I'm going to England soon to hunt roe deer and want to bring back the trophies in my checked baggage on the way back to the US. Is it correct that skulls & antlers (European style mounts) may be imported without a permit as long as they have been boiled & are free of any meat, hide, etc.?
Thanks.

I have known many USA hunters do this and without problems. However they have always had a signed paper from the guide/ outfitter explaining what they are, and are cleaned and disenfected etc.

Maybe worth contacting Fish & Game to see what advice they offer.

You need a "cleaned and disease free" certificate from a veterinarian.

It can be done but needs the outfitter to arrange all the necessary paperwork.

Skulls also need to be fully treated, (bleached) and all visible soft tissues to be removed.

Whilst some people do manage to get this done in time I've also known people to have their items confiscated so personally I would not recommend it.

It was also stated to me on the last lot of red deer skulls we shipped to the states that they needed to be mounted on a shield (at least of sorts) in order to be considered a trophy by USFW.

A letter from the outfitter or taxidermist will suffice for the documentation but the visual inspection is usually the more rigorous of the two.

Where in the UK are you hunting?

I am going to Scotland in September and have done lots of research on what needs to be done to bring Antlers back.

Here is what I have found

You can bring them back in your luggage but they need to be cleared by Customs, US Fish and Wildlife and USDA.

Customs: They only care that you declare them, they will then send you the US Fish and Wildlife

US Fish and Wildlife: They want the make sure that you took the game legally, they will need something showing that you are authorized to legally take the game and that it is not on any endangered species list. Then they will send you to the USDA

USDA: These are the people that care if it has been cleaned. You will need to make an appointment to meet with the USDA at the airport. When I talked to them they strongly discouraged doing this. They said it is much better if you ship them.

They need to be cleaned and dried, i.e. Bleached and treated with hydrogen peroxide. They also need documentation stating that they have been cleaned.

Shipping them is easier because you can get all the paperwork in order and have FedEx walk it through for you. Otherwise you need to deal with the hassle at the airport.

As Kiri says if they are mounted on a Plaque they are considered Taxidermy or Prepared and have different regulations. It has been a little while since I looked at those regulations but I think that they are a little less stringent.

The last time I went I ended up having my Antlers held hostage in Scotland and a Really Really Really Nice Guy went up and got them and shipped them to me. That is why I did the research I did not want to get stuck in that position again.


I am still deciding whether I am going to ship mine myself via FedEx of import them via a Broker.

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Four great friends of ours took stag heads from Scotland ( Edinburgh) to Houston last year after a hunt. The heads were boiled cleaned and disinfected. They had a letter from the sporting agent confirming that they were legally hunted Scottish red deer.

Authorities in Houston checked the papers and waived them all thru. Cost zero!

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Thanks for all the comments. I just returned from England and had no issues bring boiled, disinfected roe deer skulls & antlers back in my checked baggage. The trophies were declared on the customs entry form as "wildlife" products. The customs agent asked what I had and was satisfied with my explanation that I had boiled skulls & antlers. My luggage was not inspected nor was there a request for documentation describing the preparation of the trophies, which I had. I was surprised at the ease of the process.

What port of entry did you enter the United States thru ?

I returned at Atlanta.
To answer an earlier question, I hunted in Sussex about 60 miles south of London near the town of Pertworth. Alex Nielsen of AJN hunting was my guide, and he worked very hard to locate and stalk quality roe buck. Alex contacted me through AR, and I can heartily endorse his services.