Where to begin? Oh hey how about an introduction - sorta? I'm Jaeda, 30-something *ahem* female and I should probably join a group called something like Roadkill-Collectors Anonymous. As a kid I had a tendency to pick up and keep (in addition to other stuff found outdoors such as stones, plants, etc.) bones, feathers, bugs, etc. Got into my teens and a friend's dad told me how he salt-dried some of the rabbits' pelts he raised/butchered - seemed pretty straight forward so I did a couple of those and here and there saved a squirrel or chipmunk tail - stuff like that. Well, now, years later as an adult I find myself with a history (and still doing it) of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation (release being the goal) and still deeply fond of "nature" and "the wilds" in general. Over the last several years I have been blessed (that's my take on it) with the finding of various birds that have been hit on backroads, highways, etc. and have - when they weren't ripped to shreds - been able to salvage the wings (clipped them off) and done a salt-drying on them - and been happy with it! I had to (my conscience and all) to contact my local Game Warden at one time because one I found was a Barred Owl (protected) - its back and skull were obliterated but I didn't want to get into any trouble for saving/drying its wings. He basically told me no problem, you know I didn't kill it and I wasn't out to try and sell it and didn't feel like going through the genealogy-proving of Native American blood percentage to "legally possess" the feathers. It was just roadkill that I wanted to preserve and enjoy in the privacy of my own home, right? Right.
Okay... so now I have a dilemma. Awhile ago I found a third Barred Owl on the highway - only this time it wasn't obliterated, or didn't appear to be. It looked good enough that honestly my first thought was to get it in the freezer so it wouldn't decompose (summer heat in the south and all) - so I did that, it's in the deep freezer. But I'm pretty sure that even if I found a local taxidermist that would mount it, I couldn't afford it. Totally broke - I can't afford to lay out but a few bucks here and there to do it - so that nixes manuals, videos, etc. (I tend to do better from Q&A anyway) I don't know where to begin to mount the bird and what all I would need. I don't have any problems doing this based upon historic/antiquated methods before all the nifty chemicals and the like came about - if someone can tell me how or point me in the right direction. Please?
And then today I came upon a red fox. I don't think it's mountable - I didn't get a real good look at 'er before I put her in the freezer, but I know the muzzle looked pretty well flattened and her neck had been broken. I could be wrong - maybe it is mountable with post mortem reconstruction on the muzzle? Anyway, basically wondering about how to go about mounting a fox as well or if I should just skin it out?
I tend to encounter more than my fair share of birds though, so I'm especially interested in any help/directions/how-to's on those. It ranges from owls to [turkey] vultures to crows and on down to sparrows and finches, and I'd like (when they aren't a total loss) to mount/preserve them. I know it's possible!
If anyone is willing to give me a hand - please email me at Jaeda@cat-basket.org - as I am better able to keep up with messages via email than I am on forums. Thanks!
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Also sent you an e-mail but most of what you want to play with are gonna get you in a hhep of legal trouble. best to let them rot!
You can talk to two different Game Wardens and get two differtent answers to the same question. You can not have that Barred Owl or any of its parts. It is a problem and so is any of the other song birds you have in your freezer or any parts hanging around.
..to Possess, for any parts of migratory birds- excep starlings, pigeons. It would be great to for anyone to just pick up a dead owl, hawk, goldfinch and keep it, but to do so is a federal offense.
As a former raptor rehabber and researcher, I had to have, in my possession, a copy of each of about a half-dozen licenses issued by Uncle Sam to even carry the bird in my vehicle, even though all the Conservation Agents in the state knew who I was and what I did. When we gave tours of our outdoor facility, each group was first entertained by our warnings NOT to pick up feathers, castings, etc.. You cannot possess, keep, mount, or do anything else with protected bird species in the U.S., especially birds of prey, without the proper licensure. Period. And frankly, the nice guy from USFWS will tell you, as he is arresting you, that your friendly game warden stepped well beyond his wuthority in giving you permission to keep those wings.