzzleloader, rifle/shotgun, handgun)
Season during which deer was taken (regular, archery, muzzleloading)
Sex of deer (male, female, unknown)

Bear:

Implement used in hunt (bow, muzzleloader, rifle/shotgun, handgun)
Season during which bear was taken (regular, archery, muzzleloading)
Sex of bear (male, female, unknown)
Age of bear (adult, cub, unknown)
Once finished reporting, please stay on the line for instructions on biological checking or tooth submission

Spring Turkey

Number of days hunted to kill this bird
Sex of turkey (male, female, unknown)
Turkey's spur length (none, less than 1/2", 1/2" or longer, unknown)
Turkey's beard length (less than 3", 3" but less than 7 1/2", 7 1/2" or longer, unknown)

Fall Turkey

Number of days hunted to kill this bird
Did you save a leg from this turkey for sex and age determination?
Once finished reporting, please stay on the line for instructions about turkey leg mailings

Note: If you call and you do not have all of the required information, you must call back once you get your tag. Reporting your game take is mandatory, and necessary for proper game management. DEC biologists will use this information to determine game harvest and to set future hunting seasons.

Reporting Beaver Takes:

You may continue to report beaver take by sending or faxing the furbearer possession card or by meeting with an authorized department pelt sealer. There is no change in this method of reporting.

You may report take via DECALS by calling 1-866-GAME-RPT (1-866-426-3778) toll-free. The use of the DECALS system for reporting beaver is optional.