Gifting Deer Part 2

[ekelsey]

Piggy backing on the previous question about gifting a deer, if I were to kill a deer and butcher it, could I charge a nominal fee to friends for the service of processing the deer?

[morrison]

A person who charges a fee for processing of a deer must must register with the Department of Natural Resources by March 1 of each year. You would be required to maintain records of all the deer processed for a minimum of 18 months. The premises can be entered by a law enforcement officer to inspect the premises and records at any reasonable time. The person would have to abide by the disposal requirements established by the department.

I have posted the Indiana Administrative Code below. If the processing is done for an exchange, it is considered "Commercial."

312 IAC 9-3-10 Commercial processing of deer
Authority: IC 14-22-2-6
Affected: IC 14-22; IC 15-17; IC 32-30-6-6
Sec. 10. (a) A person who receives deer for processing and charges a fee must maintain accurate daily records of the following:
(1) The dates deer are received and disposed of.
(2) The name and address of the owner of the deer.
(3) The state or province from which the deer was taken.
(4) The official tag and seal number, certificate of ownership or game breeder license number, or the department's electronic harvest confirmation number.
(b) These records shall be retained by the person or persons responsible for preparation or maintenance for at least eighteen (18) months following that preparation and must register with the department by March 1 of each year.
(c) A law enforcement officer may enter premises used for deer preparation at all reasonable hours to inspect those premises and the daily records required under subsection (a).
(d) A deer processor must properly dispose of carcasses and other parts of deer to ensure that they do not become a public nuisance as defined in IC 32-30-6-6. Proper disposal includes:
(1) at a disposal plant licensed by the Indiana state board of animal health under IC 15-17;
(2) burial upon the owner's premises so that every part of the animal's carcass is at least four (4) feet under the natural surface of the earth;
(3) thorough and complete incineration;
(4) composting; or
(5) other methods approved by the director.