Taxidermy confusing with USDA

[pilar]

I read this yesterday and has me thinking any to read this only??
“”

FYI for African hunters!​

Yesterday, 04:28 PM

If any one receives the Safari Times from SCI, you need to read or give this edition (JULY 2023) to others that are going to Africa for a safari. It starts on page 3, titled, "US Hunters reports delays of lawful trophy imports." It goes into detail about what the USDA is doing to trophy imports from Africa that is causing headaches and extra costs to hunters trying to get their animals into the US. This can happen even with a reputable customs broker. It mentioned the Dallas and Houston area specifically.

I had this happen with my imports from my safari in Sept 2021. Not necessarily from the USDA, but from one of the brokers with Coppersmiths that did not completely know the rules and cost me extra by sending it to a USDA certified taxidermist!

Knowing what the brokers and USDA can or cannot do to trophy imports might or might not help. We may be at their mercy, but still might get your trophies to you or your taxi without any undue fees!

Might check to see if this article is on the SCI website!””

Importing Wildlife and the Law

Imagine if a novice taxidermy enthusiast from the United States is surfing the internet and sees a forum posting offering exotic skulls from Africa. Excited at the thought of adding something truly...

www.taxidermy.net

 

[gizmo]

They are correct however, one of my old Sgt’s used to have a saying. “Well, you are correct but what did that do for you?”. The answer more than likely is absolutely nothing.
I’m not suggesting just to roll over and take it but…. I deal with these assholes every day just about. You have better odds most of the time arguing with a post. 90% of the time it pisses them off and they dig their heels in. It sits there for weeks and weeks while they, their supervisor, and God knows who else get “clarification”. They release it then smack you with about a grand in storage fees for it sitting there while they get “clarification”.
The other thing is there are absolutely African animals that must be only released to a certified facility. Animals from known riderpest areas, monkeys, or swine as of 2018 (best of memory off the top of my head) have to be released to an approved facility. As with every government agency there is the law and then there is their own “rules”. These rules are 100% illegal in my opinion, just like the whole arm brace thing with the BATF not too long ago. Do they actually have the authority to enforce these “rules” no, they don’t. Do they do it anyway, absolutely 100% of the time. It will take yet more years and years of lawsuits to get it straightened out then the USDA will lobby and make it a law or move on to something else that screws with people.
Post script: Finished taxidermy is exempt however when it comes to skulls the burden is on you showing that it was properly treated. It must be at a rolling boil for 20 minutes etc…. That is part of the law. You will show up with a bunch of skulls either plaqued or not with a receipt. They’ll start asking you questions on how the were treated and if you don’t know the answer and don’t have the documentation guess what…. Yup. They can take it as far as the agent feels like and there is zero you can do about it.

 

[gizmo]

Hell for what it’s worth I have to fight with them for months to get my USDA assigned rep to do my recertification every stinking time. They require I be certified through them, can’t take animals in without it, and yet I spend 3 months or better trying to get my rep to even answer her cell phone to me. Every time it’s the same thing. Can’t get a hold of her so I start calling her bosses and then their bosses etc. Then she either shows up pissed because she got in trouble or she has moved onto another place within the agency and there is a new person whom I have no way of 1. Knowing is even there and 2. Have no way of getting a hold of. Then that one comes in all gung-ho and makes a million changes to everything that I have to do because they want it different just for the process to repeat itself.
It’s possibly one of the most frustrating things in the world.

 

[BRICKBURN]

https://safariclub.org/u-s-hunters-report-delays-of-lawful-trophy-imports/

 

[Nyati]

Not only in the US, my friends, this is happening all over.

A friend of mine had a great safari in western Africa, Bongo, forest elephant..... now spanish customs say forest elephant cannot be imported, despite having the proper CITES WTF ???

My taxidermist told me there is a backlog of permits for the import of any cat.

I have a hippo waiting for an import license into Germany, PAC animal, with all the necessary documents from RSA, CITES, and the game starts. They have my passport, now they want my national identity card. ID sent.

Now they want to know sex and age of the animal, again WTF ??? I have a CITES !!!

All delaying tactics, so the CITES will expire, and I have to reapply.

I am starting to think there is a conspiracy against African hunters.

 

[JimP]

A lot of it comes down to the fact that hunters need to do their homework if they plan on importing any trophies and hire a importing agent who is up on the regulations and will fight for you.

 

[pilar]

Not only in the US, my friends, this is happening all over.

A friend of mine had a great safari in western Africa, Bongo, forest elephant..... now spanish customs say forest elephant cannot be imported, despite having the proper CITES WTF ???

My taxidermist told me there is a backlog of permits for the import of any cat.

I have a hippo waiting for an import license into Germany, PAC animal, with all the necessary documents from RSA, CITES, and the game starts. They have my passport, now they want my national identity card. ID sent.

Now they want to know sex and age of the animal, again WTF ??? I have a CITES !!!

All delaying tactics, so the CITES will expire, and I have to reapply.

I am starting to think there is a conspiracy against African hunters.

This is my worry,
i am only bringing back skull mounts and two buffalo hides for some leather work ,
but my buddy has a ibex and Marco Polo ram he is having trouble getting back to the USA the cites permits are in limbo

 

[Nyati]

A lot of it comes down to the fact that hunters need to do their homework if they plan on importing any trophies and hire a importing agent who is up on the regulations and will fight for you.

Which I have done, and this is not my first time, after 8 safaris, but the authorities always have the upper hand, and they seem to be making the whole process more difficult .

 

[gizmo]

Not only in the US, my friends, this is happening all over.

A friend of mine had a great safari in western Africa, Bongo, forest elephant..... now spanish customs say forest elephant cannot be imported, despite having the proper CITES WTF ???

My taxidermist told me there is a backlog of permits for the import of any cat.

I have a hippo waiting for an import license into Germany, PAC animal, with all the necessary documents from RSA, CITES, and the game starts. They have my passport, now they want my national identity card. ID sent.

Now they want to know sex and age of the animal, again WTF ??? I have a CITES !!!

All delaying tactics, so the CITES will expire, and I have to reapply.

I am starting to think there is a conspiracy against African hunters.

You are 100% correct. The anti’s have infiltrated governments all over the world. There is huge international pressure to shut down all African hunting (all hunting for that matter) by a very very small but vocal group with good connections. They also count on that the public is completely oblivious to reality and are wholly uneducated on the topic. What they say must be true because they saw it on the internet, right?
This is why I get so pissed over hunters fighting with each other because they don’t like they way another hunter does or hunts something. We are screwed. We constantly fight with each other and do a terrible job of educating non hunter and the people in the middle. It’s not a matter of if they shut it down, it’s when and it will be our fault for not uniting and educating the public.

 

[Inline6]

Well the port of Houston just got me. 2134 for "exam fee and cartage" . This is all finish taxidermy work. I'm not happy with the shipping bill either $8.10 a mile, guess I'm driving to Houston. It added an additional 3138.00 to the total bill without shipping. Over 10k to get the mounts here all in.

 

[Whit]

Hell for what it’s worth I have to fight with them for months to get my USDA assigned rep to do my recertification every stinking time. They require I be certified through them, can’t take animals in without it, and yet I spend 3 months or better trying to get my rep to even answer her cell phone to me. Every time it’s the same thing. Can’t get a hold of her so I start calling her bosses and then their bosses etc. Then she either shows up pissed because she got in trouble or she has moved onto another place within the agency and there is a new person whom I have no way of 1. Knowing is even there and 2. Have no way of getting a hold of. Then that one comes in all gung-ho and makes a million changes to everything that I have to do because they want it different just for the process to repeat itself.
It’s possibly one of the most frustrating things in the world.

This sounds exactly like trying to import weapons back to America from Germany while on active duty... the ATF demands a new form, new form provided. Data incorrectly entered on the new form, requires other verbiage - wait, that wasn't listed on the form, no matter, it's still required, and now, photos are needed. Wait, there's nothing on the import form that lists the requirement for photos? Doesn't matter. You call, talk with some bored, incompetent youngster in West Virginia who doesn't care. Re-submit all forms, only to have the ATF ponderously evaluate and reject previous, older editions of your documentation... with a different agent, each time...

 

[Dragan N.]

Hell for what it’s worth I have to fight with them for months to get my USDA assigned rep to do my recertification every stinking time. They require I be certified through them, can’t take animals in without it, and yet I spend 3 months or better trying to get my rep to even answer her cell phone to me. Every time it’s the same thing. Can’t get a hold of her so I start calling her bosses and then their bosses etc. Then she either shows up pissed because she got in trouble or she has moved onto another place within the agency and there is a new person whom I have no way of 1. Knowing is even there and 2. Have no way of getting a hold of. Then that one comes in all gung-ho and makes a million changes to everything that I have to do because they want it different just for the process to repeat itself.
It’s possibly one of the most frustrating things in the world.

That's horrible. What you have described is an absolute nightmare. I can't believe how unprofessional that lady is.

The last time I imported a CITES specimen was a few years back, so I don't know if the situation in Canada is still the same. But my experience here was very smooth. I emailed Lisa Jubenville, she was the person/expert for CITES Canada, she always answered my emails within 2-3 days. She was always super helpful. She was the epitome of professionalism.

I would always email her, so that I would have a record of our conversation, and that I could then show these emails to the customs agents. As most of them know f#$k all about the importation of wildlife parts.

 

[MarkB]

That's horrible. What you have described is an absolute nightmare. I can't believe how unprofessional that lady is.

The last time I imported a CITES specimen was a few years back, so I don't know if the situation in Canada is still the same. But my experience here was very smooth. I emailed Lisa Jubenville, she was the person/expert for CITES Canada, she always answered my emails within 2-3 days. She was always super helpful. She was the epitome of professionalism.

I would always email her, so that I would have a record of our conversation, and that I could then show these emails to the customs agents. As most of them know f#$k all about the importation of wildlife parts.

Seams we may have it better than those south of the border, at least for now. Lisa just recently answered all my CITES questions within a fast 2 days. I also print and take to airport when clearing my crate.

As you state, Lisa is still an awesome Gov employee working the CITES desk, lets hope she is still there for my next import.

MB

 

[Gemsbok45]

So what do you get with a company like Trophy Shippers or others.Are you not paying them to bird dog your shipment through this process? It’s been a while since I have shipped anything!

 

[JimP]

The importers should be on top of the regulations and the paperwork that is involved no matter how complicated your shipment may be.

I'm expecting a shipment in the next couple of weeks with one cites animal. My importer has watched it from the time it left the taxidermy shop in South Africa along with verifying all the paperwork involved

 

[Gemsbok45]

Thanks Jim P. Seems like your importer could get some more business here!

 

[Philip Glass]

I read this yesterday and has me thinking any to read this only??
“”

FYI for African hunters!​

Yesterday, 04:28 PM

If any one receives the Safari Times from SCI, you need to read or give this edition (JULY 2023) to others that are going to Africa for a safari. It starts on page 3, titled, "US Hunters reports delays of lawful trophy imports." It goes into detail about what the USDA is doing to trophy imports from Africa that is causing headaches and extra costs to hunters trying to get their animals into the US. This can happen even with a reputable customs broker. It mentioned the Dallas and Houston area specifically.

I had this happen with my imports from my safari in Sept 2021. Not necessarily from the USDA, but from one of the brokers with Coppersmiths that did not completely know the rules and cost me extra by sending it to a USDA certified taxidermist!

Knowing what the brokers and USDA can or cannot do to trophy imports might or might not help. We may be at their mercy, but still might get your trophies to you or your taxi without any undue fees!

Might check to see if this article is on the SCI website!””

Importing Wildlife and the Law

Imagine if a novice taxidermy enthusiast from the United States is surfing the internet and sees a forum posting offering exotic skulls from Africa. Excited at the thought of adding something truly...

www.taxidermy.net

To be concise they can do anything they want for any reason they want. My Zim dip and pack (no swine, no primates) was just forced to go to a USDA taxidermist by US Customs "for further processing". A few hundred more $ to get this stuff home!
That said everyone needs to be a SCI member and be as informed as possible. I am waiting for pics from the taxidermist to determine if my stuff is dirty or if I am truly getting jerked around. My US Congressman is on the Homeland Security Committee which oversees US Customs. A letter and a personal visit may be in order!

 

[Philip Glass]

https://safariclub.org/u-s-hunters-report-delays-of-lawful-trophy-imports/

This letter is from Regina Lennox one of SCI's full time attorneys fighting daily for us all. Those of you who are not SCI members please consider becoming one. Here is reason enough.

 

[Philip Glass]

So what do you get with a company like Trophy Shippers or others.Are you not paying them to bird dog your shipment through this process? It’s been a while since I have shipped anything!

Yes you are but the govt agencies can still screw your over. More so if you don't have a good broker.

 

[DonPablo]

Is it better to ship somewhere else instead of Houston? Denver may be worth a little extra distance. Being in West TX, it's not that much farther.