Black Bears and NAFA

[drake]

The NAFA guide suggests that most bears get sold for taxidermy and thus need paws intact. Recently i heard that most bears lately have sold for the trim/hat market. If this is the case, should we continue to go to the effort of skinning out paws etc or just lop them off and move on. I saw on a post from long ago by Marty S, that NAFA wanted all bears "in tact". thoughts?

[Dr Death]

Good question. IMO they are not worth targeting and putting up. A friend had one in the last auction that was graded as good, large DK brown color....$40.

[drake]

help a moose calf....shoot a bear. My friends line (which im partnered on) is polluted with them and im willing to help thin them out. Obviously i have a responsibility to ensure the hides are put up properly....with that said, ide rather not waste my time on 24 paws, 12 ears and eyes, and 6 sets of lips and a holes if i dont have to.

[Marty S]

Bears must be complete to be sold is my understanding. Meanwhile some Beas are bought strictly for the claws.

So just skin the feet faster! I think 5 minutes a foot is doable.

[drake]

Originally Posted by Marty S

Bears must be complete to be sold is my understanding. Meanwhile some Beas are bought strictly for the claws.

So just skin the feet faster! I think 5 minutes a foot is doable.

10-4....thanks for clarifying.

[crazyfish]

Pads stay with fur or are removed ?

[kingrat]

Originally Posted by Marty S

Bears must be complete to be sold is my understanding. Meanwhile some Beas are bought strictly for the claws.

So just skin the feet faster! I think 5 minutes a foot is doable.

they need to be intact to be sold in toronto on the auction, so even 1 claw missing and they stay in winnipeg where they are bought for fair market value for either taxidermy or trim.

[H380]

I can see the idea behind taking some bears to help out the big game population . But as a money maker and in relation to work involved , looks like youre far better sticking to muskrats ,even with their big price drop . I mean $40 for a bear ?

[MooseRiverTrapper]

I think a well furred medium size alberta bear goes for around $100 is this correct?

[Marty S]

Seems to me that bears routinely bring $100, but not just medium bears, the little guys too that get shot on private land can bring the same. Taxidermists do have use for juvenile bears, but hard to get them from many jurisdictions.

Big bears are the ones that bring the bucks, and from what I've seen attending the sales is that the buyers, which are mostly taxidermists, pay a big premium for the best handled goods, particularly well handled feet.

[drake]

Originally Posted by Marty S

Seems to me that bears routinely bring $100, but not just medium bears, the little guys too that get shot on private land can bring the same. Taxidermists do have use for juvenile bears, but hard to get them from many jurisdictions.

Big bears are the ones that bring the bucks, and from what I've seen attending the sales is that the buyers, which are mostly taxidermists, pay a big premium for the best handled goods, particularly well handled feet.

Awesome info...thanks Marty

[bill9044]

With the bear hide stretched and fleshed do you still have to register and wait the 3 years. Or can you send the hide in that year.

[Marty S]

Im not up on registering black bears. They are just like coyotes in the south... in that they are just virtual boreal vermin in the north. Hopefully you dont have to register a bunch of silly black bears... what a waste of time if it is so, but wouldn't surprise me.

Quite the stories you hear about northern towns dealing with problem bears, just a bunch of over grown ki-yutes!!! And now they are annihilating the Alberta caribou to extinction... nice, and getting away with it according to these wonderful biologists that have made these facts known to us trappers. Now if only they would tell the govt, and if only the govt would listen!!! And then the govt could pay trappers a little money to whack a bunch of extra bears in the caribou zone.

Anyways, my understanding is CITIES registration would be the only registration necessary IF you were going to export out of country. To send to auction, no such registration is necessary to ship within Canada. Never heard of a three year wait. But do ask your friendly neighborhood fish cop for the ins and outs on exporting black bears to auction, he/she/it (in case not covered under he/she in today's nutty world) will most certainly have an opinion on this matter!!!

[Hydro1]

Does this help???


This is from the Hunting Reg Q and A thread.
Feel free to skip to last sentence.

Question: I would like to hunt black bear for eating purposes and have no interest or money for taxidermy. What am I supposed to do with the unwanted bear hide?

Answer: Anyone that hunts black bears in Alberta under the authority of a recreational hunting licence must salvage the skin. Section 41(2) of the Wildlife Act says a person who kills a black bear, or who has a black bear skin in their possession, shall not allow the skin to be wasted, destroyed, spoiled or abandoned. This applies to black bear taken under a licence, but does not apply to black bear killed where no licence is required (circumstances set out on page 32 of the Alberta Hunting Regulations). Therefore, despite the primary purpose of hunting a black bear for eating, you must plan on preserving the skin.*

If you do not want to retain the hide yourself, it is still your responsibility to ensure the hide is not wasted, destroyed, spoiled or abandoned as detailed in the Wildlife Act. If you do not want to retain it yourself, it is quite acceptable to arrange to give it to someone. Also, another option is that*the skin of a legally taken black bear can be sold without restriction to anyone in Alberta.

*
I have never sold a bear through an auction house. I have done so through a taxidermist though. He will only buy them fully intact, so paws and such. Got 120$ for one, and 180$ for another. Neither were color phased, or big. I got to keep the meat and gave away the skulls.

Edit, i now see Marty already had it covered.

[bill9044]

Thanks guys. That actually clears things up. I asked my local office and they weren't sure. But I do fully agree with Marty... pests. And if I were gonna send to the auction I would do my best to put up the fur properly.
Thanks a bunch for the info.

[Marty S]

Originally Posted by bill9044

... I asked my local office and they weren't sure...

Do note... I said "opinion".