Inheriting Wildlife Mounts ??

[cassiarkid]

I have a friend who has inherited some old hunting mounts that were shot 30 years ago in BC and the Yukon. 3 Dalls, 2 Grizzly and various others. He has yet to find any paperwork for the animals, other than some photos of the actual hunts. He said the Dalls do not have plugs in the horns. How can he transfer them to himself?? Is there any protocol for inheriting mounts?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

[ajeatoo]

Good luck, I was looking into that a while ago it's a paperwork nightmare and the Govt officials really don't seem to know themselves how to do it since they recently changed the departments looking after the process and the new department didn't know how to do it!!
Best answer I finally got was that if I was keeping them for myself not to worry about it. It's if/when you want to sell them that you definitely need paperwork.

[wos]

The sheep horns should have a plug in them. No paperwork nessasry.

[wos]

Sorry just re read the original post.

[Glenny]

I would say if it was written in the will I wouldn't worry about it. I would hold on to a copy of that.

[cassiarkid]

That's all I could tell him, that as long as you keep them, you should be OK, but he may be screwed if he wanted to sell them.

[boxhitch]

Or if for some reason a home search is done and someone picks up on the fact they are not plugged.
Lots of trophies hanging around that have no paper work.
Build a paper trail and get it notarized , then use this to get the proper plugging and permits for the sheep......... if the mood strikes some time.

[cassiarkid]

So far, all he has been able to find is the hunting photos, but I think he has lots of digging still to do. Not sure if the photos themselves would be worth anything to the powers that be?

[Glenny]

So far, all he has been able to find is the hunting photos, but I think he has lots of digging still to do. Not sure if the photos themselves would be worth anything to the powers that be?

They might. But tell your friend to look at every little scrap of paper while still searching.

[Steeleco]

I would say if it was written in the will I wouldn't worry about it. I would hold on to a copy of that.

Even better if the items are listed specifically. Get him to get and keep anything that supports his claim. As you said, it will only be an issue IF was to sell them and IF the purchaser even cared?

[J_T]

I looked in to this as well. Basically i was told not to worry about it.

[cassiarkid]

Thanks all.

[Neff]

Might be different in BC, but when my grandfather passed and I inherited his deer and bear in Saskatchewan it was super simple to get an export permit. Couple photos of the mounts, my best guess as to year of kill, a verbal they were harvested legal and just like that I have export permits and a paper trail for the mounts. Now if I ever want to get a taxi in BC to touch them up, no problem.

[cassiarkid]

Hmm, maybe it is that easy?.........nahhhh, there is too much common sense in what you said, and I live in BC where everything is kind of Alice in Wonderlandish!! How it should be isn't and how it is, is....hookah smokin' Prov. Gov't and all!!

[dracb]

So, the background to all this is covered by the standard one-liner: all wildlife is property of the Crown and remains property of the Crown until one of two conditions are met; (a) the specimen is lawfully harvested under a valid licence and species tag (that becomes the documentation that needs to be retained, indefinitely, to demonstrate lawful possession), or (b) a possession permit is issued that transfers right of property to the new owner (the Sec 2(y) process below). Documentation is needed to demonstrate lawful possession at all times; and that lawful possession can be transferred from one individual to another providing the documentation is complete and in order.


The same protocol applies to old mounts of compulsory inspectable specimens as if they were fresh. These are GBear, cougar, caribou, sheep and goat mounts. This rule with regards to ancient mounts does not apply to those region/M.U. specific moose and elk C.I. requests (only the “Big Five”).



If sheep mounts (native species to N.A.), are not pinned, they need to be pinned… no matter how old they are or where they originated… all this process only applies to species that are considered “wildlife” in BC.

If they are not pinned, they were never put through the C.I. process.



If the date of harvest is known or thought to be post 1979/1980, then a check needs to be made that the specimen was not previously inspected. The Inspector can handle this through his contacts or the owner can try to contact the ministry in Victoria to determine if the mount has been previously inspected.

Then the next part is for the new owner to get lawful possession of the specimen and comply with the Permit Regulation (BC Reg 253/2000) – Compulsory Inspection is only a part of the process to get lawful possession. A Sec. 2(y) possession permit is issued to replace lost or destroyed/unavailable documentation. In 99.9% of cases that lost documentation is the original hunting licence and species tag that was cancelled when the animal was originally taken.



To get replacement documentation (a Sec 2(y) possession permit), one goes through Front Counter BC and fills out, on line, a General Permit Application Form and includes two other pieces of documentation that are scanned and included with the application to FCBC: (a) a Statutory Declaration (cost $10.) form done at this office or at a notary/lawyer’s office), and (b) the Yellow Compulsory Inspection Data Sheet which documents the specimen and takes the place of a Certification of Species Identification Form that is usual for possession permit applications. A bit complex, but Front Counter BC staff are familiar with the process (604) 586 – 4400 (tel:%28604%29%20586%20%E2%80%93%204400). A sec 2(y) possession permit is $35.


The other aspect of a Sec 2(y) possession permit is that it can be tailored to suit collections and estates involving multiple specimens. The possession permit application can have an Appendix “A” attached that lists the specimens involved and the relevant data for each.

Of course this all applies only to species that are under provincial control (Wildlife Act) and not to those under federal jurisdiction; the general rule is that most bird species are under federal jurisdiction and most animal species are under provincial.

[cassiarkid]

That was very helpful, thank you. My friend said that the Dall sheep are pinned ( I don't think he was looking in the right spot) and are from the Yukon. He has also found paperwork for most of the mounts from when he moved from the Yukon to BC, he said there is some sort of paperwork that his father in law had to transfer mounts to BC?? Not sure about the Grizzlies??
Very important point to ensure that we always keep every hunting license and compulsory inspection for all animals harvested, and to have mounts listed in wills etc.

Cheers