Tn new importation laws

Wow! Sure will. I get a couple groups of hunters through my shop that are from TN, I’ve been caping and freezing, and skull capping and coating caps with borax to get them home legally to their taxidermist. It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out- them not hunting here anymore, me tanning and sending to their guy or them leaving with me all together. I hate the thought of any of us losing income!

 

It's a spreading problem on several levels. Last year Michigan banned bringing deer from out of state. The people like myself who live on the boarder. I'm 13 miles north from the state of Ohio line and lived in Ohio and ran a Taxi business for 25 plus years and relied on work from Ohio were hurt by this as were several Meat processors in my area. I was on the fence about calling it quits and retiring from the Taxidermy game but this made it an easy decision. I finished my last shoulder mount last Saturday but I've been doing it for 40 yrs this year so I'm ready. Hang in there cause I believe it's going to get worse before it gets better. Part of the problem I feel is caused by the fact the states don't know how to control it (CWD) and some others (Taxi's/Meat processors) shoot themselves in the foot by dumping carcasses and not discarding the remains in a proper way. But like I said are they sure? JMO

 

SEC, The rule says that you can bring "Hides and tanned products" in, it doesn't say hides had to be tanned. I got this right off of their website. I understand your initial distaste for the possible impact on your business, I have already been impacted by similar rules.

 

SEC, I cannot find that, could you please show me or tell me exactly where that is stated. I am not saying it isn't, I just haven't found it. If in fact it does state that then it is the first case I've heard of states demanding the hides or capes be tanned prior to transport.

 

Thank you, that is spelled out, that seems a tad ludicrous, but they are so scared they'll try anything. I was not able to locate that for some reason. Maybe you should ask them about discrepancy. Their website says one thing but their handbook says another.

 

For some reason I can't see the image that SEC posted. But if there is a discrepancy go to the actual rule, that is what is legal not what they printed in the handbook. Hard to believe raw capes are banned. If so, then the meat shouldn't be allowed either.

 

If you follow the link in the Guide http://tnCWDfree.org

It states:
No person may import, transport, or possess in Tennessee a cervid carcass or carcass part from anywhere outside state except as provided herein:
(e) Hides and tanned products.

 

These laws will really hurt taxidermists in states where a lot of hunters leave their state to hunt elsewhere. It may benefit states that are destination hunting states. It certainly has cost me business in Michigan, where our DNR does a horrible job of managing deer.

 

It states hides and tanned products. It does not specify "tanned hides" does it?

 

In that picture that SEC posted of the reg book it states tanned hides but, online it states it as hides and tanned products. I suggest that those directly affected by this rule to contact their state and clarify it.

 

also says " if you harvest a deer...." but how about if you didnt harvest a deer out of state but have a cape shipped in

 

Just received my letter in the mail from TWRA about what can come into the state this year and it does say hides and other tanned products not tanned hides, I have called them but no one seems to be able to give me a definite answer they just direct me to someone else, I'll keep trying just to make sure but I think a raw hide would be legal like last year, JMO.

 

These CWD laws are not helping any of the states. I am from Oregon and we cannot import any deer, elk, moose parts that have any brain matter, brain membranes or spinal cord from a CWD state. I get it,they are trying to stop CWD spread. How many taxidermists have a hunter bring in a head from a CWD state? Yep lots of hunters bring them across due to ignorance or simply not knowing the law. I tell them the law and tell them to get it out of my shop. They get scared and cut the horns off and discard the head somewhere in the field or bushes. Then they go to the other taxidermist down the road. I can only imagine this happens THOUDANDS of times across the USA. This is the worst thing that can happen. Here in Oregon there is no place for a hunter to discard his brain matter. ( I realize some hunters dont have any brain matter anyway). The state will not recognize this problem either. So the contamination goes on and on.

 

This is what I just pulled out of the down loadable hunting guide off of TWRA website.




We have made significant regulation changes in order to prevent the spread of this disease into Tennessee. Beginning in 2018, if you harvest a deer (or elk or moose) anywhere outside Tennessee, you may only bring the following back into the state: a. Meat with all bones removed. b. Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates or cleaned skulls - which have NO meat or tissues attached. c. Cleaned teeth - which have NO meat or tissues attached. d. Finished antler products and taxidermy mounts.Hides and tanned products.

 

I spoke to TWRA today. They said we can bring untanned hides back into TN. And for European mounts you can bring the skull back in. You just have to remove the brain.

 

It sure is gonna hurt them Mississippi deer that jump across the state line...I had my hide tanned a lot as a kid!

 

Same here, many times! Today a parent tans their child's hind it child abuse and they risk losing custody of their child and going to jail.