I found a dead Great Horned Owl that had been hit by a car. I would like to save the skull. I am wondering if I can just bury it and wait a few months or do I need to clean it , boil, etc. Or just put it out in the woods. I am a first-timer at this so any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
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But it is not legal for you to posess this birds skull or any other part of it.
It is sad to say but if you find any kind of raptor, be it an owl,hawk or
eagle just leave it lay. You may not even have a feather or any part of this bird.
I am not sure what the penaly is for this but the federal regulations
will tell you the legalities of posession. So best thing to do is get rid of it.
Todd B
Well, you have violated not only Federal Law, but the laws of your state as well. Great horned owls are protected under Federal Law, and by default, state statute. It is illegal to pick up road-killed or other accidentally game without a salvage permit.
You have compounded the problem when you sectioned the bird. Since the Federal law states a little phrase, "and parts therof". Each piece of your bird now becomes a separate charge. Five parts, five suspected birds. Only a very slick lawyer and a host of
DNA tests at your expense would convince a judge otherwise.
Still not worried? Or if you are in possession of the required permits: Skin the head down to the base of the beak. Remove skin and as much of the muscle, fascia and other tissue as possible. Place the skull in a little box made of hardware cloth and set on an anthill for a couple of days. Anchor the box with two large staples made of heavy gauge wire and pressed into the ground to prevent pests from moving the cage. When the ants are finished. Remove any remaining tissue by wetting it with water in which borax has been dissolved and scraping off with a sharp knife. When all tissue is removed, wrap the skull in medicinal cotton and set in a container of hydrogen peroxide, set the container in a large zip-loc bag and allow to sit for several days. Check periodically and when the skull appears to be an even color, remove the cotton, rinse and set in the sun to finish the bleaching process. If nothing else it will look good in the Federal prosecutor's hands while you are on the witness stand.......
I did not section the bird and it is now buried. I did not know that it was illegal to posess a found dead bird. I thank you for that information.