Billy didn’t wear enough hunter orange. Jerry rigged up a deer recovery drone his state prohibits. Sally tagged her deer incorrectly. Betsy misidentified the deer she shot. And poor ol’ Pete dumped a bottle of deer pee someplace he shouldn’t have. Not one of these rules were willfully broken but violated in ignorance. And dagnabbit if they didn’t all take home tickets from the man in green.

Scenes such as these unfold in every state, every deer season. Game laws are extensive. Virtually every DNR and wildlife agency includes a long list of rules to follow. Thus, the importance of being very deliberate about reading, studying, and following hunting regs.

With some time spent reading regs, these and many other blunders can be avoided. Deer hunters should never head afield until they’ve read the most recent set of hunting regulations cover to cover. When things aren’t clear — and many times, hunting regulations aren’t — contact a conservation officer or other qualified official with questions.

Editor’s Note: None of the following should be taken as legal advice. Consult your state hunting regulations for up-to-date information on state and local hunting laws. If needed, consult a conservation officer, qualified lawyer, and other professionals for legal advice.

Using Insufficient Hunter Orange

Some states are more stringent or lax on their hunter orange requirements. In some states, you must wear a specific number of square inches. In others, one can wear an orange hat or vest. Still, some states require both. Furthermore, some destinations allow hunter orange with patterns on them, and others prohibit it. Regardless, it’s easy to wear insufficient orange, especially if you don’t read the regs. You might even need it on top of and around your hunting blinds. If Mr. Green Jeans walks up and conducts a routine check, you might not check the hunter orange box.

Making Incorrect License and Tag Purchases

I’ve hunted states that had simple hunting license requirements. I’ve hunted others that are so convoluted Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, and a merry band of rocket scientists couldn’t figure it out. Therefore, I actively avoid the latter like the plague and tend to hunt states that are simpler to understand, at least in terms of hunting licenses, deer tags, and season structures. Obviously, making the wrong license or tag purchase can lead to issues. Post a trophy photo on the socials and you won’t be celebrating for long.

Ignoring Hunter Education Requirements

Virtually every DNR and wildlife agency in the nation requires hunters over and under a certain age to complete a hunter education course. Completion of this course produces an orange card for the recipient. This signifies the hunter has learned the most important ethics and safety procedures to remember while hunting and handling weapons. If you’re required by state law to complete the course, and hunt without doing so, it can lead to ticketing and fines.

Overlooking Changing Bag Limits

Most years, bag limits don’t change. Occasionally, these do, though. This is one of many examples why it’s crucial to read up on the regulations before deer season each year. The last thing you want to do is shoot one too many deer. That’s a recipe for an official meeting you don’t want to experience.

Bypassing Antler Restrictions

Some states implement antler point restrictions. Certain public lands and entire counties use these. Of course, these are in place to boost the buck age structure and improve the hunting. It might be minimum spread widths, number of points, etc. When hunting, hunters must know if these are in place, and if so, what the rules are. Don’t be that guy who drives back to camp, or the check station, with a deer that doesn’t meet legal requirements.

Overlooking Harvest Requirements

Earn-a-buck is basically gone from the landscape. There are subtle variations of it that remain, though. For example, some urban draw and quota hunts require the harvesting of does before tagging a buck. Furthermore, certain instances might require specific steps after bagging deer. Examples include submitting samples for deer harvested in CWD zones, having bucks aged that are tagged on specific public lands, and much more. Sometimes, harvests aren’t so simple as tagging and driving off.

Misidentifying an “Antlerless” Deer

The definition of an antlerless deer varies greatly. Antlers three inches and longer. Antlers 2 inches and longer. Any visible antler. These are just a few ways that states define antlered deer. Therefore, hunters must take extra care to properly identify what the state deems an antlered or antlerless animal. At best, misidentifying a deer can burn a tag you didn’t want to use on a deer. At worst, it means you’ve tagged a buck or doe you didn’t have a tag for. This is yet another reason to always and without question identify the target before pulling the trigger.

Baiting and Other Rules in Newly Established CWD Zones

CWD zones keep popping up like Dollar General stores – one on every back road and street corner. As these continue dotting the landscape, more hunters find themselves hunting under “emergency” regulations. Usually that means a hard stop on using bait, mineral, lures, and more. It also means submitting deer for sampling, among other rules. While some instances present these during the off-season before the “hunting book” comes out, other times, these are installed mid-season. With the latter, it’s even more likely that hunters don’t know about them.

Deploying Banned Trail Cams

Most states still allow the use of SD and cellular trail cameras. That said, others have banned all cams, banned cell cams, or have variations of camera bans. For example, Arizona and Nevada have total bans. Other states, such as Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Utah, implement partial or complete bans on cellular cameras. Even more, others have stipulations on cell cam use or restrict the use of cams on public properties. Therefore, hunters must be aware of these and use these scouting tools in manners that work with state and local laws.

Using Banned Deer Pee or Other Scent

As part of the war on CWD-positive states, DNRs and wildlife agencies continue to ban the use of deer urine and other authentic whitetail scent products. While there’s little to no proof this does anything to prevent the spread of CWD, deer pee bans are usually enacted under such a reasoning. As a result, some states allow all scent products, others permit only synthetic deer scents, and other places ban all use of scents (real or fake). Similarly, on public lands, deer-specific scents might be allowed, but food-based scents that you spray on plants for deer consumption is not. So, always be sure your scent products are allowed where and when hunting.

Using Screw-In Steps or Hangers on Public Land

Screw-in steps were once commonplace in deer hunting. Today, these are much less common, and quite honestly, that’s a good thing. These can damage trees. Furthermore, they’re more dangerous for hunters, as these pose greater risks if hunters slip or fall while climbing.

Furthermore, most public lands restrict the use of screw-in steps or bow hangers. Additionally, on private lands, some might need permission from landowners. Basically, if it breaks “skin” on a tree, check twice to ensure regulations allow it.

Missing Complicated Public Land Regulations

It’s commonplace for public land regulations to be more complicated than private land hunting rules. Often, that which applies to private property also does for public. That said, not all do, and public properties almost always pose additional regulations. That’s why most agencies have the general hunting regulations, and public hunting regulations, outlined in separate locations. Most of the states I’ve hunted drill down even further and have specific rules that vary from one public tract to the next. Learning the ins and outs of the places you hunt can take hours, even days, especially if you have questions about gray areas requiring phone calls to those in charge.

Labeling Deployed Tree Stands

Hunters in some areas might be required to label their treestands. Certain regulations demand the tagging of treestands with identifiers unique to the user. This is especially common on public lands, where conservation officers might need to check who a stand belongs to. Usually, this practice is more common in areas where stands can only be deployed for a certain duration of time.

Shooting Distances from Structures

Most hunters must abide by minimum distances allowed between them and a structure when firing a weapon. These distances are different from place to place. Sometimes, it’s restricted to public lands. Other times, it applies to private and public alike. Even when not present, hunters should exercise their own caution.

Shooting Albino, Leucistic, or Piebald Deer

Some state and local regulations prohibit the harvesting of oddity whitetails. Generally, where this is true, albino, leucistic (white but not true albino), and/or piebald deer are not permitted for harvesting. Tennessee for example, doesn’t allow it. Others, such as Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, pose restrictions on this, too. Of course, the rationale behind it isn’t based on science, but emotion. Piebald deer tend to be significantly unhealthier than typical deer and removing these from the herd would actually improve the local deer population.

Violating Rules Regarding Use of Dogs for Deer Recovery

Using dogs to recover harvested deer has been around for decades, likely longer. As such, there are clear rules and regulations. Some states pose little to no restrictions. Others require dogs to be leashed. Still, some ban the practice outright, even to recover dead deer. Examples of the latter include Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oregon, and more. So, if recovering deer with a dog, be sure you’re doing so the right way.

Violating Drone Use Rules for Deer Recovery

Drones are newer to the landscape. These are not allowed for hunting purposes. That said, they make excellent deer recovery tools. Even so, many states are in heated legal battles to sort out whether this practice should be allowed, or not. Unsurprisingly, there have been numerous recent examples of sportsmen unknowingly breaking regulations that restrict drone usage to locate dead deer. Of course, every state is different. Currently, these are allowed (to some degree) for recovery of dead deer in approximately half of the states within the whitetail’s range.

Tagging and Checking Deer Incorrectly

As with other categories of deer hunting regulations, tagging deer is another one that varies greatly from state to state. Many require physically applying tags to deer, but the location of which you apply it (antler, leg, etc.), and when you must apply it (before moving, before leaving the deer, etc.), are very different. Others don’t require physical tags at all. Some call for checking deer via phone, online, or not at all. Certain situations demand visits to physical check stations, but most do not. The list of variations and combinations of which deer tagging and checking can and must be done is quite long. Virtually every state has a slightly different set of procedures.

Leaving Processed Deer Carcasses Behind

One would think public land deer hunters can process their deer in the field, remove all edible portions, and leave the carcass behind. After all, that’s a common piece of advice in CWD areas. (Leave the carcass where it originated to prevent spread, they say.) Unfortunately, places like Tennessee do not allow you to process deer in the field, pack meat out, and leave finished carcasses behind on public land. So, even if you shoot a deer 5 miles deep and across three gullies, you’re dragging the entire deer out, or getting ticketed for leaving deer parts in the field. Other states have similar rules.

Picking Up Deadhead Bucks

A lot of deer hunters think they can pick up a deadhead buck just the same as a shed antler. For most states, that isn’t true, though. Most times, hunters must receive a carcass tag (or something similar) from a conservation officer before moving or picking up the rack and skull. This is important to know, as having piles of deadhead bucks and no carcass tags can land you in a world of trouble.

Taking Deer Across State Lines

With the arrival of CWD, states started banning the carrying of deer carcasses across state lines. In virtually all instances, it’s not lawful to shoot a deer in one state and travel across state lines with the intact deer. High-risk parts are not allowed to cross these boundaries. Instead, hunters must debone and package meat, and properly prepare antlers, skull plates, and deer capes, before hitting the road. Furthermore, even when remaining within a state, hunters are not permitted to take deer outside of CWD zones. Although many deer hunters pay little mind to this, it’s a serious matter, and conservation officers treat it as such.

Long Story Short: Read Your State and Local Hunting Regulations

The above list of potential hunting regulation blunders isn’t an exhaustive one. There are dozens if not hundreds of other possible pitfalls that hunters must recognize. Fortunately, hunters who read their state and local hunting regulations before deer season and check for potential (although rare) changes during the season, should be just fine. Make it a habit to read through the entire rule book, especially sections covering changes and updates, and you’re much more likely to make all the right decisions in the deer woods.