Import form for turkey cape

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HarleyRiders97
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Import form for turkey cape

Post by HarleyRiders97 »

Does anyone know what forms are necessary to bring a Gould's turkey cape back from Mexico into the USA for the purpose of getting it mounted by a licenses USDA approved taxidermist?
hobbes

Re: Import form for turkey cape

Post by hobbes »

Id discuss this with a taxidermist that has experience with mounting Gould's and Ocellated turkeys. They should be familiar with the process.
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soiltester
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Re: Import form for turkey cape

Post by soiltester »

HarleyRiders97 wrote: February 13th, 2018, 3:35 pm Does anyone know what forms are necessary to bring a Gould's turkey cape back from Mexico into the USA for the purpose of getting it mounted by a licenses USDA approved taxidermist?
Your outfitter should be able to give/get you all than info :thumbup:

I can hep' ya' out. if U need :cheers:
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
fountain
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Re: Import form for turkey cape

Post by fountain »

Yes, outfitter should have all that lined up. Also, go ahead and have your taxidermist in mind and aware that you may be sending him one. Make sure whoever you intend to ship to or use to mount is USDA certified. There aren't many, so research this. Typically, most seem to use cally Morris. Blackwing taxidermy could also help you out. He has ours now
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GobbleNut
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Re: Import form for turkey cape

Post by GobbleNut »

Here is a list of things that I put together for an article I wrote back about ten years ago about hunting in Mexico. I'm not sure how much has changed since that time. I would advise anyone going down there to contact U.S. Customs about the requirements beforehand. One would think that any reputable outfitter would cover all of these bases, but from my own past experience, I can tell you that making that assumption can cause some serious heartburn when trying to get back into the good old U.S.A. with your bird.
>>>>>
As turkey hunting increases in popularity across the country, more and more hunters are becoming interested in traveling to Mexico to hunt the fifth of the North American subspecies, the Gould’s, in an effort to complete their “royal slam”. Although we went to great lengths to try to avoid any pitfalls with our trip, we did encounter some stumbling blocks along the way. From my experience, it appears that the rules and regulations are subject to interpretation, depending on what port of entry is used to cross back and forth into Mexico. Hunters who plan hunting trips into Mexico should be aware of the following:
1) Make sure you have acquired a passport (a birth certificate and drivers license or I.D. will no longer be acceptable beginning in 2008), and make sure you get your passport properly stamped when entering and exiting Mexico. Not getting the proper stamps on your passport when you depart Mexico could result in complications if you were to try to re-enter at a later time. There will generally be a nominal fee associated with your entry into Mexico for your hunt.
2) If you take your own vehicle into Mexico, make sure you arrange for supplemental insurance on it for the time you will be down there (you can contact your insurance agent for information on this---the cost for five days of full coverage for my pick-up was about $75.00 American). You also must have the vehicle registration (current) with you and proof of insurance coverage on the vehicle. You will be issued a vehicle permit at the Mexican port of entry. (The cost for this permit for our five day stay was about $30.00). You must relinquish this permit when you leave the country.
3) If your vehicle has a lien holder, you should contact them and ask for a letter of permission to take the vehicle into Mexico. Although I was not asked to present this document, I have been told that it is best to have it available just in case, as you may be denied entry if you don’t have one and are asked to show it.
4) While in Mexico, you most likely will be able to pay for things with American dollars, and in many cases this will be preferred. Make sure you take small denominations with you to pay for incidentals like food, gas, and tolls and become familiar with the currency exchange rate between Mexican pesos and American dollars. Many vendors/stores will take American credit cards, as well, but don’t depend on paying for things with them.
5) Make sure the Mexican outfitter you deal with can provide you with all of the licenses, permits, and documents that you will need (and don’t assume that he knows about everything you are supposed to have---make sure you review the documentation needed and go over it with him). You must have a signed contract with the outfitter that outlines the details of the hunt and the ranch you are hunting. You also must have an official certificate with state seal (UMA hunting permit) from the Mexican state you are hunting that verifies you are hunting on a property that has filed for and met all of the hunt management criteria as required by the state. The outfitter should provide you with a numbered tag for each bird you kill (cintillo) and the tag number should be recorded on the contract. You must attach a validated, numbered tag to each bird you harvest. We were told by the field officers at U.S. Customs that it is a common problem to have hunters coming back from Mexico without all of the licensing and proper documentation that is needed.
6) Unless you have gone through all of the registration and licensing process to take your own guns for your hunt, make sure you do not have any firearms or ammunition with you when you enter Mexico. Having any kind of firearm or ammunition that is not properly licensed and registered will most likely bring a sudden and unpleasant end to your Mexican adventure and will probably result in you and your hunting party ending up in a Mexican jail. If you are relying on your Mexican outfitter to provide shotguns for your hunt, be certain that you and he have ironed-out all of those details.
7) At this time, you may bring the meat and of the turkeys you harvest back into the U.S. if you desire (We gave all of the meat from our birds to the ranch hands and our guides). Also, you may bring the capes of the birds and they should be packaged in a sealable container or bag (we put ours inside heavy duty trash bags and then put the bags in an ice chest. All capes are required to be sent to a certified taxidermist to go through a fumigation/delousing process before the bird can be mounted. You should obtain a list of the certified taxidermists from U.S. Customs (or your hunt booking agent, if you have one) prior to your trip, contact that taxidermist to confirm your intent to use his services for the process, and obtain the required form (Report of Entry/Shipment of Restricted Animal Products) for this. This document, which indicates where the birds will be sent to be processed, must be presented to U.S. Customs when you cross back into the United States.
8) Along with the above, a declaration form (Declaration of Importation of Wildlife) must be filled out and presented to Customs, as well. This document lists the numbers and the species that you are declaring to bring back across the border.

Also, regarding taking your own vehicle down for your hunt, you should be prepared for extremely rough travel on terrible roads through very rugged country. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is advised, preferably with high clearance, and don’t go down there without at least two spare tires, some “flat fix” cans, and a plug kit. And make sure your vehicle is in good running condition!
Finally, the people down in Mexico in general are very friendly, even though you may not be able to communicate fully with them. If you go down there with the proper attitude of respect for the Mexican culture and the people, you will undoubtedly have a wonderful experience and come back having made some very good friends.
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soiltester
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Re: Import form for turkey cape

Post by soiltester »

Just got back from talking with one of the guys going with us this year, and the approved taxi he is using, emailed him all of his info, for boarder customs to fill the form out that they will provide. What a change and a lot easier since I did 4 years or so ago, and also appears to not be the nightmare I had!!!
This all changed since the bird flu was in areas in the U.S..

Pick an approved taxidermist in your area of the state or closest to you.

https://vsapps.aphis.usda.gov/vsps/public/AESearch.do

He should have all the info needed to get to you, to ensure you getting your cape back into the U.S.

Form VS 16-78 apparently is the only form needed now and customs fills it out.
Your outfitter and taxi should have all the details explained to you in writing ahead so you have all the information you'll need at the border.


https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAVi ... &icID=2450

Hope I've got all the T's crossed and I's dotted :roll:
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
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