Importing moose meat from Canada

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Hello All;
I was planning a cow moose hunt into Canada, but after reading the USDA website, it says that I can only bring in 50 lbs of meat..........if this is the case, then there is no point in my spending the money for the hunt. I then saw on the CBP website that I could bring in the carcass (if processed) with "proper documentation". It seems to me that I have two government sources that are at odds with one another!
Has anyone out there on AH recently (post covid) hunted moose in Canada and brought the meat back to the states? If so, did you have to observe the 50 lb rule and leave the rest, or were you allowed to bring back all of the meat.....and if so, what did you have to do to bring it back.
Thank you for your input.

 

[Rare Breed]

watching with great interest

 

[AimSmall]

Have flown with ~45 lbs from BC, a couple of times, no problem.

Newfoundland outfitter had the moose processed and shipped to a frozen warehouse near us.

Also, beware of state rules on CWD. No brain or spinal cords from cervids across state lines in many areas. Likely affects imports, too.

Good luck.

 

[V.Veritas]

I have hunted moose in NFL prior to Covid. There were at least 6 US hunters in camp and all had their moose shipped to US. It was butchered, packed, frozen and shipped as cargo to US (to a central depot I believe). The hunters were responsible to pick it up from the depot.

It was the same deal for Canadian hunters from ON.

Maybe the 50lb limit is just if you plan to drive with it across the border?
If you contact a local outfitter they can clear up the shipping procedure for you.

 

[buffybr]

I shot a moose in northern Alberta last year.

I drove from my home in Montana to Ft McMurray where I met my outfitter.

Coming home, I filled 2 120 quart coolers with ice and boned out moose meat in game bags.

I was worried about CWD and the moose antler scull cap, and my outfitter told me to just stop at a car wash and high pressure wash it, which I did.

At the US Border, Customs only wanted me to fill out a wild game importation form. I think it required my Canadian moose license number, then it asked for the species and an estimated weight of meat that I was bringing home.

The Customs Agent did not want to look at the antlers or come out to look at the meat.

It was a long wait in line, but once I got to the counter and filled out the form, it was easy.

 

[DPHunter4570]

I can't speak specifically on moose, but I've hauled multiple bears quartered up home from Canada and never gave a thought to how much it weighed. Get to the border, pull over and fill out the quick little wild game form, carry on. No one asked how much etc. Only once have they even looked in the coolers or bags with the hides etc.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Came through Vancouver airport with a 50 ice chest with frozen moose meat. One extra check after immigration as I recall. No hassles.

 

[Uncontrolled_round_feed]

Shot a caribou and moose and in Manitoba last fall and brought all the meat back to the US (along with my buddy’s caribou and moose) in a vehicle. You should be 100% fine.

 

[deewayne2003]

You can bring it back but will need an additional “moose export permit” which is $50 and available at any place that sells licenses.

Good luck to you my last ever trip to Canada I spent over an hour being questioned by Ontario game wardens when they heard I was purchasing an export permit at the local bait shop.

Yes we rolled across the border with all the meat, but that trip made it very clear that my money is better spent elsewhere.

 

[R eight]

Perhaps try getting the moose to walk across the border before you shoot it .. and preferably get it to stand near your truck too.

 

[R eight]

I don’t think it’s too hard to organise. I hunted moose in BC last year and I met several US hunters who had their trucks loaded with moose meat. Some were processing the meat themselves before placing it in huge ice boxes. I pair were getting their beasts processed in Smithers and then driving to Texas.

 

[crossone]

Rules change but 4 of us drove up to Quebec, east of James Bay, shot 8 bulls, quartered and bagged them and hauled all 32 quarters back in our snowmobile trailer. Wasn't an issue then but, considering who is in charge, and how they feel about us...stopping us from hauling meat across the US-Canadian sounds about right.

 

[buffybr]

You can bring it back but will need an additional “moose export permit” which is $50 and available at any place that sells licenses....

On my Alberta moose hunt last September (2023) nobody said anything about a "moose export Permit."

Going into Alberta I had to fill out a Canadian Non-Resident Firearm Declaration form and pay $25.

My "Non-Resident Alien Wildlife Certificate Resource Development Certificate" (Hunting License) was $71.63 CAD that I bought on line a couple of months prior to my hunt.

Driving home, you do not stop at Canadian Customs, but go straight to US Customs. The US Customs agent looked at my Hunting License, had me fill out a US form about the animal that I was bringing home (the same form that I had filled out on previous Canadian big game and bird hunts), including the estimated pounds of meat, and that was all.

 

[Tgood1]

Two of my customers drove both their moose back last fall from newfoundland. Both were in chest freezers, capes, antlers strapped across the freezeres. No problem at all.

 

[steve white]

My brother ran into an unusual problem when returning with fish. Apparently, your fishing license must extend until you have exited Canada with the meat, (not just be valid for when you CAUGHT the fish) or there is a problem. Don't know if that would apply to hunting/meat.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Well, I sent my questions via email to both the USDA and the CBP; neither one answered my questions, but referred me to the sections on their websites that I had the questions about (like rereading it for the 100th time would be a eureka moment) They then referred me to the other agency (i.e. USDA referred me to CBP, and CBP referred me back to USDA)...........and they say there aren't too many layers of govt. Then I was told to check with the FDA.............
Getting more and more ridiculous (and frustrating) just trying to find out some simple answer............