23:4-43 Possession of wild deer.

23:4-43. Except as provided by this section, no person shall have in possession in this State any wild deer other than during the open season for hunting deer as established in the State Fish and Game Code and such deer in possession must have been killed in the manner prescribed by the State Fish and Game Code for that particular open season. A legally killed deer and parts of a legally killed deer may be possessed until June 1 immediately following the season in which it was killed, provided the deer was properly registered and bears the possession tag affixed at the deer checking station, and any parts that have been separated from legally killed deer are clearly marked as prescribed in R.S. 23:4-47. A person desiring to retain a legally killed deer or parts thereof after June 1 may do so by contacting the nearest conservation police officer, who may authorize such retention in a manner prescribed by the division. No person shall have in possession any deer of any description, except as provided in the State Fish and Game Code or as provided in this section.

Except as herein provided, the having in possession of any wild deer or parts thereof during the time and periods prohibited in the State Fish and Game Code, or the having in possession of any deer of any description, except during such time and periods and of such description as permitted by the State Fish and Game Code, shall be prima facie evidence in all courts that such wild deer is in possession unlawfully.

This article shall not apply to a deer killed on game preserves, the owners or lessees of which are licensed by the division, or to deer coming from another state, which is properly tagged, showing where the same was killed, or to the disposal, by State or municipal police officers, or by personnel authorized thereby, of deer found dead on or along any public highway or on any private property, upon request of the owner thereof, provided that any such disposal is undertaken in conformance with procedures prescribed by the division.

amended 1947, c.239, s.2; 1948, c.448, s.58; 1957, c.193, s.2; 1971, c.251, s.1; 1979, c.304, s.1; 2019, c.407, s.12.