I'll be heading over in May for a 14 day hunt with my wife and a hunting partner. We'll be going after lion in one area and then travelling to another area for kudu, waterbuck, zebra, blue wildebeest, nyala, gemsbuck and perhaps a few other critters.
The recent 90-day listing by the USFWS was a bit of an eye-opener and I�ve noticed online discussions on this issue popping up on the internet.
Which begs the question...What happens if the powers that be decide to list them as "protected" or "endangered" before, during, or shortly after our hunt? Given how slow bureaucracies can move, is it even remotely possible that I would encounter a problem getting one back home through US Customs?
Obviously, we won�t be hunting lions if they are listed before we go. I would still want to go, but I�d expect our outfitter to honor our monetary arrangement and pony up some other nice critters.
On the other hand, I�d have to chalk it up as galactically [bleep] timing if a prohibitive listing occurred anytime between the hunt and successfully get the skull and hide back through U.S. customs to my taxidermist (think: polar bear).
Should I be at all concerned about this happening between now and July? I'd rather go sheep hunting if that's the case.
Allen
