Pickup Heads (antlers or horns with skull plate attached) Legal Overview
The laws that apply to pickup heads is as follows:
NRS 503.030 Possession of wildlife after end of open season; storage.
1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, it is unlawful for any person to have in his control any wildlife or any part thereof, the killing of which is at any time prohibited, during the time when such killing is prohibited, and the possession of such wildlife shall be prima facie evidence that it was the property of the State at the time it was caught, taken or killed in this State when the killing was unlawful, and that such taking or killing occurred in the closed season.
2. Wildlife legally taken may be stored in the home of the owner after the end of the open season for hunting or fishing for it and may be stored in a public warehouse or commercial refrigerator locker under such rules as may be adopted by the Commission, but in no case shall more than the amount designated by law as the legal possession limit be so kept or stored.
3. The Commission is authorized to make rules requiring evidence of legal taking in this State, or legal taking under the laws of the state where taken, to be provided in the case of wildlife kept or stored after the appropriate open season ends in the form of tags, certificates or otherwise, if deemed necessary or convenient for the enforcement of this title.
[87:101:1947; A 1949, 292; 1943 NCL ? 3035.87]?(NRS A 1969, 1356)
NRS 502.150 Unlawful possession of wildlife without attached tag; unlawful removal of tag.
1. Whenever tags are required for any species of wildlife, it is unlawful to have any of that species in possession without the tag attached thereto and such possession without an attached tag is prima facie evidence that the game is illegally taken and possessed.
2. It is unlawful to remove any tag from any wildlife for reuse or to be in possession of excess tags or used tags.
3. Whenever tags are required for any species of fur-bearing mammal, possession of a pelt of that species without the tag attached thereto is prima facie evidence that such pelt is illegally taken and possessed.
[Part 86:101:1947; A 1949, 292; 1951, 494; 1955, 242]?(NRS A 1969, 1354; 1991, 263)
The law is very clear. It is unlawful to possess any part of any big game animal without a tag.
What has complicated this issue over time is the fact that no two pickup heads or the circumstances around their discovery are alike; the vast majority are white skull plates or even portions of skulls with antlers or horns attached. Brown horn skulls are recent kills that often are the result of hunting activity, road kills, and poaching. Over the years, NDOW has chosen, for various reasons, to treat possession of pickup heads within a more lenient framework than that contained in the law. This has resulted in not only the appearance of inconsistencies in enforcement but sometimes there actually were inconsistencies in the way we handled situations. The bottom line is that NDOW is the manager of a public trust that belongs to all the people of this state. As that agent, we must be sure whenever possible that possession of wildlife parts is the result of a lawful taking through tag and license or through a natural event. This can be a difficult determination.
With that having been said, NDOW?s current policy is that we ask the public to report any finds to us. If we determine or have a reason to believe the animal may have been poached or the cause of death is unknown and attendant circumstances are suspicious we will retain the head as potential evidence. If we determine through investigation the cause of death was due to natural events it may be retained by the finder. If a sportsman is contacted in the field in possession of a pickup head he should expect a thorough inquiry and possible seizure of the head by the warden until an investigation/determination of cause of death can be done.
The Division of Law Enforcement is exploring a regulatory change, which would allow the possession of certain big game parts (pickup heads) under certain conditions. These conditions must involve a reporting component from the finders, an investigative effort from wardens and a documentation of possessed parts to protect Nevada?s big game resources.
The Division of Law Enforcement would welcome any regulatory language change. We invite you to email or call in with your ideas. You may contact
The following individuals:
Rob Buonamici, Chief Game Warden
[email protected]
(775) 688-1549
Or
Cameron Waithman, Game Warden Captain
[email protected]
(775) 688-1547
