From the OUTDOOR WIRE:

Over the last few months, SCI staff has been working diligently with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), importers and other members of the regulated community to find a solution to a recent spike in seizures of sport-hunted trophies. On Friday February 24, the FWS released a memo that clarifies the instructions on tagging and marking leopard, Nile crocodile and African elephant trophies. We commend the FWS for taking a first step to help reverse the incidences of seizures due to paperwork and procedural problems with importation. SCI will continue to work with the FWS to solve importation problems that interfere with trophy importation by many SCI members. The FWS's full memo is attached and SCI strongly encourages our members who are planning on hunting any of these three species to read through the entire memo and to provide a copy to their Professional Hunter, Outfitter and/or Taxidermist or whoever else might be involved in the preparation and exportation of these trophies.

One particular source of trophy importation problems relates to the tags and/or tusk markings required for the importation of CITES Appendix I trophies. In some circumstances the trophy is taken in one year and imported in a different year. In those circumstances, the tags and/or tusk markings must include different information about the quota from which the animal was taken than must appear on the CITES export permit document. The attached memo provides specific information to cover the requirements for these circumstances.

One particularly significant statement in the memo appears in its last line where the FWS explains that, "Sport-hunted trophies imported into the United States that do not comply with the marking, tagging or CITES document requirements are subject to refusal of entry or seizure." With this sentence, the FWS acknowledges that refusal of entry is a potential strategy that hunter/importers can request to avoid trophy seizures. If and when a hunter/importer is faced with procedural or paperwork deficiencies concerning the importation of the trophy, the hunter/importer may ask for the FWS to refuse entry of the trophy and to return the trophy to the country of export. A refusal of entry is not a means of fixing existing paperwork flaws. Instead it requires the hunter/importer to restart the exportation process with new exportation and importation documents. While it may be expensive to ship a trophy back to Africa and to seek new documentation, in many cases this cost and effort will be far more reasonable than losing a trophy to seizure. It is important to understand that the FWS is unlikely to elect to refuse entry unless the hunter/importer specifically asks for that option. For this reason, SCI strongly recommends that hunter/importers who are facing a possible seizure ask that their trophy be refused entry rather than seized. Hunters/Importers should retain the attached FWS memo and show it to the FWS border official if any question arises.

If you have any questions please contact Bill McGrath wmcgrath@safariclub.org or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lawenforcement@fws.gov.

Are there just as many issues getting a Leopard into Canada? I have to fill out my forms here soon and want to make sure i have this all right.

I currently have a leopard in transit to Alberta and was wondering the same thing. I think I'll call my custom broker right now.

WTnut please let me know what he says. I hope to be so lucky in August and have one being shipped to Alberta myself!!

Just got off the phone with my customs broker and he says Canadian customs do not follow the USFW on these issues. Dale also told me that since I had all proper paperwork in place it should go hasslefree.

Nube/wtnut,

This could be a problem for us too. My elephant was shipped via air through the US and had to be reviewed in a similar way the trophies that stay in the states do.

If at all possible, avoid trophy shipment via the US. I did get my stuff without issue last year, but it could have been a different story for no other reason at all.

I have also heard shipments via europe can be a problem. Especially for ivory, but leopard should be okay. Make sure you check....

Stay on your broker here in Canada and ensure they are aware of this situation. Don't just believe them if they say it will be fine. Just because they did it one way last time, doesn't mean it will work this time.

You can't be too cautious. Talk to the shipper in africa and the party responsible for shipment paperwork and trophy preparation. Know every stop your trophies have to make on their way home and track it daily.

The only person that cares as much about you getting your trophies is....?...No one!

Good luck, i hope you see your trophies soon.

Hi Bryce

Thanks for the advice and I am trying to stay on top of everything as I have a great lion in with the same shipment. Your father wouldn't happen to have a cabin at Moose lake would he?
If he does I may have built it for him years ago.

Nube

I saw I had a private message from you but lost it before I could retrieve it. Please resend it

Bryce , you are right and I will try to keep up on it. First part is that I need to kill a leopard first this fall.lol Hopefully it goes well.

WTHUT, basically I asked to let me know what you find out. Who is shipping and the broker for your stuff? Who did you hunt with?
I have a taxidermist friend here who has been on 2 leopard kills and an elephant the last couple years and I will be using him as help to get me through all of this as well. I will let you know what I find out if anything different is found from here.

Hi nube

I had a fantastic hunt with Chifuti Safaris and killed a nice old leopard on day 4 and a great lion on day 14 in the valley. My broker is Dale Warren of Talon Distributions. I can t even imagine going through this with a leopard without a good safari company and a good customs broker.

My partner on this hunt killed a nice lion and his shipment has been here since December.

My shipment never got shipped till Jan 13 because of CITES paperwork and then was held up in Joberg til last week. Have nmy fingers crossed that everything goes well and trying to keep on top of it.

And like Bryce said

The only one that cares about you getting your trophies is ....no one

Thanks. I will take a look at talon. I have heard good things in the past about them.
I am hunting with Zambezi hunters so I got the right outfitter part at least.
I just got notice from the booking agency yesterday about doing my cities permit. I find this odd to do it before my hunt. It asks for a licence number which I don't have. It also asks for a shipper and broker info? Would it not be easier to do it after the hunt?

Tamella from Safari Classics informed me this afternoon that my trophies have arrived in Canada and are no longer in danger of seizure or having to be reshipped. I can t imagine trying to do this myself as I am not the greatest at filling out forms and doing paperwork. Hats off to Tamella , Dave , Tim and the staff at Safari Classics for keeping on top of this situation and informing me as soon as possible.

Safari Classics : a CLASS ACT from start to finish!