Owl Taxidermy?

stiab

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Did this exact thing in Elizabeth City 40 years ago, rules were the same then. Some taxidermists (there was one in Currituck Co. at the time) have permits to handle such animals if they are given to schools, museums, etc. Mine went to a school.
 

hunter

Eight Pointer
Contributor
I actually know a guy who's eat one. This was during the depression when times were tough. He said his mom had cooked it for the family. Without a doubt he said it was the worst thing he's ever ate.


On a similar note, I used to know an ole time Florida game warden. He was just starting out in the 1950's as a trainee under an experienced veteran officer. These were the days where justice often was tempered with commonsense and a local solution. They were out patrolling an area during turkey season and came upon a young man new to turkey hunting who was very excited to show them the turkey he had just got. The veteran officer complimented him on the bird and gave him a few tips on cooking it. Each soon went on their separate ways. The trainee officer turned to the veteran officer and asked why they didn't arrest the young man for shooting a buzzard. The veteran officer said "Son, you will learn in this job somethings need to go to court and others need to be handled on the spot. That young man clearly had no intent to shoot a buzzard and by the time he cleans it, cooks it and eats that nasty ole buzzard justice will be served!" True story. At least as told to me by the trainee officer.
 

FITZH2O

Old Mossy Horns
Too bad you can’t get a permit issued on the spot by a GW... I would like to have a few raptor mounts and then they don’t have to rot on the side of the road.
 

RJ1

Ten Pointer
Contact the NCWRC biologist sometimes they will come out take it get it mounted and use it in their training programs they present to kids.
 

Cootmeurer

Six Pointer
You might check around with local high school science teachers - not many do, but some will maintain a skull collection.

When I was teaching, I had several raptor skulls, properly permitted by the state. The process wasn't difficult, as long as you were a) not deliberately harvesting them (oh look, I needed a great horned owl skull, and just by luck here is a dead one, with a bullet hole clean through the chest - that would be deliberate harvest) and b) you contacted state fish and wildlife ASAP and told them where it was found and what you intend to do with it.

I had no problems, teaching science and already having a skull collection. A music teacher might have a much more difficult time explaining.

And on a humorous note - one of the skulls I received came from a child of a convicted felon. He said my collection was cool and wanted to have one from his house. Seems that dad (the felon) had shot an osprey while fishing (probably without a license, because WTH, felon + gun + shooting federal protected birds) and brought back just the head. Stuck it in a glass jar of alcohol on a shelf in the kitchen. Surprisingly the Wildlife Officer and I both laughed, he arranged the permit, and said he really didn't want to pursue this further - thinking that felons and guns is more a State Police thing.
 

Winnie 70

Ten Pointer
Put the scope hairs on a big owl....I mean big like 2 feet tall....top of a tree....I was probably 14 years old and almost pulled the trigger on that ole 22 and something inside me said you better not do that....that too easy a shot for me...only a few yards. Boy, was deadly with that 22 on the squirrels and often think about that when I see an owl late in the day while out in woods. Saw that owl more than once out behind where we lived and never was tempted again to try and take him. Amazing the things that happen to us as we out hunting game and what goes thru your mind as you look down that barrel.
 

Weekender

Twelve Pointer
Don't feel alone I've talked to ton people that don't know you can't kill birds of prey I work around majority non hunters lot they don't know they can never figure out why hunt turkey in spring thinking its should be Thanksging time only

Those kind of conversations are great in-roads to teach non-hunters how many conservation efforts are due solely to sportsmen [legal hunters]. If not for us, poachers would've wiped out many species of animals.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
Those kind of conversations are great in-roads to teach non-hunters how many conservation efforts are due solely to sportsmen [legal hunters]. If not for us, poachers would've wiped out many species of animals.
No doubt I feel like biologist half time at work explaining things like why its better to let hunter harvest a deer that it get crushed on road and go to waste. That's one biggest amazing how many people tell me about the deer eating everything around but won't let hunter hurt the poor things
 

Weekender

Twelve Pointer
No doubt I feel like biologist half time at work explaining things like why its better to let hunter harvest a deer that it get crushed on road and go to waste. That's one biggest amazing how many people tell me about the deer eating everything around but won't let hunter hurt the poor things

yeah, and they want the wolves restored, and the bears saved from hunters, etc. Let them watch a video of a predator eating a deer or a calf sometime. Nature's more cruel than a hunter's efficient use of a bullet or broadhead.
 
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