Buying, Selling and Exporting Wildlife

Before you buy it

What you should know about buying wildlife parts and products in the Yukon

What are wildlife parts and products?

Wildlife parts include antlers, hides, claws, feathers, fur, teeth, meat, and all other parts of the carcass. Wildlife products include carvings, tanned hides, taxidermy items and any other products made from wildlife parts. The buying and selling of these items is regulated by wildlife conservation laws.

Why you should avoid the black market

If you buy a wildlife part or product from an unlicenced business or a poacher, the item may be seized or you may be refused an export permit.
Either way, you will have lost your purchase.

Why you should buy from a licenced business

Buying from a licenced craft shop, taxidermistor tanner is much safer than buying off the street. These people work hard at their businesses and
are unlikely to take risks. If you need advice about a buying opportunity, phone a Department of Environment office.

Private sales must be licenced

If you want to buy a wildlife part from a person, ask them to get a permit for the sale. The sale is not legal unless a permit has been issued prior to
the transaction taking place.

Before you take it out

What you should know about taking wildlife parts and products out of the Yukon

The movement of wildlife parts out of the Yukon is regulated by wildlife conservation laws.

If you buy it

If you buy antlers, horns, pelts, or other wildlife parts, you must get an export permit from a Department of Environment office before you take or send them out of the Yukon.

If you find it

If you find antlers in the backcountry, a bird or mammal carcass beside the road, or any other wildlife part, you must still get a permit to possess it. You will also need an export permit before you take it out of the Yukon.

If you hunt it

If you have a successful hunt and want to take antlers, meat or any other part of the animal out of the Yukon, you need an export permit also.

Endangered species

Canada supports the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). You must get a CITES permit to take out of Canada any
part of a grizzly bear, black bear, polar bear, wood bison, wolf, lynx or otter. CITES permits require 24 hour advance notice. Many countries have additional requirements to import these species.