Attention Texas: Do You Have Your Proof of Sex?

If someone in Texas were to ask you for your proof of sex, how hard would you punch them in the face? Well, when it comes to hunting, recording, and transporting game meat, this is actually a very common and important question to ask.

Proof of Sex in Texas

Deer and Pronghorn

No, it's not what you think it is (or maybe it is). Proof of sex is a legal requirement for Texas hunters, and it includes any identifying parts of a mammal or bird that can be used to determine if it was male or female.

For instance, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) states that proof of sex for a deer or pronghorn would include any of the following:

• The head, either skinned or unskinned, of a deer with or without antlers
• The mammary organ (udder) or vulva along with the tail

Other documents will also suffice, such as a Managed Lands Deer Program Tag, a CWD Check Station Receipt, or a TPWD Drawn Hunt Legal Deer Tag.

Just know that it's illegal to remove the proof of sex of a deer or pronghorn before the carcass has been documented in the cold storage logbook and is recorded by the county.

Pheasant and Wild Turkey

For game birds like pheasant, just one leg attached to the carcass and/or the bird's plumage still attached to the carcass will suffice as proof of sex in Texas.

When it comes to wild turkey, this is where things get fowl...

For male turkeys, also called gobblers, one leg along with the spur attached counts as proof of sex. Also, "a patch of skin with breast feathers and beard attached," also counts, according to TPWD.

For female turkeys who are strangely enough called "bearded hens," all that's needed for a proof of sex is a patch of skin with breast feathers and the beard, nothing more.

Exceptions to Proof of Sex

If you feel as though any of the previously mentioned steps are too much or too confusing to follow, you can always just visit a taxidermist and have the carcass stuffed. A taxidermist receipt will satisfy Texas' proof of sex requirement.

Another exception is an official document from the landowner where the game was killed that contains your name, the date the animal was hunted, and the sex of the deer, pronghorn, pheasant, or wild turkey.

Happy hunting! Just remember: The bullet comes out of the end of the gun with a hole in it.