I would like to find out what the process is to recieve gamebirds from international locations. For example a US hunter taking birds in South Africa and sending them back to the US for mounting. What are the permits needed by both hunter and taxidermist and how and through what agency are these permits gotten.
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Contact your local Fish and Wildlife Service office. Go to WWW.FWS.GOV and click on Law Enforcement. There's a list of offices. They can tell you exactly what you need, but it will probably depend on what country it's coming from and what species of birds.
I have checked with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in the past and was told that the birds have to be sent through Customs to an USDA approved and licesenced quarntine facility. You must also list the common and Scientific name of each bird you want to import and of course there are limits as to what you can import. They may then be sent to you or a taxidermist for mounting.
When the birds hit our US border, they will be in either a skin form or whole frozen. I prefer whole frozen so I don't have to keep a lot of paperwork records on neck length, body size, etc.,...They will basically be taken from you and sent to a USDA approved taxidermist for mounting. If you are planning to mount the birds yourself, you will have to bribe one of these jerks into letting you take the birds, but this is VERY difficult because everyone is SOOOOOOO damn greedy that they will insist they do the work and you pay them. There aren't five bird taxidermists in this entire country that I'd let touch one of my birds, so don't do it ! If the bird(S) are listed on Appendix I or II, you will have to fight the USF&W to get them in. It is a fight you can win, but it is a FIGHT ! Others may require C.I.T.E.S. documents from the country of origin. If the bird(s) is listed on the USDA list, or translated - flys through the US borders, only four(4) specimens are allowed into the US. If the bird(s) are not on the USDA list, then EITHER the maximum number allowed by the country of origin OR TEN(10) - whichever number is smaller. For example.....if you go to Argentina, you can bring back four(4) blue wing teal and ten(10) magellan geese. Hope this helps.
I appreciate the help. Let me ask a further question. Does anyone know the process to become a USDA approved taxidemist?
You can contact the USDA for the reg's on this, but get ready to spend some serious $$$$$ and put up with a lot of SH$T from the USDA and USF&W. All animals have to be separated by type - you know birds, fish, mammals, etc.,....into their each respective isolated area. There also must be an incineration area that is separate from your main facility and it must be secured so no one can access it but you....chain link fencing, locked locker type area., etc....It Is A Pain In The A$$ ! Just contact the USDA they will send you eveything you need to set up.
Hello, Ray, just a note, importation, as hunting within the US, has it's rules and regulations, and they are very easy to observe and work with,,,simply contact your state veterinarian facility, APHIS, and let them know you would like to gain your "Approved Facility" status, and they will send a Doctor out to talk with you and set you pu. It is easy, and painless. Yes, they do have fees, and the fees will go up with importation, but, that is why you charge your client's importation fees. As for importation laws, they are easy to understand, also. Migratory Bird Treaty Act, CITIES, and other country laws come into play, but, they are easy to understand, and become very simple, the more you import and the more knowledge you gain. My advice, is if you plan to hunt out of country, with client's or alone, you should look into the permits,,,it's awfully nice, to come into the US with your own birds, and breeze through customs at the Agriculture counter, with permits in order, and all of your hard earned trophies in hand! Good Luck, David
I agree with Wingnut on how easy the laws are to understand, but only for us to understand. It will be a whole different ballgame when you actually reach the border with birds in hand ! There will be a flurry of USDA,USF&W and US Customs agents - none of which will know or understand what the law actually says. I've come back from Canada with Steller's Eiders a couple of times and they went berserk tring to figure out what to do. Eventually, they muddle through it and let them in, but it always seems to take a great deal of chaos before that happens. The rules are written clearly, but the enforcment is another matter. The US does not want to allow you to bring anything into the country. Have everything lined up BEFORE you go and get ready for a serious hassle when you hit the border.
i spent 4 hours on the phone trying to figure out what was what, or what i needed to do to import skulls from africa. some people were helpfull but others just liked to repeat codes and numbers. "sir you need to fill out a form dd49983/4ie-9:e"
call USDA need permit just to start thinking about it
www.aphis.usda.gov-vs-ncie-pdf-vs16-3.pdf +
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/
call FISH&Wildlife http://forms.fws.gov/3-200-3.pdf + http://forms.fws.gov/3-177.pdf
call customs last there is a procedur you must follow
o yea expect to pay around $200 for initial permits and around $60 each time you import. also you will be faxing forms all over come delivery time.
and what ever you do dont tell them your going to sell it or whatever
Ray, to get all the materials and permits to be an approved facility will cost you between $600.-1000 , depending on how much materials you have on hand.
Some of the more costly things
$100. In new chemicals
pH meter
a room with non permutable floors and walls.
3 permits costing a little less than $500.
One more thing, if its your own shipment you do not need a broker, to get it released from customs but need to be an approved taxidermist. You can do your own paper work. If its a clients you'll need a broker or apply [Buy] that license.
After its been checked in and processed, you may take it to who ever or do yourself.
Most approved taxidermist will do all this for you at a fee of about $300 a box plus a dipping fee and wildlife fee [time and milage].
how about captive reared pinioned waterfowl with vet. papers from outside the U.S.