A Stop-Press Warning About Trophy Shipments
(posted March 17, 2006)

If you have un-mounted ruminant trophies about to be shipped to you in the US from a country that is classified as having Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, or Mad Cow disease), it's urgent that you notify your outfitter or shipping agent to stop that shipment. Ruminants are even-toed, hoofed animals such as sheep, goats, caribou and deer. Many European countries and Canada, among other nations, are classified as having BSE.

The problem is, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the US Department of Agriculture has abruptly released a directive that no ruminant trophies from BSE countries will be allowed into the US unless they have been completely processed - that is, tanned or ready to be hung on the wall. The Hunting Report learned about this problem this afternoon when a subscriber called and complained that APHIS was returning to Spain five dipped and packed trophies he took in that country - two ibex, two chamois and a roe deer.

We immediately checked into the situation and determined that APHIS indeed has the authority - in fact, is mandated - to return the trophies to Spain. At this writing the same would be true of a Pere David's deer shipped from England and a caribou shipped from Canada. At the end of this article, I have attached a hyperlink that will take you to a web site that list BSE countries worldwide.

Fortunately, most of the major African hunting countries are not BSE countries. Ditto Australia and New Zealand. The crux of the problem is in Europe and, of course, Canada, where tens of thousands of Americans take caribou and other ruminants each year. Under current directives, none of those animals will be allowed into the US unless they have been fully processed. The number of animals involved is so great it is sure to have a devastating impact on the American taxidermy industry.

Here at The Hunting Report, I am continuing to look into this problem, and I will file an update shortly. In the meantime, do not wait around. If you have unprocessed ruminant trophies headed toward the US from a BSE country, do all you can to stop their shipment. - Don Causey, President/Publisher The Hunting Report.

Fairly easy solution, have them mounted in the country of origin! Looks like it might become a boon to taxidermists in those countries.

Thanks for the report Kathi.

Simply having them mounted doesn't solve the problem when you are talking about Canada. What happens to the meat if someone wants to bring it with them? I know lots of folks that drive up for moose, caribou, deer etc... and bring the meat back.

Most don't have time to wait around for it to be cut and wrapped. I'd hate to have to leave a couple hundred pounds of moose meat behind.

Mac

MAC,

I agree 100%. If this includes meat, it will be a huge shock to the Canadian hunting industry. I question whether even having the meat wrapped would be good enough, since processed biltong from Africa even when vaccum packed is not allowed.

BOWHUNR

We went through all of this 3 years ago and USDA came up with a plan that allowed import though about 13 different ports of entry. I wonder if they've scrapped that procedure?
Rich Elliott