Check Stations and Reporting

(a) Any person taking a deer during the seasons as established pursuant to section 26-86a of the Connecticut General Statutes shall report within 24 hours by the method specified in the hunting and trapping guide published annually by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. All persons issued a deer permit that are contacted by the Department for the purposes of surveying deer hunting activity shall complete a hunting season activity report by the method specified in the hunting and trapping guide published annually by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. (b) Any person, taking a deer with a shotgun, rifle, revolver, muzzleloader or bow and arrow on days specified in the hunting and trapping guide published annually by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall register such deer and have a metal possession seal affixed to the carcass at an official Department of Energy and Environmental Protection deer check station. Such deer shall be registered on the same date taken. This provision shall not apply to owners and other persons hunting with a free landowner deer season permit. (c) No person shall register or allow to be registered in their name, any deer which they did not legally kill. (d) No person shall possess any deer affixed with a metal possession seal unless such deer has been registered at an official deer check station. (e) The metal possession seal shall remain attached to any deer so marked until it is cut up and packaged for consumption. (f) Any deer registered at an official deer check station shall be subject to the collection of biological data, including but not limited to the removal of teeth, lower jaw and organs. (g) No person shall submit any deer killed other than during a regulated sport hunting deer season to be recognized by the state for any official trophy program or officially verified by the state for use in any national official record book entries. (h) No person shall affix a metal possession seal to any deer not properly tagged in accordance with section 26-86a-2 (c) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. (i) No person other than an authorized operator of an official Department of Energy and Environmental Protection check station shall possess or affix a metal possession seal to any deer carcass. The authorized check station operator or their designated employee shall personally affix the metal possession seal on the deer carcass being registered. (j) The operator of any deer check station shall maintain accurate records of any information required by the department in registering legally taken deer and or in operating such check station. Such records shall be made available for inspection by any State Conservation Officer or other Department official during normal business hours.