I'm just a hobbiest at this time and friends have given me a number of animals to practice on. I have a coon,grey fox,black bear head mounta badger,a mallard drake and a few whitetail heads(a couple are my own) I have no papers for any of these.
I want to get a taxidermy license and work part time at this,but would i be fined by the DNR if they found me in possesion of these mounts without records of where i got them?
I'd sure appreciate some feed back on this one! thanks
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One of the wonderful, at times, benefits of our nation is that many regulations and statutes are left to the citizens of each state to self-determine the rule and extent of the law. The Federal laws regarding taxidermy deal with endangered species and migratory birds, and the shipping and distribution of wildlife products. Most other regulation is on a state by state basis. Many states are represented by the participants to this forum. They can help you find your answer, but first you must tell them in which state you reside.
I'M from Illinois. Sorry!
Most of us usually get started this way. You can get by with it as long as no one turns you in. (for a while). Yes, you will get busted if caught. The law says that you can do anything FOR YOURSELF, but not for others without a permit. Send for the $25 permit and be safe. And another $25 (I think, I don't do birds) for the federal permit for migratory birds. (Which will put you on a list for a higher risk of being checked). I have been in the business for 10 years and never been OFFICIALLY checked. I have done items for the local game wardens and asked them a lot of questions if I was doing things right. So far, so good. My advise...get the taxidermy permit, keep good records, tag everything and leave those customer ducks alone until you get the fed. permit.
Dan K.
Dan's Fur & Hide Tanning and Taxidermy
Breese, Ill
Thanks for the response. All of the animals i've done were for me.What i was wondering about is, if i apply for the taxidermy permit and i'm checked by the DNR, can they fine me since i have no records on the animals i mounted for myself? These animals were given to me for my own use.
pat
the black bear came from canada, you will need the cities paper work and export permit. play it safe and follow the advice already given, pay the 25.00 and get the permit. here in pennsylvania we have to take a test, show our mounts (our own specimens, not a customers)and then pay 100.00 per year to keep our license the test cost 50.00
your 25.00 permit is a bargain
study well and get good reference, this site is a good place to start, and dont forget to check the archives first or you might incur the wrath of the curmudgeon brigade...LOL
Pat's question is very interesting to me also, since I've "acquired" some animals...they are not customers, some are gifts, some are roadkill. What I'm wondering and it sounds like what he's asking is ONCE he gets his permit, should he get rid of the questionable mounts in case he's checked? If I had to guess (and what I'm planning to do) is keep the ones that I can show a history of (the tag or license, who the hunter was and paperwork that he gifted it to me) and give away those other practise animals that have no clear history. Would this be the safest route?
That's exactly what i'm going to do! I'm not going to take any chances with this.
Best of luck to you,
Pat
:)
Is to move to Alabama were we have tooooo lax game laws and dont have any sort of state tagging or checking system. But they still say they manage the wildlife. :)
sorry to add humor to your ligit. question but just I'd throw something else out there.
Keep the critters if they are legal, or if you COULD have gotten them legal, make up some dates when you Could have gotten them, and record as such. The wardens don't care if you got them, or someone else did, as long as you have records that jive with what you have. Like, "got deer #12 from Joe Gunn on "date", tag number XXXXX. BUT on the badger, you need a trapping lic. number. (trapping only in Ill.)
After they are mounted, (deer) I staple the tag on the back of the form. As for record keeping, law requries you to keep it for 2 years.
For tanned hides, no tags need to be kept, unless it is an endangered species like bobcats or otters. Hope we are not too late to help you keep the things you already have.
Dan K
good old fashioned honesty? Why would you suggest that someone lie to a warden about where and how they acquired their specimens? Call me old fashioned or out of touch if you want, but I'm disgusted that someone would suggest lying as a way to stay out of trouble. Just because our former President did it, doesn't make it right.
Let me make on thing perfectly clear! I did not have sex with that woman! lol
may not have, but i did. at least thats what they tell me, now where did i put my cigar.....
Is able to smoke cigars. you'd think that where he puts them would make them soggy and hard to light!