Auditing Taxidermy?

[Go Big Red!]

I was reading in the weekly CO reports and I cam across this.  What goes on?   

"Osborne performed a taxidermy audit with CO’s Johanson and Bertram."

[beeker]

my brother is a licensed taxidermist and from what I understand the CO's can come into you house and inspect your freezer at anytime to ensure all critters are properly tagged. my brother has been asked a few times about mounting fishers and other critters where there was no tag involved..  I'm sure auggie can expand on this as I'm just a bystander

[Auggie]

     The DNR can check freezers to make sure all the proper tags with all the required information are displayed on each and every thing in the freezer. It also must coincide with a log book we must keep that has hunter information, lic #'s, dates of when we received and return said game etc. etc. Migratory birds have even more information. Animals such as cats also need to be properly CITIES tagged as well. As for coming in the house, that is questionable, unless all your freezers are in the house maybe. They can't just march in at anytime either. It has to be during reasonable hours. It however can and most likely will be unannounced. But if you have nothing to hide I guess it isn't a big deal to let them look.
     Pretty painless if you follow their rules. Can be pretty painful if you don't.
    

[Go Big Red!]

How often are you checked in a calendar year? 

[Auggie]

On average once per year. Sometimes less and sometimes more. Depends on variables such as investigations they may be conducting or vacancies in officer posts.

[Go Big Red!]

Interesting. 

Have you or anyone that you know of in the business lost any animals?  Not implying you did anything wrong, but did the person dropping them off have any issues like improper tag or any investigation stuff?  Is there a way you can check to make sure you're getting a legal animal?

[Auggie]

       I have never had any thing confiscated or been written a citation, knock on wood. I do know of guys that have. However I am positive every time I have been checked I could have been ticketed. It is pretty easy to lose a tag or have it fall off on something in the freezer after it gets moved around a few times. Or when you are knee deep in deer heads in the fall (and running on coffee,MT. Dew, and beef jerky ) and a guy walks in with a fish or a pheasant and forget to get all the information on a tag that is required in the freezer. I try and go through things a couple times a year to catch that stuff on my own and remedy the situation. The CO's I have dealt with over the years have been pretty good for the most part and if they see you are making the effort and on the up and up they work with you. Kinda like getting pulled over by the police in your car. If they want to write a ticket they can find a reason. As far as stuff coming in being properly tagged, if it is in season and the person has the proper license/paperwork to take it, I accept it. If they don't, I don't accept it until they do. Now if a guy walks in April 20th with a beautiful Woodie in spring plumage that isn't frozen it might throw up a flag. Get my drift. There are certain things that can tip you off as to being legal or not. As far as deer in the fall I have no way of knowing if a guy shot his big buck out the window of his SUV. If he comes in with a proper tag I accept it and assume it was a legal harvest. And I don't feel it is my obligation to ask him how he took it. Although most feel it is their obligation to tell you how they got it!! That is part of the fun in this business. All the stories. Anyway, back to our poacher, if a tip caller called him in and the CO came to check it out so be it. I have done nothing wrong and don't worry about it. I have not been put in that situation as of yet and really hope it doesn't ever become an issue.

[Randy Kaar]

Thanks for the info Auggie, I never knew the DNR did this.

randy

[Go Big Red!]

Great info Auggie. Thanks.

[Auggie]

Big Red, I had my inspection last week. All good!