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Fish and Wildlife seizure
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Picture of JohnHunt
posted
They siezed two elephant hair bracelets from my trophy shipment. ($8 value)

Should i sign the form to abandon or should I just ignore it?

My concern is that by signing I acknowledge that I owned the imported items that were in my crate making it easier for possible civil penalties.

Thanks,

John
 
Posts: 1678 | Registered: 16 November 2006Reply With Quote
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I wouldn't sign anything. Ever watch the show COPS? Guy gets busted with dope in his pants pocket and swears it's not his as he just bought those pants last week at the trift store and it must have been in there then.
Next time just wear them on the way home or put in your luggage.
 
Posts: 284 | Location: Hayden, Colorado | Registered: 06 March 2004Reply With Quote
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Sounds like some one needed a bracelet. I would just leave it alone.


If you own a gun and you are not a member of the NRA and other pro 2nd amendment organizations then YOU are part of the problem.
 
Posts: 1234 | Location: South Texas | Registered: 12 July 2005Reply With Quote
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Sounds like you will lose them either way, so why sign and admit that you had them shipped?

I am assuming from your initial post that you bought them and they are not part of a legal CITES elephant hunt and allowed trophy parts.

Too bad you just didn't wear them home under a long sleeve shirt.

Oh well.....next time.

RCG
 
Posts: 1133 | Location: Land of Lincoln | Registered: 15 June 2004Reply With Quote
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What elephant hair bracelets are you referring to, sir?
 
Posts: 10601 | Location: Houston, Texas | Registered: 26 December 2005Reply With Quote
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Picture of JohnHunt
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the ones I bought in Nam for my ph. Not sure how they ended up in my crate Smiler
 
Posts: 1678 | Registered: 16 November 2006Reply With Quote
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Picture of namibiahunter
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Just consider the elephant hair bracelets lost.

The next time just wear it and don't say anything about it. But if they do see them and ask about the bracelets tell them they are made of giraffe from China.

Namibiahunter



.
 
Posts: 665 | Location: Oregon or Namibia | Registered: 13 June 2007Reply With Quote
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Better yet, the next time your PH/Outfitter asks you to carry anything with you [inbound or outbound] DON"T do it!

Just explain that you are max'ed out on your baggage weight, and want to avoid any excess charges and complications!
 
Posts: 1261 | Location: Clearwater, FL and Union Pier, MI | Registered: 24 July 2003Reply With Quote
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Picture of Dr. Tim Burkhart
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John,

Why did you have Kobus ship those? If we were to bring back anything like that, for instance for our kids or friends of our kids, we would have certainly brought them home with us.

Shipping anything extra is always an issue because there are suppose to be just your trophies in those crates. I think anything else in the box always raises suspicion and inspection.

Hope everything else comes home okay.

We are still waiting for our shipment.

TJB
 
Posts: 166 | Location: Caledonia, Michigan | Registered: 15 August 2006Reply With Quote
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Picture of thebrewcrew
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Not necessarily, Dr. Tim. Many people use the crates to put things like spears, furniture, and other things that won't fit in your checked luggage (or carry on), and since you are paying for the shipping already, it is a less inexpensive way to get things home. However, those bracelets obviously didn't need to be put in a crate.
Like any government agency, the letter of the law is causing John's problem; The spirit of the law may help reduce poaching, but John didn't poach anything. Best to not get bureaucrats involved in your business.
 
Posts: 33 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 23 August 2006Reply With Quote
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Picture of JohnHunt
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Everything else came out ok. I now have a very cool wood rhino.

Tim you will like the packing job that Reiser does. The Zebras came out great. They did everything correct, except for shipping a Cites item without the cites paperwork.

John
 
Posts: 1678 | Registered: 16 November 2006Reply With Quote
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John,

I have friend in USFWS. He recommends go ahead and sign it. You are not admitted guilt. It is just a paperwork trail for the inspection service. He says this happens all the time. They realize you are not trying to smuggle things in or they would not have given you this option. If they felt you were trying to do something illegal a USFWS special agent would be knocking on your door by now. But, it is up to you.


Brooks
 
Posts: 179 | Location: Virginia, NE. USA | Registered: 22 May 2002Reply With Quote
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Picture of Gator1
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Don't sign it.

I shot a Leopard once in Zambia. I had the proper CITES Permit but the Safari Company hiccupped and shipping was delayed for two years.

By the time the Leopard arrived the permit had expired. I was asked to sign the same admission of wrong doing and the skin would be destroyed.

On advice of the booking agent (Klineburgers) and a Wildlife Attorney the F&W Agent admitted that I could be prosecuted with the admission and that the admission would be a permanent part of my 'file' with F&W. Instead, I reapplied for a new Cities permit and eventually I received the skin.

Never admit to any wrong doing.

One other thing. Do you realize that when you are being cleared through Customs, particularly when your baggage is being checked, everything you say and every question you answer is being written down and attached to a permanent file that is accessed every time you check through Customs? Even when crossing the US Canadian Border or the Mexican Border.


Gator

A Proud Member of the Obamanation

"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left."
Ecclesiastes 10:2

"There are some ideas so absurd that only an intellectual could believe them." George Orwell



 
Posts: 2753 | Location: Climbing the Mountains of Liberal BS. | Registered: 31 July 2002Reply With Quote
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Picture of Oday450
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quote:
Originally posted by Gator1:
Don't sign it.

I shot a Leopard once in Zambia. I had the proper CITES Permit but the Safari Company hiccupped and shipping was delayed for two years.

By the time the Leopard arrived the permit had expired. I was asked to sign the same admission of wrong doing and the skin would be destroyed.

On advice of the booking agent (Klineburgers) and a Wildlife Attorney the F&W Agent admitted that I could be prosecuted with the admission and that the admission would be a permanent part of my 'file' with F&W. Instead, I reapplied for a new Cities permit and eventually I received the skin.

Never admit to any wrong doing.

One other thing. Do you realize that when you are being cleared through Customs, particularly when your baggage is being checked, everything you say and every question you answer is being written down and attached to a permanent file that is accessed every time you check through Customs? Even when crossing the US Canadian Border or the Mexican Border.


Yes, and that bothers me a great deal. When I returned from SA last June I believe that they even entered the serial numbers on my rifles. I really started to object to this de facto gun registration but thought better of it.


"Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult."
 
Posts: 1313 | Location: The People's Republic of Maryland, USA | Registered: 05 August 2006Reply With Quote
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