There's no statute that says you can eat a deer you hit, and none that says you can't. A law enforcement officer writes the tag, and that tag usually goes to whoever hit the deer, though it doesn't have to. New York also bans bringing a whole deer, elk, moose, or caribou carcass across state lines, largely because of chronic wasting disease. Ranking 50 United States by Deer Population The United States of America is home to one of the world's most impressive, and varied, deer herds. Using data gathered from each state by A-Z-Animals.com, let's count down to the state with the largest population of deer.