? for Bear Hunters

[cjcj]

Looking at all of the nice bears that you hunttalkers are killing lately...made me wonder..about a year ago i saw a game and fish tv show [game warden]...in which they [wardens] were busting poachers for killing bears just for the Gall Bladder....it was about the poachers getting big money for all of these bear gall bladders...So?


Do you guys keep the Gall Bladders?

Do you sell them?

Is it legal in some/your state? to sell them or is it a federal thing?

 

[Ovis]

In Asia bear bladders are used for medicine, as are some other parts of the bear.

In most states (I think there are one...maybe two states that are the exception) it is illegal to sell the bladders for profit. I know in Alaska a story pops up from time to time where somebody is arrested for such acts.

From what I've heard (and I don't know enough about it to say one way or the other) bear bladders from the states only get about $50 a pop.

 

[Washington Hunter]

I am not aware of a law here in Washington that makes it illegal to sell gall bladders. But, even if it is legal, I wouldn't have any idea where to sell one.

 

[Washington Hunter]

Hmm...I guess it is illegal here. Found this news release from the WDFW. It's from 1999, but I would assume the law is still the same.

NEWS RELEASE
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 6, 1999
Contact: Margaret Ainscough, (360) 902-2408

Vancouver man sentenced for selling
bear gall bladders, other poaching violations

VANCOUVER—Richard Dale Harris, 38, of Vancouver, was sentenced today to 100 days in jail and a $19,200 fine for illegally selling bear gall bladders and other poaching violations.

Clark County District Court Judge Darvin Zimmerman sentenced Harris to concurrently serve 90-day sentences on 12 gross misdemeanor violations including unlawful sale of wildlife, possession of wildlife (cougars) in a closed season and unlawfully possessing wildlife (black bears) in excess of bag limits, according to Clark County Deputy Prosecutor David Seeley. The judge added another 10 days of jail time for a misdemeanor count of importing and possessing dead wildlife taken unlawfully in another state, Seeley said.

Harris was convicted Nov. 2 of the violations following a jury trial in Clark County.

Besides the jail sentence and fine, Harris will be barred from hunting in Washington for at least two years, and his hunting equipment was seized by the state, according to a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) detective who investigated the case.

Harris was the subject of an undercover investigation over several years by WDFW's Statewide Investigations Unit. During the course of the investigation, Harris sold bear gall bladders to an undercover WDFW officer and led an officer on illegal guided black bear hunts in Idaho, according to WDFW Enforcement Chief Bruce Bjork. Besides the bear hunting violations, Harris also was found in possession of two cougars taken out of hunting season.

Bear gall bladders, valued by some for medicinal purposes, fetch $100 to $400 here and between $6,000 to $25,000 in Asia, according to WDFW enforcement officers.

"This individual did a significant amount of damage to the animals in this state and bringing him to justice required an extensive investigation on the part of the state," said Bjork.

 

[cjcj]

Wow $25,000. for a gall bladder?....thanks for the info W.H.

The Game warden show that i saw said that it was OK to sell the Gall bladders of "legaly" killed bears.....i just can`t remember what state...i`m surprised this subject hasn`t came up before [or i missed it]... in any case you guys might want to save those gall bladders]?

 

[Washington Hunter]

Well, maybe it is legal to sell them, just wasn't in that case because the bears were poached. I know taxidermists will generally buy the hides so I don't know why gall bladders would be any different. The hide off my bear would've got me some cash but we skinned it out wrong! |oo
My taxidermist still has it and I'm gonna let him have it, because I don't want to pay the money to do anything with it.

 

[Curly]

If I get a bear, maybe I should sell the gall bladder on Ebay. Would that be legal? Maybe I could find someone in Asia to buy it?

 

[cjcj]

It might be worth looking into.... if you could get $500. bucks it would be worth it.... but i don`t know if E`bay would allow it?

 

[Ten Bears]

I know some guys that have sold them to a buyer here, so I guess it's legal in Idaho.