Canadians hunting USA Bisons

[BBF]

  FYI:
In a recent conversation with an Official in Canada I was informed that Bison meat from the USA is not admitable into Canada because of a Health reason.

[markc]

What health reason?  Mad Bison disease? 

[BBF]

markc
 
I wish I could tell you. The person I talked to rattled of a string of letters to me.I don't recall them nor do I know what they meant. My best guess would be something similar to a Bovine disease.

[BUGEYE]

markc
 
I wish I could tell you. The person I talked to rattled of a string of letters to me.I don't recall them nor do I know what they meant. My best guess would be something similar to a Bovine disease.

since it's kinda hard to give an old bull buff his shots that might be it.  cattle can be inocculated against disease.  I would have thought that pre-butured buffs could be brought in though.

[Bugflipper]

I don't know if it's the same thing. Yellowstone usually slaughters 50-200 each year that have Brucellosis.

[BUGEYE]

people can bring deer etc. into Ga. from anywhere as long as there's no brain matter or spine.

[BBF]

I stirred up the soup with bringing game meat to Canada from the USA.
 
Fact: You can only bring in 20 kg/person of any sort of frozen meat. Domestic or wild as Canada Custom makes no distinction  between the two.
 
There is no weight limit for a carcass.
 
Every time I called Border Service to give me an exact definition what the consider a carcass I get different answers.

IE One piece, field dressed, hide,head and hoof attached.

Or It is OK to have it quartered but the hide or pieces of hide attached and gender identifiable
Do you want the head?
 
Answer: We don't know, check with the Border Service where you enter the USA.  
Yeah, So when I get back there is a different guy there and he has a different opinion.
 
I got tired of this and called my local MP's(Congressman) office. They referred my question to the Regional office in Halifax which contacted Border Service which got back to me with a request to contact above mentioned Biologist who will contact Border Service and they are supposed to contact me which hasn't happened yet ......  ARRRGH !!
 

[markc]

Good grief, what a run around they are giving you.  It sounds like no oneknows, but they would prefer that you shoot your USA Bison in Canada.  Hope someone can eventually help you out up there.  I haven't heard or read about issues with Bison down here, or their import/export into Canada, out of the US.  Hmmmm.

[BBF]

Much to my pleasant surprise I got an e-mail today from the Govt.Vet Doc. about bringing game meat into Canada from the USA.
 
1. All game shot in a Hunting Preserve without a valid hunting license from that State is NOT considered "Game" regardless of specie. Therefore you are restricted to 20 kg per person.
The unlimited weight for a carcass does NOT apply in that case.
 
There are restrictions on what sort of meat it is as well.  IE Bison meat is not allowed. There may be others.
 
Game that is hunted with a license must be identifyable as to specie and gender and match the license you have.*
 
*I would not mention the fact that whatever I wanted to bring back was taken on a Ranch that advertised itself as a Preserve of any kind even with a valid State hunting license. What the Border Service doesn't know or ask..............
 

[BUGEYE]

nowadays folks take pretty good care of the carcass and it's silly to restrict meat with no brain or spine attached.

[BBF]

Bugeye:
 I agree it is silly however that doesn't help when you sit on the border and they say NO !!
I'm solving this situation by hunting at that Preserve on my way South, taken the meat with me to our winter quarters.
Now the only thing I have to deal with is that pesky ATF permission form I need to fill out and get approval for to take  a shooting device with me. Turn around time is 6 to 8 weeks for this to happen IF they are happy with the answers I provide.

IE: Make, Type, Address of the Ammo manufacturer and quantity brought in.

[BUGEYE]

you should be able to show a birth certificate or passport, list your guns and go.  people have been crossing that border both ways to hunt for ages.  you don't go through that nonsense going from one european country to another.  the US/CAN border should be the same.

[nhdog]

Canada has got a lot of what seem to be weird laws. Everything is pretty well regulated. Scatterbrain is correct in as much as that the general rule is 20 kg. of meat can be brought back into Can. BUT there are special regulations that limit specific types of meat. Chicken, turkey, and BUFFALO. Buffalo is limited to only a few kgs.(3 or 4, I believe,I don't have my copy of the reg. handy ). They have a booklet available which gives all the information on importation. This is to protect farmers there. Milk, eggs, and turkeys are strictly controlled. Farmers must buy quotas in order to sell on the market and their production is  limited to that quota. The gov. or the marketing boards also sets the prices.I do know of one canadian returning to Can. who, when returning with his buffalo meat, was turned back at the border. He  ended up having to leave his meat here in the states. Request their booklet before you try bringing anything back into Can.   

[nhdog]

I found my info on residents returning to Can. and here is part of the guide.For additional info  for meat and dairy products they say go to www.inspection.gc.ca Quoting from the Canada Border Services Agency “I Declare” guide…

“The following are some examples of the limits that apply to personal importation of food products from the United States:
·        2 dozen eggs;
·        20 kilograms of dairy products not exceeding $20 in value (e.g. cheese and butter);
·        3 kilograms of margarine or butter substitutes; and
·        20 kilograms of edible meats and meat products, including turkey and chicken.

Within this limit, more CFIA and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada restrictions apply as follows;
·        a maximum of one whole turkey or 10 kilograms of turkey products;
·        a maximum of 10 kilograms of chicken; and
·        a maximum of 5 kilograms of edible meats and meat products from cattle, sheep, goat, bison and buffalo.”
  Hope this helps

[BBF]

The Buffalo meat is no longer permitted at all.
 
All this goes back to Prez Clinton. I used to pack a rifle with me all the time, never caused even a raised eyebrow. Nowadays I can't have unprimed brass, bullets,or even a scope sent to me from a business located in the USA.

[markc]

Scatterbrain, when you attribute it to Clinton, was this part of NAFTA(sp?) or something else?

[BBF]

Not NAFTA  it was something to do with military/strategic items