SCI sent out a notice of new regulations relating to the importation of trophies with respect to recent government concern about BSE, primarily from Europe. There have been some ports of entry which have not been allowing ruminant trophies entry for several weeks. The following came from the USDA website today:

"For U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspections Services, Veterinary Services purposes, a trophy is part of the animal carcass that can be used as a remembrance/souvenir of “the hunt†that is suitable for mounting and for personal use
only, no further distribution is allowed.

For this guidance document, trophies consist of bones, antlers, skulls, horns and hoofs
(with or without bony attachments).

• Leather, tanned, and flint-dried hides and skins are allowed unrestricted entry.

• Unprocessed hides, skins, and horns (without bony attachments) are allowed entry
if consigned to an approved establishment.*

• Clean, dry hoofs (without bony attachments) may be imported if they meet USDA requirements for disinfection and are accompanied by a certificate issued by the
country of origin.**

• Trophies (bones, antlers, skulls, and horns and hoofs with bony attachments)derived from ruminants originating from regions classified as affected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are allowed importation into the U.S. provided:

o The trophies (bones, antlers, skulls, and horns and hoofs with bony attachments) are fully taxidermy finished.

o The trophies (bones, antlers, skulls, and horns and hoofs with bony attachments) are not fully taxidermy finished, but are clean, dry, and free from undried pieces of hide, flesh, and sinew and are offered for consignment to museums.

o The trophies (bones, antlers, skulls, and horns and hoofs with bony attachments) are not fully taxidermy finished but are clean, dry, and free from undried pieces of hide, flesh, and sinew and are not offered for consignment to museums; are manifested as a trophy and consigned to an approved establishment.*

􀂃 A copy of the hunting license or other documentation that conclusively demonstrates lawful possession of a game animal from the country of origin issued by the foreign government is presented at the U.S. port of entry.

The hunting license or other documentation that conclusively demonstrates lawful possession of a game animal from the country of origin shall identify the animal species and correspond to the number of animals harvested.

• Trophies (bones, skulls, and/or attached horns, antlers, and hoofs) derived from ruminants originating from regions classified as free from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are allowed importation into the U.S. provided:

o Trophies (bones, skulls, and/or attached horns, antlers, and hoofs), are allowed unrestricted entry provided the trophies are fully taxidermy finished.

o Trophies (bones, skulls, and/or attached horns, antlers, and hoofs) that are not fully taxidermy finished, but are clean, dry, and free from undried pieces of hide, flesh, and sinew and are offered for entry as trophies are
allowed entry if consigned to an approved establishment* or if for consignment to museums.

o Trophies (bones, skulls, and/or attached horns, antlers, and hoofs) that are not clean, dry, and free from undried pieces of hide, flesh, and sinew and are offered for entry as trophies are allowed entry if for consignment to
museums or consigned to an approved establishment* are allowed entry.

*The approved establishment shall handle these trophies in such a manner to guard against the dissemination of anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease, and rinderpest.

**Disinfection includes one of the following methods: (1) dry heat at 180`F (82.2`C) for
30 minutes; (2) soaking in boiling water for 20 minutes; (3) soaking in a 0.1% chlorine
bleach solution for 2 hours; (4) soaking in a 5% acetic acid solution for 2 hours; (5)
soaking in a 5% hydrogen peroxide for 2 hours.

Full taxidermy finished refers to the prepared, stuffed, and/or mounted part of the dead animal for exhibition as completed by a taxidermist."