FWP to auction confiscated antlers, hides and horns

FOR THE COURIER

Antlers, horns, hides and skulls that were confiscated by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks enforcement will be auctioned on Sept. 25 at the National Auction House in Billings. Items include 50 big horn sheep skulls, 390-plus-inch bull elk, moose, deer, elk, bear, mountain goats, mountain lions, martins, antelope, bobcats and more.

Most of the items come from poaching incidents. Montana statute requires FWP to sell seized items at public auction. This includes all birds, animals, fish, heads, hides, teeth or other parts of any animal other than a grizzly bear. When a carcass is confiscated, FWP donates the meat to a charitable organization and removes the antlers to be sold at auction.

When enough inventory is collected, FWP schedules an auction. The last auction was held in 2017.

“It’s a time-consuming process and requires a lot of logistics, so we try to wait until we have enough items to warrant the auction,” said FWP Law Enforcement Chief Dave Loewen.

Money collected from the auction goes to FWP’s general license account, which pays for conservation and restoration programs.

Doors open at 9 a.m. for inspection, and the live auction begins at 11 a.m. The National Auction House is located at 3625 South 56th Street West in Billings.