What do you guys do when a person brings a bird to you 3 months after the season ends. Not a fresh kill of course but one that they have had in the freezer and are just know getting to you. Do you go over and above the normal check in process and make them sign a paper that states it was harvested legally?
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Jerry it is not our job to be the game warden. If you know for a fact that it was taken illegally, decline the job. Just a bird that has been in the freezer for awhile, take the money. Simple as it gets.
my contract contains a clause to the effect that "to the best of my
(the customers) knowledge all game is legally taken and possessed" by the client; they must sign this affadavit!
It won't get you out of trouble if you knowingly take in something that you shouldn't, but it should help if you are unaware.
I get stuff all the time out of season. I took in an albino whitetail saturday that the guy killed back in Nov. A lot of customers will wait until they have enough money or their wife gives them an ultimatum to get the animal out of the freezer before they bring it to you.
Like mimes said, if you know its illegal, then don't take it in. Otherwise, go ahead and take the customers word for it.
Happens every year at this time. Many people use their tax refund for luxury items, taxidermy being one of them.
Part of the info you are supposed to record is when and where the bird was killed. You aren't expected to give the client a polygraph test. (yet!) I always give the people the benefit of the doubt unless the bird shows obvious signs of being in summer plumage. If that's the case then I will politely refuse the bird.
Of course, they will usually deny having taken the bird out of season but I DO take the time to point out what I see, explain what it means, and remind them that game wardens will look at the exact same things.
I may lose them as a client, but I don't care. I don't need the work badly enough to be forced to deal with poachers.
There ARE a handful of state where it's ILLEGAL to accept some species out of season. Check with your states DNR taxidermy handbook for the rules and regs on this situation. Or, talk to a CPO BEFORE taking it in to make sure you're legal...