Advance Taxidermy got robbed NF

[DRIFTER_016]

Why would anyone want to steal taxidermy, I would think that its virtually worthless aside from the person whose trophy it is.

 

There's a pretty extensive black market for trophy antlers.

Record book heads go for 10's of thousands of $$$ US.

[misfish]

I'll believe that when the insurance settles up & they send all the customers who's antlers were taken a full refund for deposites + full refunds for their hunting trips which got the antlers.

A little to hard to believe if you ask me.

And I'm positive an insurance adjuster will think the same.

 

 

I believe they will refund the costs of the mounts. The cost of thier adventures, I dont see that.

 

These guys have recieved many high awards for thier works.World wide from what I have read. They are a brand name out there for thier work. I dont (Damn I hope not) think they are part of an insurance job.

 

Edit to add

 

I had a mount made . When it was done, I was asked before even taking it out of the shop, if I would be willing to sell it for much more then I paid to have it mounted. The thought never crossed my mind. It was my first buck and there was no way. So there is a market for them.

Edited August 15, 2016 by Brian B

[manitoubass2]

Imagine, buy someone elses trophy and passit off as your own smh

[mike rousseau]

Imagine, buy someone elses trophy and passit off as your own smh

Happens all the time

 

I've heard stories (old ones) of local guides catching big musky and calling their American clients to sell them the fish to mount... They sold

[misfish]

Imagine, buy someone elses trophy and passit off as your own smh

 

Happens all the time

 

I've heard stories (old ones) of local guides catching big musky and calling their American clients to sell them the fish to mount... They sold

 

 

Where does BPS and Cabelas get thier 1000,s of mounts?

Edited August 15, 2016 by Brian B

[Woodsman]

I had a mount made . When it was done, I was asked before even taking it out of the shop, if I would be willing to sell it for much more then I paid to have it mounted. The thought never crossed my mind. It was my first buck and there was no way. So there is a market for them.

Was it the taxidermy shop that asked you?

[misfish]

Was it the taxidermy shop that asked you?

 

Yes, and dont ask which one.

[dave524]

Not sure if you are even allowed to sell mounts legally.

 

http://www.karinahunter.com/2012/07/are-you-allowed-to-sell-that-mnr-tips-on-what-may-not-belong-in-your-yard-sale/

[misfish]

Not sure if you are even allowed to sell mounts legally.

 

http://www.karinahunter.com/2012/07/are-you-allowed-to-sell-that-mnr-tips-on-what-may-not-belong-in-your-yard-sale/

 

Taxidermy shops from what I was told, are. They have the licence for that. I could be wrong.

[Woodsman]

Yes, and dont ask which one.

OK I won't but if they council-ed you to commit or be involved in a violation of the law I wouldn't deal with them again.

Shows their ethics.

[Woodsman]

Not sure if you are even allowed to sell mounts legally.

 

http://www.karinahunter.com/2012/07/are-you-allowed-to-sell-that-mnr-tips-on-what-may-not-belong-in-your-yard-sale/

No you are not allowed to sell your mounts.

Shops may be allowed to attempt to recover losses of mounts they didn't get paid for in full but they better have paperwork to back this up.

[misfish]

OK I won't but if they council-ed you to commit or be involved in a violation of the law I wouldn't deal with them again.

Shows their ethics.

 

I dont plan on having any mounts done, by anyone. This was a one time deal for me. First buck.Big 9 pointer Had two fish mounts done many years ago, by a guy that worked from home. They turned out great. I gave them to a buddy that has a great man cave. Way before man cave was a thing.LOL

[DRIFTER_016]

 

 

 

Where does BPS and Cabelas get thier 1000,s of mounts?

 

BPS get their mounts by hunting them.

Johnny Morris and his crew came up to Great Bear to hint Caribou and Muskox one year.

They had 24 in their crew and came to Yellowknife on Johnny's jet.

They had all animals dressed out for full body mounts.

[Steve]

I never said AT wasn't the best at what they do...they are!! But a world class operation doesn't keep irreplaceable items in a trailer.

 

No Insurance company is springing for the owners of the stolen antlers to go on world class hunting trips to replace them.....

[ONbuckhunter]

I feel bad for the clients that lost their trophies. You cannot put a price on a trophy. Im not sure what I would do if I had one my headmounts or trophies stolen. I really hope these idiots are caught or better yet are recipients of an Darwin award.

[jimmer]

The sale of items is a gray area. I have bought capes from out of province which are then mounted and able to be sold (with proper receipts). You are unable to sell migratory birds, mounted game fish or Ontario game animals if you live here. Reproductions are a completely different story, since they aren't actually the fish. However, all rules are out on the black market. They can be a hot item south of the border.

I would be surprised if Shawn and James were involved in an insurance scam. Only they know if they have purchased the right coverage for lost/damaged customer items.

[James77]

Caledon Enterprise

By Danielle Marr

Shawn Galea and James McGregor have owned and operated Caledon’s Advanced Taxidermy for decades and now, after a devastating robbery last Friday (Aug. 12), believe they may lose the business that they started more than 30 years ago.

The pair spent that Friday, as well as the two days leading up to it carefully preparing and loading a trailer full of 69 sets of moose, elk and stag antlers that were to be shipped to another facility for the next stage of the taxidermy process.

What they were preparing to do was bleach, clean and disinfect the skulls of the animals attached to the antlers, which is usually done off property due to a lack of space.

“We are seeing people wondering why we were storing this stuff outside, but if it takes you three days to load a trailer – what do you do in between?” Galea continued. “What you do is you barricade it, you block it off. You back it up against your building so the back door can’t be opened, you park it next to a shipping container so the side door can’t be opened. You hook it up to the truck and put another trailer in front of it – that’s what you do.”

But, despite all necessary security and safety precautions, somehow, someone managed to get into the secured area and take off with a pick-up truck, the trailer containing the antlers, and a second trailer with two all terrain vehicles (ATVs) inside.

The ATV's, Galea says, was the only thing that his disabled son was able to use independently.

Galea and McGregor estimate the loss to be about $1.5 million – a figure which has come under much scrutiny since being released.

According to the business owners, given that many of the hunters travel from international locations to northern Canada and Alaska to go on the adventure that eventually ends in a kill - there are a lot of costs incurred before those antlers get to Advanced Taxidermy.

“The cost is in the hunt. To go hunt an Alaskan moose or a Yukon moose and fly all the way from Belgium, France or Germany to the United States or Canada, to get to that destination and harvest an animal of that magnitude and that size, to have an outfitter guide you through those mountains to get that animal back to us would be closer to $30,000 US,” said Galea. “For me to be able to replace that, I would have to pay him to recreate that entire experience again. It’s like someone telling you to just have your wedding day all over again if the photos go missing. It’s just not the same.”

The antlers themselves are worth next to nothing because there are steep restrictions when it comes to selling or moving wildlife of any kind.

According to Jolanta Kowalski, Sr. Media Relations Officer for the Ministry of Natural Resources, fines for selling such items can be as much as $100,000 and two years imprisonment as they are commercial offences.

“These guys think that they are sitting on a gold mine. If it was that easy to sell them, I’d be selling stuff like that all the time,” said Galea. “For us to ship a client their elk – we have like 20 hours invested in paperwork to be able to transport that across the border or from province to province. It is a huge process. You can’t just sell them or take them anywhere.”

Galea and McGregor are reaching out to the community to keep an eye out for all of the missing items.

“We need people to look in their barns and look in their sheds and look in trailers, look behind the field in the back bush, we need people to look around and see if this trailer turns up. The trailer has not come up. This is our livelihood.”

[Tom McCutcheon]

Thanks for posting that James.

 

Perhaps some of the negative comments can be put to rest.

[Terry]

I never thought they had anything to do with it

Now they say the antlers were not even finished What the heck would the thieves want with antlers that are not mounted or complete. They didn't steal it for the trailer. The thieves took the atvs out of the other trailer and left the trailer on the side of the road. Strange thief.

[Steve]

GPS tracking system on the truck? Doesn't appear to have. Amazing what removing a battery from the truck will do to prevent theft.

 

Security on the site? Guess not.

 

Most likely an inside job. Upset employee (by far most likely scenario)? Competitor wanting to take out the best (which AT is)?

 

"IF" they continue I bet they hire a risk manager (or if they have one, I hope they fired 'em).

 

The ATV's will be replaced without question.

 

As I said earlier in this thread, no insurance will pay for the trips to hunt and recapture.

 

I hope this also serves as an eye opener for other businesses that operate in "priceless" goods.

[AKRISONER]

i would expect Advanced Taxadermy to be sued by those that lost their trophies. That's where the real pain is going to be felt.

[DanD]

“What you do is you barricade it, you block it off. You back it up against your building so the back door can’t be opened, you park it next to a shipping container so the side door can’t be opened. You hook it up to the truck and put another trailer in front of it – that’s what you do.”

 

 

Hire a rent a cop to baby sit the trailer for the three nights; that there was product in the trailer.

Hide the trailer somewhere at night, rather than leaving it behind your place of business.

Rent a self storage cubical large enough to fit the trailer in. Yes extra work and cost; but they'd still have their client's property.

I'm sorry but I think they got complacent; thinking good enough to keep the trailer safe.

 

Dan.

[Steve]

you are correct Dan.

[GBW]

*update* http://www.oodmag.com/news/advanced-taxidermy-antlers-recovered/

[DRIFTER_016]

Good news!!!!