Hi everyone, found this forum thru a search. Yesterday I was telling my brother how the universe had gifted a friend of mine with a large newly deceased owl just at the same time he was about to put finishing touches on a staff he was constructing. Utilizing some of the feathers and a dried foot, he crafted an extraordinary piece.
Today, as I was driving to town, (I live in south TX) I found a dead owl on the highway. Sorry to say, he is none too fresh. I figured he would have been cooked into owl jerky after laying on the blacktop. Not the case. His feathers ar still OK, although I am sure they will never smell sweet, and his talons appear to be less decomposed than the rest of the him. I am going to stake him (covered) to a fire ant mound for defleshing. But I have no idea how to preserve the feet, or, if at this stage of decomp, it could even be considered.
So, does anyone out there have an idea? Could ya help a gal out?
BTW, I am not making a staff, or anything else at this time, but ya never know when you might need a good dried raptor talon.
Thanks,
Kat
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Your butt will feel like it has been in a fire ant mound if the fed's find out you have a banned owl or even just one feather. Do not touch it.
Dear Kat, it is very common for excited people to come here with owl questions, and we always give each person the same answer, you need to throw that bird away, it is against the law to have even a feather in your hands or on your property. There are laws in the U.S. against having raptors period, no questions asked, nada, nope, cant have it. Unless you get the proper paper work that will designate it to a non-profit organization or museum after taxidermy. Sorry, you better get rid of it.
with the ant hill idea, but just LEAVE IT THERE!
The above posts are correct. I think the legal phrase is you can not have it in your "possession" which includes your "property" to indicate your house or your car, etc. If a bird or feather falls on your property like your land or yard you are to leave it alone.. I am thinking you could push it off into the woods if it is in your yard and you don't want it to rot there... or bury it. But you can not pick it up even off the road and take to a taxidermist or have in your house. You have to leave it where it is.