USDA okays trophy imports from Canada

Hunters who visit Canada can bring back antlers, skull plate and hide/cape, but no meat under new USDA policy

Bowhunting Preservation Alliance

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hunters who travel to Canada this fall can' t bring back meat, but they will be allowed to import up to two sets of antlers, the skull plates and the cape/hide from big-game they harvest, under a policy change announced this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In late May, in response to the discovery of mad cow disease in an Alberta cow, the USDA banned the import of all ruminant animals from Canada, as well as all parts of ruminant animals. The ban, although aimed primarily at domestic livestock, also included big-game animals from Canada, except for bears. As a result, hunters who had booked Canadian hunts this fall for deer, elk, moose, caribou, sheep, bison or mountain goat were considering canceling their trips.

Although the new policy still prohibits hunters from bringing back meat from big-game animals, it' s less likely there will be mass cancellations of Canadian hunting trips.

" We' re relieved the USDA made accommodations for hunters so they can resume planning for their trips," said Jay McAninch, president and CEO of the Bowhunting Preservation Alliance and Archery Trade Association. McAninch discussed the original ban with USDA officials, and is pleased the department crafted a compromise to allow hunters to bring back some parts while ensuring no contaminated parts could be brought across the border.

" We' re disappointed our hunters still can' t bring meat home with them, but we' re happy we could find some middle ground," McAninch said. " At least now they can bring home some mementoes from their trip. During our discussions we also emphasized the profound impact a total ban would have had on Canadian outfitters if their American clients started canceling hunts."

Prions — the mutated protein thought to cause chronic wasting disease and mad cow disease — have never been found in beef or venison, even in animals that carried the disease. Even so, the USDA advises hunters to clean as much meat as possible from the cape/hide and skull plate. Customs border inspectors will examine trophy parts to ensure little or no tissue remains on those parts. Any part with excessive amounts of tissue still intact can be refused entry into the United States.