Customs Concerns

[BriCar 0]

My Fiance will be bringing a small full mount brown bear from BC Canada along with household goods.

She has owned it for many years.

Anybody think that will be an issue for customs at the border?

Will it need some special paperwork?

Thanks!

[Darnell 8,478]

No Issues - it is part of household goods.

This is a stuffed bear, right? taxidermy, etc etc???

[ScottThuy 140]

only if it was a protected species..

[JD63 4]

The applicable statutes would be CITIES with CBP, AND you have to ensure it is permissible with US Fish and Wildlife. If you are concerned you can ask them ahead of time.

It should be fine with CBP as CITIES doesn't apply to brown bears, but USFW might need some documentation regarding the legality of how it was taken.

[soonenough 1]

I would call the POE and see if its ok. And always bring any documents if possible never hurts to be over prepared

[BriCar 0]

Yes it's stuffed/mounted standing up.

Not sure exactly how it was taken, likely legally, not midnight poaching.

My fiance has owned it for years.

Trying to locate the paperwork on the history, date/taxidermy etc..

Just wanted to be sure game trophy's/specimens were not restricted for import.

Thanks for the answers I will follow up on some of them.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

My Fiance will be bringing a small full mount brown bear from BC Canada along with household goods.

She has owned it for many years.

Anybody think that will be an issue for customs at the border?

Will it need some special paperwork?

Thanks!

Yes, it most definitely is an issue to bring any animal products to the USA. Brown bears are protected by regulations regarding their hunting and transporting. He should bring every document he has showing when the animal was killed and when it was mounted. The taxidermist should be able to do this or bring a notarized letter if it was killed by a relative, etc. Showing up at the border with a stuffed Brown bear isn't going to get him anywhere without some documents that the animal was legally killed and is legally possessed. Even if one goes fishing or deer hunting in Canada and returns with fish or game legally killed there, it must be documented. Back when I did a lot of hunting, I hunted black bear in Quebec several times and there was pleny of paperwork and declarations needed just to bring back any part of the legally killed animals.

Yes it's stuffed/mounted standing up.

Not sure exactly how it was taken, likely legally, not midnight poaching.

My fiance has owned it for years.

Trying to locate the paperwork on the history, date/taxidermy etc..

Just wanted to be sure game trophy's/specimens were not restricted for import.

Thanks for the answers I will follow up on some of them.

They are restricted only in that they must have documentation to show they are legal taken and possessed. Canada and the US have very strict cooperation on this matter to prevent poaching and smuggling of animal parts.

[BriCar 0]

Yes, it most definitely is an issue to bring any animal products to the USA. Brown bears are protected by regulations regarding their hunting and transporting. He should bring every document he has showing when the animal was killed and when it was mounted. The taxidermist should be able to do this or bring a notarized letter if it was killed by a relative, etc. Showing up at the border with a stuffed Brown bear isn't going to get him anywhere without some documents that the animal was legally killed and is legally possessed. Even if one goes fishing or deer hunting in Canada and returns with fish or game legally killed there, it must be documented. Back when I did a lot of hunting, I hunted black bear in Quebec several times and there was pleny of paperwork and declarations needed just to bring back any part of the legally killed animals.

They are restricted only in that they must have documentation to show they are legal taken and possessed. Canada and the US have very strict cooperation on this matter to prevent poaching and smuggling of animal parts.

She didn't kill it , just purchased it, never the less possession is 90% of the law.

So the more paperwork the better that's for sure!!

Thanks

[JD63 4]

Yes, it most definitely is an issue to bring any animal products to the USA. Brown bears are protected by regulations regarding their hunting and transporting. He should bring every document he has showing when the animal was killed and when it was mounted. The taxidermist should be able to do this or bring a notarized letter if it was killed by a relative, etc. Showing up at the border with a stuffed Brown bear isn't going to get him anywhere without some documents that the animal was legally killed and is legally possessed. Even if one goes fishing or deer hunting in Canada and returns with fish or game legally killed there, it must be documented. Back when I did a lot of hunting, I hunted black bear in Quebec several times and there was pleny of paperwork and declarations needed just to bring back any part of the legally killed animals.

They are restricted only in that they must have documentation to show they are legal taken and possessed. Canada and the US have very strict cooperation on this matter to prevent poaching and smuggling of animal parts.

Yup, Gary is spot on as usual. Check out the USFW page, they have pretty detailed instructions for this sort of thing, although I think a purchased taxidermy specimen probably falls under some grey areas since it's not something you hunted yourself.

They have contact info on the webpage, I would call them and see what their response is ahead of time so you don't have unnecessary delays at the border.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

She didn't kill it , just purchased it, never the less possession is 90% of the law.

So the more paperwork the better that's for sure!!

Thanks

It is not a question of if it is hers. It is a protected species and you cannpt take any part of a protected species out of Canada witrhout proper paperwork to show it was obtained legally. How do they know someone didn't poach it and stuff and is smuggling it int the US and out of Canada? Canada will protect their natural resources, just as we do. Transporting parts of wild game internationally is serious business.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Yup, Gary is spot on as usual. Check out the USFW page, they have pretty detailed instructions for this sort of thing, although I think a purchased taxidermy specimen probably falls under some grey areas since it's not something you hunted yourself.

They have contact info on the webpage, I would call them and see what their response is ahead of time so you don't have unnecessary delays at the border.

there are ways to do it. I am not suggesting she is doing anything illegal. But she will need to prove the bear was legally obtained. Taxidermists are required to keep records of such things. In the US a taxidermist cannot sell mounts of protected species UNLESS they are unclaimed by the hunter, they have a record of the hunter that brought it in and copies of the necessary permits, and then they can sell it for whatever they have invested, but not for a profit. Some taxidermist mounts you see (flying pheasants, etc) are done using farm raised (non-wild) birds and they have documents for that also.

She should start by going back to the taxidermist that she bought it from and get some sort of declaration from him. I am sure he has had US clients and has had mounts shipped back to the US before. He will know what to do.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

She didn't kill it , just purchased it, never the less possession is 90% of the law.

So the more paperwork the better that's for sure!!

Thanks

have her cut down a few trees off her own property in Canada and head for the border and see how far she gets. They will not charge her with stealing trees, but they won't let them out of the country either!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

She didn't kill it , just purchased it, never the less possession is 90% of the law.

So the more paperwork the better that's for sure!!

Thanks

Also, be sure it is a BROWN BEAR and not just a black bear that is brown. the brown color phase of the black bear is particularly common in the west. I could be mistaken, but I had read several years ago that Canada was flatly stopping the export of ANY parts of Brown Bears (ursus horribilus) which is actually a coastal version of the grizzly bear which is outsized due to an abundant diet of fish, and grizzly bears and that this was hurting the Canadian outfitters depending on US hunters. This restriction does not apply to the black bear (in whatever color phase) The two are easy to distinguish by physical features (other than color)

When they are alive there is a sure way. Walk up behind them quietly and kick them in the @ss. If the BEAR goes up a tree, it is a black bear.

You can also tell from the fecal droppings. Especially in areas where hikers use pepper spray to defend from brown bears. Black bear feces is small and round and has bits of berries and twigs in it. Brown bear feces is large and lumpy and smells like pepper spray.

[BriCar 0]

Also, be sure it is a BROWN BEAR and not just a black bear that is brown. the brown color phase of the black bear is particularly common in the west. I could be mistaken, but I had read several years ago that Canada was flatly stopping the export of ANY parts of Brown Bears (ursus horribilus) which is actually a coastal version of the grizzly bear which is outsized due to an abundant diet of fish, and grizzly bears and that this was hurting the Canadian outfitters depending on US hunters. This restriction does not apply to the black bear (in whatever color phase) The two are easy to distinguish by physical features (other than color)

When they are alive there is a sure way. Walk up behind them quietly and kick them in the @ss. If the BEAR goes up a tree, it is a black bear.

You can also tell from the fecal droppings. Especially in areas where hikers use pepper spray to defend from brown bears. Black bear feces is small and round and has bits of berries and twigs in it. Brown bear feces is large and lumpy and smells like pepper spray.

It sounds like a small black bear that is a cinnamon color. By the size about 4 or 5 ft nose to tail I guess it's about a 2 or 3 year old. I think it came out of southern BC/Oakangan area possibly.

[TBoneTX 45,537]

Black bear feces is small and round and has bits of berries and twigs in it. Brown bear feces is large and lumpy and smells like pepper spray.

Dude, you have outdone yourself -- I will amaze friends & relatives, and hold audiences spellbound at cocktail parties (kicktail parties, if black bears are present) with this crucial information, si man.