Within 12 hours, you need to report your harvest either electronically via your online account or by calling the local game warden or district field office. After you have reported your harvest, you need to make arrangements to get the mountain lion tagged.

Instructions for presenting your mountain lion for tagging are dependent on whether or not there is a female sub-limit during the season within which you harvested your mountain lion.

No female sub-limit (Zone 1 early-season, Zone 1 conditional season, or Zone 2) – The pelt must be removed prior to presenting you mountain lion for tagging (exception, see Q4). No mountain lion pelt will be tagged until the animal is skinned and presented with the entire carcass, including the head. The carcass shall remain the property of NDGF. To acquire a tag, either visit one of our district offices Monday-Friday during business hours or contact your local Game Warden to make arrangements for a meeting time and place that works for both.

Female sub-limit (Zone 1 late-season) – The gender of your mountain lion must be confirmed by NDGF within 12 hours of harvest and prior to skinning the animal. Visual confirmation of sex may be done either in-person or virtually via photograph or video. After which, the pelt must be removed prior to presenting you mountain lion for tagging (exception, see Q4). No mountain lion pelt will be tagged until the animal is skinned and presented with the entire carcass, including the head. The carcass shall remain the property of NDGF. To acquire a pelt tag, either visit one of our district offices Monday-Friday during business hours or contact your local Game Warden to make arrangements for a meeting time and place that works for both.

Yes, you can have someone else (e.g., taxidermist) skin the mountain lion for you. However, you should get a tag for the mountain lion prior to having it skinned. Just present your mountain lion for inspection and explain to NDGF staff that you will be having someone else skin it for you. Then, it is your responsibility to ensure the carcass gets returned back to NDGF after the mountain lion is skinned.

No, your entire mountain lion carcass, including the internal organs, must be given to NDGF for population monitoring purposes.

Yes, you can keep the front or rear hind quarters and/or the backstraps from your mountain lion, but we need the entire intact abdomen, chest, and head. Remove the exterior edible portions you wish to keep prior to relinquishing your carcass to NDGF.

Yes, we will return heads to hunters after necropsy, but they (or someone else on their behalf) will have to pick up the head from our lab in Bismarck if they want it back. We will call them once we are done with necropsy to let them know it is ready to be picked up.