Florida Hunters Be Warned Of New Deer Transporting Rules

If you live in Florida and hunt in other states, including Georgia and Alabama, the Florida Wildlife Commission wants you to be aware of new requirements related to importing deer carcasses back into Florida.

In an effort to reduce the risk of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued Executive Order 19-41, which takes effect Nov. 1, 2019, prohibiting the importation of deer carcasses and parts thereof except for de-boned meat; finished taxidermy mounts; antlers; and hides, skulls, skull caps, and teeth if all soft tissue has been removed.

The executive order allows exceptions for legally harvested white-tailed deer in Georgia or Alabama, provided the person obtains and possesses an FWC Georgia/Alabama Carcass Importation Permit prior to the carcass being imported into Florida. The hunter must also report the carcass importation within 24 hours of entering Florida using the FWC’s online Georgia/Alabama Carcass Importation Reporting Form. Another requirement is the disposal of any remains using FWC-approved deer carcass disposal options.

CWD has not been discovered in Georgia or Alabama, but Florida, like most states, is ramping up protection efforts with strict requirements on deer carcasses or parts of deer harvested in other states.

• More about FWC’s required permit and reporting process HERE. 

• More about CWD HERE.