47 replies to this topic

[Swamp Bear]

Please Read and vioce your opinion!

Anyone out there tried to look into amending laws reguarding buying and selling shed antler in New Brunswick?
Other provinces allow this to an extent and within certain regulations. Why not ours??? Seems rediculous!
I understand the concept and agree 100% with poaching laws being followed and not encouraging such actions. Hell that's the last thing we all need.
However we all know where sheds come from and it ain't poached deer it's the suvivors!
You can possess sheds or give sheds to a friend BUT you cannot make a chandellier (or anything with horn knives etc.) and sell it at store or market???
This seems rediculous and we need to do something about it.
I talked to a conservation officer and he said unless people say something about it nothing will be done.Who give a rats A** about the little guy something we hear to often.
This is a huge industry that people make a ton of money of of all over North America making things from these shed antlers.
As an artist I would love to purchase sheds of whoever has them. I look myself but it`s hard pickins and mostly for enjoyment of being in the woods.

How is it you can obtain a license to sell hide but a guy can`t legally sell art made from sheds.

Consider this for a new amendment to the current law...

*Shed antlers may be used for buy/sell purposes if pedicle is still attached to EACH piece of antler used. No piece of antler may be used without the presence of a naturally shed pedicle in place.

What does this mean?
If an antler is cut in two only the half with the pedicle may be used for selling purposses (i.e use for knife handle). This would discourage any notion of poaching as the other half is considered worthless for buy/sell in any market.
This would insure that peoples practicing such art forms use only shed horns for there art thus not hurting deer populations etc by encouraging poachers to sell horn to such craftsman.
Any craftsman using otherwise would be punished to full extent of the law.

What would this allow for?

Knife making industry
antler carving industry
walking sticks etc industry
lighting industry
furnature and the list goes on.

THESE LAWS MUST BE AMENDED! for the good of many artists and private citizens that could be making money of of this and giving back to our hurting economy.

What can you do?
Simply agree to this idea and maybe just maybe someone will listen. I hope to obtain as many votes as possible in favor for this to send to government to have us heard. Without a fight nothing will change. One voice does diddly squat trust me but many get heard!
My art is everything to me EVERYTHING so please show your support.
Until then if anyone`s willing to gift me with some SHED antlers I love gifts:)
If your interested in knowing more or talking about this further come see me at the Northside Market in Fredericton.

Thanks so much,
Swamp Bear
My online chainsaw art gallery can be viewed at swampbearart.webs.com

[Megabucks]

I know someone who does antler painting/carving and sells them...

[Swamp Bear]

Well my friend the NB Fish and Wildlife act state that this is illegal so not asking you to get your buddies busted guys just want to help make them less a crimal in the laws eyes. There are serious charges for this and this is why I want as much support as possible in changing.
This is for ALL newbrunswickers not just my own means as an artist.
It's a law that most aren't aware of but ask any DNR officer and you will find that it is so.

[Sako]

The law you are referring to is fairly easy to get around. Get a taxidermist license for $15 from DNR. I agree it is ridiculous that you can't sell sheds as art after they are carved or used for furniture. I've had conversations about the law concerning sheds with Fish & Wildlife, and you're right, one voice isn't enough. Do you do some carving, Swamp Bear? If so, I'd be interested in seeing some of your work. If it was made legal to buy and sell sheds, you wouldn't be able to get any sheds without paying through the nose for them. In Maine moose antler sheds are selling for $7 a pound. They are ground up and sold to Asian countries. Right now it is illegal to transport drops/sheds across the border, make it legal and everybody would be picking them up. There are many N.B. moose sheds that cross the border, as it is, which makes it very hard to get antlers now.

[Swamp Bear]

The law change should be for NB residence only. And everybody picks em um anyway. It's not easy to find them. The law I'm fighting for is not to allow folks to grind them up! My post clearly states PEDICLE MUST BE INTACT and only pieces with pedicle can be used.
I'm not wanting to use horns from harvested animals as that opens cause for poaching and may encourage it.
I would gladly pay $7 a pound.
As for caring horn I have not done much since the laws don't allow me to sell. Time is money and I never seem to have it with all the other projects I work on.
My work can be found at swampbearart.webs.com
What would the taxidermist licence do for me??? The DNR officer I had a meeting with never told me about this?
I would love to learn taxidermy though if anyone is willing to take on an apprentice:) I already have tanned a few buffallo hides the old school way.

[Sako]

Taxidermists can buy and sell antlers, horns, and hides. You can buy a license for $15 and then sell your art.I spoke with DNR about this same issue 4 years ago and was given the name of the director. He basically told me it would never change under his direction. I wanted to be able to sell antler carvings made from moose sheds. He quoted the part about buying, selling, any part of a wild animal harvested in N.B.. I then told him these are done on sheds and as far as I knew the animal was still alive. His answer was, is the animal harvested in N.B. ? If so you can't sell the sheds. I asked if there was any way to do it and he said no. He was wrong. Taxidermists sell antlers, mounts, tanned hides and fish, regularly.

[Sako]

Swampbear, checked out your site. Very nice work. You aren't located that far from me. Selling sheds is good and bad for me. I have a very hard time getting sheds as most that are found, end up across the border, sold for use in the Asian countries for medicinal uses. The bigger moose sheds, that I prefer to carve, are worth too much per pound. I've checked in Maine and any shed is at least $100. I can't see paying $100 , working on it for 40 hours or more, depending on the carving and then giving it away. What I've done in the past is trade a carving for sheds but even that is hard to do now. I've had numerous offers to buy complete racks and use them for carvings but I won't do that. It has to have the pedicule on the shed or I'm not having anything to do with it. To me, it looks wrong without the pedicule. And I'm sure, there are many in New Brunswick that would gladly shoot a moose for the meat and sell the antlers, with or without a license. Like I said it would be good and bad. Most people that find moose sheds, throw them in the garage and forget them, Id love to have them, and see what I can do with them. I haven't carved any in a while. Health issues won't allow me to carve, right now, but that can't last forever. I received a couple from a guy on here and I'm going to do something as soon as the weather warms up.

[Swamp Bear]

What I am fighting for is that a licence be required to buy sell or trade shed antlers and that this licence only be available to NB residence same as a hunting licence!
I've talked to DNR's all over canada! everyone has either no laws for this and or a licence which is required. If we have a licence we take away the black market aspect of this. Less stupid offences for the DNR to deal with.
I'm propsing a section be added that emits the use of horn for sale unless it has pedicle attached. Try to sell etc with NO pedicle and you lose your rights to do so.
I'm trying to make a business out of this and it's sad to think I may have to move province to do so.
Count that as another chalk down for the NB Economy.
deer numbers and disease have nothing to do with this issue as DNR may try to argue.
This is related to bad forestry habbits and high coyote numbers
Why would you kill a deer if you can make money off of next years sheds???
Whether we have this change or not it won't change the fact that some people are poaching animals.
Poaching animals and shed antler laws are two different ball games.
You and I all know how hard it is to hunt deer when numbers are so low, you actually think someone is going spend time waiting to shoot an animal for a horn thats worth 7 bucks a pound and alotta time in jail.. your crazy to think that. DNR is crazy to think that.
Poachers poach for the black market not a legal one.

A licenced shed dealer has the responsibility to buy ligit sheds just as a licenced hide dealer has to buy ligit hides.
You can sell hide but not shed horn come on WAKE UP PEOPLE! Were comparing apples to oranges.

Oh and just incase you thought it was legal to trade it isn't! The act of 1980 states you may not buy sell trade or barter.

I'm sure many of you have done this and all I ask is support is to stop making us into criminals for unharmful acts.
We all have rsponsibility as hunters and advocates of nature to stand up for what is right and what is wrong.
Just incase you may think I don't know what I'm saying the rest of north america agrees with me.
I have a degree in natural resource sciences and I won't give up this fight until justice is served and we realize that shed hunting connects us to our forests and our bucks!

[Sako]

You and I are the only people on here that have any personal gain from changing this law. There are many other laws that would strike more of a personal cord than selling sheds. If you were lobbying to change the caliber restriction for coyote hunting, so hunters didn't have to buy another rifle to hunt coyotes, or lobbying for a season change for moose or deer, or trying to up the bag limit on black bears, you would probably get more support. I have a full time job, make a better than average income, I carve because I enjoy it and get a thrill out of what can be created. I can't say I would do it for money and I wouldn't want to. I guess that may be where we differ. Even if the law were changed, I wouldn't charge for my work. I carve for fun and a kind of therapy, so, I guess I'm already paid.Good luck with your problem but don't be surprised when not that many people back you. It's really not that important or on a personal level to them.

[Swamp Bear]

I here what your saying Sako and it's sad that people may think that way. It would'nt suprise me at all but the fact is no one get anywhere in this world without the support of others.
If something matters enough to to me or anyone else for that matter I can only hope someone will listen.
It would sure matter to you if I said I'd give you a bunch of cash for your old sheds that are piling up.
Anyone willing to gift me some I would be glad to take them off your hands.
It's a passion of mine so even if no one here listens I'll still do my best to be heard.
For me art is my lively hood so it's of high interest to me anyone interested in seeing what I do check out swampbearart.webs.com or come see me at the northside market Fredericton.
I'm looking to expand the products I can offer and want the same rights as the rest of Canada.
I'm asking for an amendment not a new f&W act.

[4570govt]

Couldn't agree more guys. I just started carving antlers and I love it. Only done 2 so far but need more sheds...

[Sako]

They are hard to get. I've heard there are many people in the Northern part of the province that have tons of them, just laying around. I need sheds and I'll drive to get them, if necessary. Every time someone has contacted me about sheds, they want to be paid for them, whether it's legal or not. I don't charge for carvings, so I can't pay for sheds AND it's illegal.

[stroover]

If the law ever does change, I know a fella who will make a ton of money as he has three garages full of shed moose antlers he's been picking up in the woods for several years now. I dare say he has two or three tons of them. He just goes wandering around the woods, finds sheds, chucks them in one of the garages, hanging on to them in case he can legally sell them some day.

[4570govt]

My first two attempts. It's so relaxing.

 

[Sako]

We would like the law to change so we can legally buy them, not so he can sell them. LOL If it were legal I'd buy as many as I could and get my money back from my carvings. I live close to the border and there are quite a few moose in this area but finding a decent shed for carving is getting pretty hard as most that people find go across the border, smuggled in a trunk or taken across by boat. It's not really worth the risk, in my opinion, but some guys do whatever they can to make some cash.

[stroover]

We would like the law to change so we can legally buy them, not so he can sell them. LOL If it were legal I'd buy as many as I could and get my money back from my carvings. I live close to the border and there are quite a few moose in this area but finding a decent shed for carving is getting pretty hard as most that people find go across the border, smuggled in a trunk or taken across by boat. It's not really worth the risk, in my opinion, but some guys do whatever they can to make some cash.

 

Duh! Don't you think the guy going out to pick those sheds up would want the law to change so he can sell them?  : /  "LOL" right back at you, mate.

[Sako]

It was a joke, Stroover. Who would I buy them from except the people who pick them up? Making it legal helps both the buyer and seller.

[Sako]

If anybody has any sheds they want to get rid of, send me or 4570govt a PM. Thanks.

[4570govt]

Thanks Sako. Would love to see some of your work. I'm going to try a salmon next.

[4570govt]

Just got my taxidermists license and in the paperwork with it, it quotes this. "A taxidermist may now sell, exchange, or barter preserved fish or wildlife specimens or fish and wildlife specimens prepared as trophies, pursuant to subsection 89(2) of the fish and wildlife act.

89(1)The Minister may issue a licence to any person, authorizing that person to carry on the craft of a taxidermist at the place and in the premises described in the licence.

89(2)Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the licence issued by the Minister under subsection (1) authorizes the holder to
(a) be in possession for the purpose of carrying on the craft of a taxidermist of the carcass of fish or wildlife or any part thereof that has been lawfully taken pursuant to this Act,
( sell, exchange or barter preserved fish or wildlife specimens; and
© sell, exchange or barter portions of fish or wildlife specimens prepared as trophies.

The words "notwithstanding" mean in spite of any other section...
This other section seals it.
62.1Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or the regulations, a person may, without a permit issued under this Act, have in his or her possession antlers shed from a moose or deer.
2001, c.18, s.8