As fall hunting seasons begin, hunters once again have the chance to review their Telecheck information on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ website at fw.ky.gov.

Now in its second year, Telecheck Review is a popular resource for Kentucky’s deer, turkey and elk hunters. These hunters must check their game through the automated Telecheck system. Sometimes these hunters wonder if they have entered their harvest data correctly. With Telecheck Review, they can log on to fw.ky.gov and search by species, date, county and hunter name to be sure they entered the correct information for the game they harvested. If a hunter detects an error, he or she can call the department’s Information Center at 1-800-858-1549 to correct the mistake.

Hunters can also check to make sure others comply with the Telecheck law. This helps Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s conservation officers do their jobs.

“This extends the eyes and ears of the conservation officers, because it allows hunters to be able to police other hunters,” said Major David Casey, assistant director of the department’s Law Enforcement Division. “One officer per county actually can do very little without the help of the sportsmen in his county. This Telecheck Review is an excellent enforcement tool that will let violators know that it is not socially acceptable to not check their deer.”

The Telecheck system is an essential tool in Kentucky’s wildlife management. The information hunters provide to the department helps biologists recommend bag limits, season dates and other regulations.

Hunters who know that another hunter took an animal n but that animal does not show up in the Telecheck Review system n should report the information to the department’s law enforcement dispatch center at 1-800-25-ALERT (1-800-252-5378). People can also call their local conservation officer.

Checked animals generally take 1-2 days to register in the system. Names of youth hunters, out-of-state hunters and hunters who entered their social security numbers incorrectly may not be listed. However, the system is a useful means of detecting poachers who do not check their animals.

All successful deer, turkey and elk hunters, as well as bobcat and otter hunters and trappers, must Telecheck these animals by midnight on the day the animal is taken by calling 1-800-245-4263. The confirmation number received at the end of the phone call must then be recorded on a hunter harvest log and kept in the hunter’s possession throughout the season. Bobcat and otter Telecheck information is not available through the department’s Telecheck Review system.

Failure to check a required animal carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and six months imprisonment. For more information about the Telecheck process and other hunting regulations, pick up a copy of the 2008-09 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, available wherever hunting licenses are sold.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources manages, regulates, enforces and promotes responsible use of all fish and wildlife species, their habitats, public wildlife areas and waterways for the benefit of those resources and for public enjoyment. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, has an economic impact to the state of $4.5 billion annually. For more information on the department, visit our web site at fw.ky.gov.