Selling a Canadian mounted Full Size Bear

June 9, 2016

Question: I purchased a full size mounted black bear from a machine shop owner in 1996. The machinist told me he bought the bear from a store in Canada in 1982 and brought it back to California for display in his shop. He didn’t provide me with any kind of paperwork confirming this. I just bought it by chance when I saw it in his office while having some metal parts fabricated for a job.

I know it’s illegal to kill game in California and sell it for profit, but is it also illegal for me to sell the bear I have that isn’t even from California? I’ve had the bear for about 20 years and now it’s time to pass it to someone else to appreciate. Do you have any advice? The last thing I want to do is unknowingly break a state law and get arrested. (Steve H., Long Beach)

Answer: It is unlawful to sell, buy or possess for sale the meat, skin, hide, teeth, claws or other parts of any bear in this state (FGC, section 4758). Unfortunately, this section applies to all bears, including those lawfully taken out of the state, and this is one of the few violations in the code that may be punished as a felony. In addition, FGC, section 3039 prohibits selling or purchasing any part of a bird or mammal found in the wild in California, and this includes taxidermy mounts. However, for purposes of passing it to someone else to appreciate, you can give your mount away. Your best bet might be to contact a museum, school or service club to see if they might want it.

Hey Steve, you can give it to me lol

You can also trade it for something of monetary value as long as it's not money can't you? If so figure out what you want in trade and the person that wants it can make a swap with you.

Ps you violated the same law 20 years ago.... The machine shop owner GAVE you the bear RIIIGHT?

You can also trade it for something of monetary value as long as it's not money can't you? If so figure out what you want in trade and the person that wants it can make a swap with you.

Negative.  That's a felony.  Don't do that.

Ps you violated the same law 20 years ago.... The machine shop owner GAVE you the bear RIIIGHT?

The statute of limitations has probably run on the questioner's purchase of the bear 20 years ago.  To confirm that he can't be prosecuted for that purchase, he'd need to have a California lawyer determine which statute of limitations applies to that crime.

In many states, Cabelas has large display areas with mounted animals.  Would including a bear in that kind of display be illegal in California, unless the bear was donated without charge by the hunter to Cabelas?

In many states, Cabelas has large display areas with mounted animals.  Would including a bear in that kind of display be illegal in California, unless the bear was donated without charge by the hunter to Cabelas?

It's probably not an accident that California does not have a Cabelas.  Don't want to get a felony trafficking rap for trying to sell tackle, clothes, guns, and ammo.

The one's that are on display around the state are often on relatively permanent loan and were taken, traded or sold prior to the law going into effect.  A few years back I had an estate that had an extensive collection of African and North American game mounts, hides, and ivory.  Getting rid of some of it was a pain in the ass and some of it still sits in a storage locker.

You can also trade it for something of monetary value as long as it's not money can't you? If so figure out what you want in trade and the person that wants it can make a swap with you.

Negative.  That's a felony.  Don't do that.

Donate it to someone that donates something to your wife, child, pet? If you ask me any law about selling or trading game animals or parts should be irrelevant after said animals or parts have undergone taxidermy. Just my $0.02

You can also trade it for something of monetary value as long as it's not money can't you? If so figure out what you want in trade and the person that wants it can make a swap with you.

Negative.  That's a felony.  Don't do that.

Donate it to someone that donates something to your wife, child, pet? If you ask me any law about selling or trading game animals or parts should be irrelevant after said animals or parts have undergone taxidermy. Just my $0.02

There cannot be a quid pro quo.

I don't disagree with you that the law doesn't accomplish much and is just a trap for the unwary.  Welcome to California.

The Reno Cabela's was originally slated to be built in Vacaville.  They were going to build it in the then vacant space between 80 and 505, but Vacaville wanted too much money up front for infrastructure/licenses/permits etc.  Vacaville screwed themselves on that one.

All of those big game mounts at Cabela's, Sportsman's Warehouse ect ect were all legally taken by employees of the store and have been neither bought or sold.   

Cabelas didn't want to deal with California labor laws....

Canadians and their mounties...