Sec. 62.011. RETRIEVAL AND WASTE OF GAME. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), it is an offense if a person while hunting kills or wounds a game bird or game animal and intentionally or knowingly fails to make a reasonable effort to retrieve the animal or bird and include it in the person's daily or seasonal bag limit.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), it is an offense if a person intentionally takes or possesses a game bird, game animal, or fish and intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence fails to keep the edible portions of the bird, animal, or fish in an edible condition.

(c) It is an offense if a person while hunting kills or wounds a desert bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, or white-tailed deer in violation of Section 61.022, 62.003, 62.0031, 62.004, or 62.005 and intentionally or knowingly fails to make a reasonable effort to retrieve the animal or intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence fails to keep the edible parts of the animal in an edible condition.

(d) In this section:

(1) "Edible condition" means fit for human consumption. The term does not include any portion of a game bird, game animal, or fish that is:

(A) bruised by bullet, shot, or arrow, or otherwise destroyed as a result of harvest;

(B) decayed or rotting; or

(C) obviously infected or diseased.

(2) "Edible parts" means the meaty portions of a carcass that are retained for consumption after quartering as defined in Section 42.001(8).

Acts 1975, 64th Leg., p. 1214, ch. 456, Sec. 15, eff. Sept. 1, 1975. Amended by Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 267, art. 3, Sec. 110, eff. Sept. 1, 1985; Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 267, art. 4, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 959, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

Amended by:

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 138 (S.B. 1121), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009.