70-4-203 - Transportation of protected game or fish out of the state Duty of transporters Penalty.
70-4-203. Transportation of protected game or fish out of the state Duty of transporters Penalty.
(a) Any person who desires to take protected game or fish out of the state may do so under the following conditions, but not otherwise:
(1) Such person must have in possession at the time of such taking out of the state, or at the time of transporting within the state, a hunting and fishing license, duly issued to such person under the provisions of this title; and
(2) Such person cannot take from the state more than two (2) days' bag or creel limit on ducks or other migratory birds or protected game or fish.
(b) Any officer of the wildlife resources agency, or assistant officer of the wildlife resources agency, sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable or other officer has the right to demand of any person possessing game and proposing to take it out of the state an inspection of such person's license. A refusal on the part of the person to exhibit the license is a Class C misdemeanor.
(c) Any resident hunter may have game or fish transported home by filing with the common carrier a written statement with name and address, the number of such person's hunting license, and the number of game or fish to be so transported, and that the game or fish was legally killed by such person and is not for sale. A copy of the statement shall be attached to such person's game, or to whatever the game may be enclosed in.
(d) It is unlawful for any person, company or common carrier to ship or transport any birds, game fish or animals as mentioned in this section, except as otherwise provided in this title, without having ascertained that the person offering the same for shipment was then and there in possession of a hunting and fishing license duly issued and covering the period when the shipment was offered, and without requiring such person to accompany the shipment.
(e) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
[Acts 1951, ch. 115, §§ 59, 60; 1953, ch. 255, § 5 (Williams, §§ 5178.88, 5178.89); 1959, ch. 145, § 4; Acts 1974, ch. 481, § 21; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), §§ 51-503, 51-504; Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 113.]