In late-July New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) in Sullivan County responded to an antique store in the Town of Mamakating after receiving a tip from a frequent shopper about a mounted mountain lion head being offered for sale there. An undercover officer located the mounted head in the back of the store and made a deal to purchase it just as a uniformed officer responded to the location.
Despite claims from the store owner and employee that they didn’t know it was illegal to sell the mountain lion head, the ECOs charged the owner with the illegal commercialization of a prohibited species, returnable to the Town of Mamakating Court, and confiscated the mounted head as evidence.
You can generally possess taxidermy mounts of protected, threatened, or endangered species if they were legally killed in the past, inherited, or acquired before the species was protected. For example, family heirlooms or pre-ban items are legal to display in private homes. However, you must be able to prove the item’s legal origin or vintage if questioned by wildlife officials.
Commercializing these items is an entirely different legal matter. Under New York Environmental Conservation Law and federal statutes like the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), selling or even offering to sell protected wildlife parts without a specialized permit is illegal. This applies even if you are selling a personal possession at an estate sale, flea market, or via online platforms.
Photo of illegal mountain lion head taxidermy provided by DEC.
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