Our family heirloom is a Snowy White Owl in a glass dome that my great uncle had mounted 85+ years ago. We are wondering how much it is worth for insurance purposes. My family is not interested in selling at this time.
Thanks
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Helen , I'm not sure what it would be worth but you can never ever sell it as its a protected bird . The only thing you could do would be to donate it to a museum or nature center or even a school . Rick
....you can sell it if you can establish that it was in possession prior to the protection - I beleive in 1972. I had a collection of museum type mounts - song birds, water birds and a lot or raptors, and I contacted the USF&W in New Mexico and they snet paperwork which I submitted for approval. I was granted approval as pre act and I actually have remounted several of these birds and keep them in my home. No matter what the law - the burden of proof is on USF&W ans as long as they cannot prove your bird is illegal, it is yours to sell, trade, or whatever. How would explain the many passenger pigeons on sale on e-Bay. They are not only lited under federal protection, but migratory as well. BE SURE TO LOOK INTO IT BEFORE YOU SELL IT. Keeping it is never going to be an issue, but I would still try to get documentation from the USF&W because if someone sees it and tells someone else who tells a game warden - they'll show up and take it and it will be a fight, and a costly one, to get it back.
Jack thanks for your response. Can you give me the address and/or phone number to the USF&W so that I can check it out. By the way what does USF&W stand for.
Thanks
You can possess it if it is pre-act but you can not sell it.