Help finding T.C.A. code about selling wild meat.

[10-Ring]

So, I got in an argument (disagreement) with a fella over the legality of selling deer meat in Tennessee.  I try really hard to only pick fights that I can win but I can't find a T.C.A. code to back me up on this and I've been looking for a good hour. I have found articles about people getting in trouble for this but I would like to find the code itself.

[TripleDigitRide]

Not sure if this is what you're looking for.

https://www.animallaw.info/statute/tn-wildlife-part-2-wildlife-regulation-and-protection#s201

§ 70-4-201. Protected wildlife; crimes and offenses

(a) It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, any restaurant, club, or hotel in this state to barter, sell, transfer or offer for sale, or to purchase, or offer to purchase, any of the wildlife except as provided within this title or in rules and regulations promulgated by the commission.

( B) Each unlawful sale, purchase, offer for sale or purchase, transfer, or possession with the intent to sell, barter or transfer for any consideration of a wild animal or wild bird, wild fowl or game fish, or part thereof, is a separate offense.

(c) Any person hiring another to kill or capture wildlife and receiving the wildlife is deemed to be buying the wildlife and is subject to the penalties of this title. Officers of the wildlife resources agency or persons specially employed or designated by the executive director or by the United States fish and wildlife service may capture, buy, sell, or offer to capture, buy or sell wild birds or wild animals, or parts thereof, for the sole purpose of obtaining evidence of violation of this title. The carcass of a lawful possession limit of opossum, raccoon or beaver may be bought, sold or shipped for sale during the open hunting or trapping season.

(d) A violation of this section is a Class A misdemeanor; except that any violation of this section involving wildlife valued at five hundred ($500) dollars or more is a Class E felony.

Edited December 28, 2015 by TripleDigitRide

[nightrunner]

I'm sure you are getting into USDA territory on that.

Kinda how a while back the Amish got in trouble for selling milk.

[10-Ring]

 

Not sure if this is what you're looking for.

https://www.animallaw.info/statute/tn-wildlife-part-2-wildlife-regulation-and-protection#s201

§ 70-4-201. Protected wildlife; crimes and offenses

(a) It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, any restaurant, club, or hotel in this state to barter, sell, transfer or offer for sale, or to purchase, or offer to purchase, any of the wildlife except as provided within this title or in rules and regulations promulgated by the commission.

( B) Each unlawful sale, purchase, offer for sale or purchase, transfer, or possession with the intent to sell, barter or transfer for any consideration of a wild animal or wild bird, wild fowl or game fish, or part thereof, is a separate offense.

(c) Any person hiring another to kill or capture wildlife and receiving the wildlife is deemed to be buying the wildlife and is subject to the penalties of this title. Officers of the wildlife resources agency or persons specially employed or designated by the executive director or by the United States fish and wildlife service may capture, buy, sell, or offer to capture, buy or sell wild birds or wild animals, or parts thereof, for the sole purpose of obtaining evidence of violation of this title. The carcass of a lawful possession limit of opossum, raccoon or beaver may be bought, sold or shipped for sale during the open hunting or trapping season.

(d) A violation of this section is a Class A misdemeanor; except that any violation of this section involving wildlife valued at five hundred ($500) dollars or more is a Class E felony.

 

Just what I was looking for!  Not sure how I missed that...

[LagerHead]

The guy with whom you were arguing apparently doesn't understand how the government's protectionist, competition-limiting regulations work if he was in doubt. Gotta protect those big meat companies from us little guys, after all.

[gregintenn]

The guy with whom you were arguing apparently doesn't understand how the government's protectionist, competition-limiting regulations work if he was in doubt. Gotta protect those big meat companies from us little guys, after all.

I'm guessing this has more to do with wildlife protection and curtailing poaching.

[LagerHead]

I'm guessing this has more to do with wildlife protection and curtailing poaching.

In the same way that gun control is about reducing crime?

[10-Ring]

The guy with whom you were arguing apparently doesn't understand how the government's protectionist, competition-limiting regulations work if he was in doubt. Gotta protect those big meat companies from us little guys, after all.

In this case I'm glad the government has stepped in.  If deer meat could legally be sold I think that they would be hunted and poached into extinction. 

[LagerHead]

In this case I'm glad the government has stepped in. If deer meat could legally be sold I think that they would be hunted and poached into extinction.

Kinda like the beaver, which is legal to sell?

[CommsNBombs]

Imagine if every muldoon out there was allowed to sell deer, youd have all manner of stupid people out there disregarding safety rules and jumping on peoples property just to score some deer.

Theyd be trespassing, have shooting related accidents, kill anything they saw walking...its like the summer here in Mid TN - every swinging richard is suddenly a lawn care specialist or an exterminator or vacuum connessuier

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

[gregintenn]

In the same way that gun control is about reducing crime?

I'm not necessarily defending this law, I'm just trying to explain what I believe to be the logic behind it. 

[gregintenn]

Kinda like the beaver, which is legal to sell?

Beaver is a furbearing animal and not classified as large game.

 

Deer were all but extinct here not long ago. I do not recall any TWRA effort to repopulate beavers.

[LagerHead]

Beaver is a furbearing animal and not classified as large game.

 

Deer were all but extinct here not long ago. I do not recall any TWRA effort to repopulate beavers.

 

I sit corrected. We have officially found the first law in world history that criminals obey. ;)

[LagerHead]

Imagine if every muldoon out there was allowed to sell deer, youd have all manner of stupid people out there disregarding safety rules and jumping on peoples property just to score some deer.

Theyd be trespassing, have shooting related accidents, kill anything they saw walking...its like the summer here in Mid TN - every swinging richard is suddenly a lawn care specialist or an exterminator or vacuum connessuier

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

Imagine if every muldoon (actually not sure what the heck a muldoon is ;) ) was allowed to just carry guns around in public. You'd have all manner of stupid people out there disregarding safety rules, shooting people over parking spots, getting drunk and shooting up the place like it's the wild west.

 

They'd be vigilantes, we'd have shooting related accidents, kill anyone that crossed them, even for minor offences - every swinging Richard is suddenly a self proclaimed law enforcement officer.

 

Kinda funny how we blast the "what if" arguments to hell when they're encroaching on our sacred cow, but then turn around and use them ourselves, isn't it? ;)

Edited December 28, 2015 by LagerHead

[gregintenn]

I sit corrected. We have officially found the first law in world history that criminals obey. ;)

Again, I'm not defending these laws, I'm simply trying to explain my understanding of them.

 

Are you implying we shouldn't have any laws that criminals don't obey? I'm not sure I'm following your logic here.

 

Want to see some tough laws to follow? Get a fishing guide. :rant:

[LagerHead]

Again, I'm not defending these laws, I'm simply trying to explain my understanding of them.

 

Are you implying we shouldn't have any laws that criminals don't obey? I'm not sure I'm following your logic here.

 

Want to see some tough laws to follow? Get a fishing guide. :rant:

 

My views on government and laws aside, the stated reason for the laws is almost never that actual one.

 

If selling venison were made legal, people would farm deer just like they do other animals. How horrible would that be? You'd be able to walk into Publix and grab a pack of back straps to grill up tonight. Horror of horrors. ;)

[gregintenn]

My views on government and laws aside, the stated reason for the laws is almost never that actual one.

 

If selling venison were made legal, people would farm deer just like they do other animals. How horrible would that be? You'd be able to walk into Publix and grab a pack of back straps to grill up tonight. Horror of horrors. ;)

While I'm not sure that is economically viable, I do believe people here raise bison, and maybe some form of deer, but not whitetail to my knowledge, for commercial meat. Farm raised animals are looked at under a different prism than wildlife.

 

There is something to be said for a relatively safe public food supply. Ecoli, botulism, etc. come to mind.

Edited December 28, 2015 by gregintenn

[10-Ring]

My views on government and laws aside, the stated reason for the laws is almost never that actual one.

 

If selling venison were made legal, people would farm deer just like they do other animals. How horrible would that be? You'd be able to walk into Publix and grab a pack of back straps to grill up tonight. Horror of horrors. ;)

It is possible to farm raise deer legally.  The meat is super expensive.  I'm guessing from farming stand point beef is more profitable.  I get what you are saying about criminals not following the laws anyway and I usually agree with that position.  I suppose that there are quite a few folks out there that would sell deer if it were legal but refrain from doing so since it is not.  So, this law probably does do something to protect the population.  Of course, without a doubt, we'd be stupid to believe that no one is selling deer meat because there is a law against it, I'm sure that it happens all the time.

[bersaguy]

It is possible to farm raise deer legally.  The meat is super expensive.  I'm guessing from farming stand point beef is more profitable.  I get what you are saying about criminals not following the laws anyway and I usually agree with that position.  I suppose that there are quite a few folks out there that would sell deer if it were legal but refrain from doing so since it is not.  So, this law probably does do something to protect the population.  Of course, without a doubt, we'd be stupid to believe that no one is selling deer meat because there is a law against it, I'm sure that it happens all the time.

If it is against the law to do, you can bet there is someone out there doing it................jmho

[crossfire]

Google is your friend, do a search on "farm deer" :2cents:

[BigK]

Google is your friend, do a search on "farm deer" :2cents:

 

Yep, farming deer is a thing. I think the first time it was tried things did't go as planned though: http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/9293-roping-a-deer/?hl=%2Broping+%2Bdeer

[KahrMan]

Kinda like the beaver, which is legal to sell?

 

I am pretty sure it is illegal to sell beaver.  I hear about vice arresting women all the time for selling beaver... and men for trying to buy beaver...

Edited December 29, 2015 by KahrMan

[Omega]

I am pretty sure it is illegal to sell beaver.  I hear about vice arresting women all the time for selling beaver... and men for trying to buy beaver...

No, no it's perfectly legal to buy beaver; just don't try to rent it.

[gregintenn]

Eating bought beaver is what gets you in trouble. They're just for wearing.