Importation of Hunting Trophies

[sheephunterab]

Here is a letter that a friend wrote to his MP regarding the recent decision by the government regarding the importation of hunting trophies to Canada. Please read it and use it as a template to write your MP.
Ted
I am writing as a strong supporter (both financially and at the polls) of the Conservative party of Canada and as a voter within your riding. Recent changes (and apparently very suddenly) in importation rules with regard to international hunting trophies has me quite concerned. For years , hunters travelling internationally would have their big game trophies follow them home in the form of salted hides and associated skull/horns/antlers. The process included complete vet checks from both the international vet and a vet here in Canada upon arrival. Before any trophies left the shipping country they had to go through a complete sanitation process for entry into Canada. If the sanitization process was insufficient when it arrived into Canada, the trophies , upon inspection by Canadian vets/authorities were not released to the hunter. All charges involved were of course at the expense of the international hunter. On top of that the hunter was also obliged to pay GST on the trophy fee charged in the foreign country for each animal imported. These fees for an average trip to Africa , for example, would be in the order of $10,000 to $25,000, depending upon the animals harvested.
Apparently, the new rules for importation from many countries will now require (as of yesterday!!) FULL TAXIDERMY on all animals. I don't believe the consequences of these changes have been fully Evaluated by your government for the following reasons:
- Taxidermy in foreign countries can be anywhere from excellent to downright shoddy - leaving open the possibility of insects and disease to be much worse than treated capes (hides)
- You have now cut out a substantial amount of work for taxidermists in this country , many who rely on animals from foreign countries to "make ends meet".
- This ruling will require ridiculous costs of shipping already taxidermied animals (can you imagine the shipping cost of a fully taxidermied cape buffalo or full mount lion or leopard)
If this ruling was designed to reduce accidental insect and disease importation, I think the government is fooling themselves. I believe the problem could be much worse with already mounted animals. Of course in the back of my mind there is always a suspicion that the naïve anti-hunting lobby has something to do with the new rulings. As you well know CITIES regulations (world wide) control animal importation quotas extremely carefully.
I would very much like to hear your thoughts on these changes and the reasons behind them.

[geoskier]

What if we are strong opponents of the Conservatives?

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Sounds like there is some way to skirt around this problem. Let's say you only want to tan the hides?? Have them tanned over there and shipped back home. There are dry tanning processes that allow you to mount them later(eg Easy 100). They don't have to know your intent once you get them back in Canada.

SSS

[skibum]

What if we are strong opponents of the Conservatives?

...........and support one of the downtown university faculty never been in the bush run parties?

Just riding your balls, not serious (kinda).

[sheephunterab]

Sounds like there is some way to skirt around this problem. Let's say you only want to tan the hides?? Have them tanned over there and shipped back home. There are dry tanning processes that allow you to mount them later(eg Easy 100). They don't have to know your intent once you get them back in Canada.

SSSI think rather than looking for ways around this, the prudent thing to do would be to pressure MPs into changing it. I hear there has already been considerable pressure on them and changes may already be happening. It's a good day to write your MP.

[sheephunterab]

What if we are strong opponents of the Conservatives?Still write a letter to your MP and tell them that this is BS.....

[sheephunterab]

So here is the latest from CFIA. There are no changes to the2001 regulations but apparently many offices have not been enforcing theregulations to the letter of the law and they will be now. So, any shipments ofsalted hides and boiled heads coming from a non-approved country (this includesall of Africa) will have to go to a certified taxidermist for an additional 28days of treatment. After that they can be released to the owner for tanning ortaxidermy or whatever he chooses to do with them. It will likely add anadditional $1,000-$1,500 to the cost of importing trophies into Canada. Thereare several taxidermists in Canada presently trying to become certified veryquickly.

[BCHunterFSJ]

There hasn't been much interest in this important topic. However, it seems from recent postings that a number of members have recently harvested animals in Africa (myself included). What are people going to be doing to bring their trophies home??? I am really worried and need to send info back to my shipping agent in Zambia. Any suggestions would be appreciated and you may PM me if you prefer. Thanks!

[1/2 slam]

There hasn't been much interest in this important topic. However, it seems from recent postings that a number of members have recently harvested animals in Africa (myself included). What are people going to be doing to bring their trophies home??? I am really worried and need to send info back to my shipping agent in Zambia. Any suggestions would be appreciated and you may PM me if you prefer. Thanks!

I'm using Ron's Wildlife service in Richmond. They are sorting through the BS for me. I'm exporting my stuff to a Taxidermist in Custer Washington.

[sheephunterab]

There hasn't been much interest in this important topic. However, it seems from recent postings that a number of members have recently harvested animals in Africa (myself included). What are people going to be doing to bring their trophies home??? I am really worried and need to send info back to my shipping agent in Zambia. Any suggestions would be appreciated and you may PM me if you prefer. Thanks!
I'm having mine shipped back like always. Worst case scenario is that they make you go for secondary disinfection in Canada.

[BCHunterFSJ]

I'm having mine shipped back like always. Worst case scenario is that they make you go for secondary disinfection in Canada.

I hate to bring back an old topic ... As some of you know my son and I harvested 2 sable antelopes in Zambia last year. Well the worst has happened as predicted by sheephunterab.
Our trophies arrived in Vancouver and when examined were found to be contaminated by "bugs" even though they had the requisite documents such as sanitary and veterinary certificates.
So the horns, skulls and capes now have to be sent to Edmonton to a de-contamination facility for treatment. From there they will need to be shipped to my taxidermist. Some will say that is not such a big deal, but believe me it will add many dollars to an already expensive hunt. Of course there are alternatives...The shipment can be returned to Africa (at my cost) or simply incinerated (at my cost)!!

[huntcoop]

BCHunterFSJ, what sort of additional costs are you looking at..........for the Edmonton option.

[sheephunterab]

I hate to bring back an old topic ... As some of you know my son and I harvested 2 sable antelopes in Zambia last year. Well the worst has happened as predicted by sheephunterab.
Our trophies arrived in Vancouver and when examined were found to be contaminated by "bugs" even though they had the requisite documents such as sanitary and veterinary certificates.
So the horns, skulls and capes now have to be sent to Edmonton to a de-contamination facility for treatment. From there they will need to be shipped to my taxidermist. Some will say that is not such a big deal, but believe me it will add many dollars to an already expensive hunt. Of course there are alternatives...The shipment can be returned to Africa (at my cost) or simply incinerated (at my cost)!!

Currently all shipments from Africa now have to go through secondary treatment here in Canada regardless of the condition they are in. Ours arrived in November and were in perfect condition but still had to go for treatment. People can count on it adding about $150-$200 to each skull/cape imported. We had ours done right here in Calgary so we didn't incur any additional shipping charges but I suspect that will cost you a pretty penny a well to have them shipped to Edmonton and then your taxidermist.

[1/2 slam]

Mine should be ready to ship this month. I'll be importing and immediately exporting to Custer Washington. I wonder if I'll have issues.

[Maxx]

does secondary treatment mean tanning....cause that is what happened to me without my knowledge. They told me they were inspecting them, but the inspection place in question is a tannery and they tanned them.

[huntcoop]

Why is Edmonton the place?

[sheephunterab]

Mine should be ready to ship this month. I'll be importing and immediately exporting to Custer Washington. I wonder if I'll have issues.
If you bring them onto Canadian soil they require secondary treatment. It will tie them up for at least 28 days. If you can have them shipped right to Washington it would save you lots of time and money.

[sheephunterab]

does secondary treatment mean tanning....cause that is what happened to me without my knowledge. They told me they were inspecting them, but the inspection place in question is a tannery and they tanned them.

No it doesn't require tanning but it does require treatment. Regardless they would have had to do more than inspect them. You may have actually saved money by having them immediately tanned rather than treated and then tanned.

[sheephunterab]

Why is Edmonton the place?

It has to go to a CFIA certified taxidermist. There are a number of them spread across Canada but primarily in large cities where international shipments arrive.

[huntcoop]

I'm shocked Vancouver does not have one.

[sheephunterab]

I'm shocked Vancouver does not have one.

I'm not sure if there is one or not...CFIA doesn't seem to have a list of them that I can find.

[1/2 slam]

If you bring them onto Canadian soil they require secondary treatment. It will tie them up for at least 28 days. If you can have them shipped right to Washington it would save you lots of time and money.

I looked into that....not possible

[Brez]

I'm planning on a pronghorn hunt in Wyoming this year. I guess that we will have to go through the same thing? Any recommendations from people who have done it recently?
There are a few of us going and I'd like to get a ballpark cost of trip and this will definitely add to the cost. Would it be better to have the heads mounted in Wyoming or Montana?
Thanks

[Wild Images]

I'm planning on a pronghorn hunt in Wyoming this year. I guess that we will have to go through the same thing? Any recommendations from people who have done it recently?
There are a few of us going and I'd like to get a ballpark cost of trip and this will definitely add to the cost. Would it be better to have the heads mounted in Wyoming or Montana?
Thanks
Ran into 3 young guys from PG in Mcbride, they were on thier way home with 3 goats from the states and said that it was no problem getting them home.

[Maxx]

I'm not sure if there is one or not...CFIA doesn't seem to have a list of them that I can find.


The only place in BC is the tannery in Vernon I think.

[Rackmastr]

I'm planning on a pronghorn hunt in Wyoming this year. I guess that we will have to go through the same thing? Any recommendations from people who have done it recently?
There are a few of us going and I'd like to get a ballpark cost of trip and this will definitely add to the cost. Would it be better to have the heads mounted in Wyoming or Montana?
Thanks

Bring your tags and you wont have any issues with your antelope from Wyoming. Stop at the US side and get a USFW Export permit. They fill it out right at the port and CBSA will want to see it. Its still a simple process bringing items like this across the land border from the USA.

I'm assuming you were driving down and not flying, not sure if thats the case Brez. And no, its just as easy to have your stuff mounted back home as it is to have it mounted down there. Same paperwork, etc.

[sheephunterab]

I'm planning on a pronghorn hunt in Wyoming this year. I guess that we will have to go through the same thing? Any recommendations from people who have done it recently?
There are a few of us going and I'd like to get a ballpark cost of trip and this will definitely add to the cost. Would it be better to have the heads mounted in Wyoming or Montana?
Thanks

Secondary treatment is not required for trophies originating in the U.S.A.