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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GaleriaGila, post: 87808, member: 993&quot;]Wow!&nbsp;&nbsp; I am amazed by those stories.&nbsp; I have a little contribution...</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; While still living in New Mexico, my ol&#039; man brought home a gigantic taxidermied GOLDEN EAGLE, wings extending out both rear windows of his SUV.&nbsp; The owner of one of the rural, ma &#039;n &#039;pa stores (near Las Cruces) he visited was in the process of burning it in a desire to get rid of it (it had been in his family for maybe 100 years) and escape any legal consequences should the &quot;Federales&quot; discover he owned it.&nbsp; He had been hiding it in a back room of his shop for ages, and was tired of it altogether.&nbsp; My ol&#039; man paid him some small amount and brought it home.&nbsp; After a bit of research, we discovered it was killed and stuffed prior to any laws against such, and that since it was a &quot;pre-act&quot; bird, we could sell it, with proper paperwork, for a bit of cash, especially if we got the history of it from the old owner (who was an established member of a local tribe). </p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; I wish I had the words to describe this bird... wingspan&nbsp; of 6 feet, sharp beak wide open, eyes huge and fierce, feet and talons bigger than my own hands, a lot bigger.&nbsp;&nbsp; It was perched on a stump, crouched as if ready to zoom.&nbsp; We placed it on the dining room table.&nbsp; After watching my ol&#039; man bring that bird inside, my cat hid in the basement until... well, here&#039;s the happy ending...</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; My ol&#039; man and I both wanted the best for the bird, so after some research, we donated it to the Koshare Kiva Indian Museum in Las Cruces.&nbsp; The people there made it a focal point for their great room, and eventually researched it, discovering that it had some significant links to local history.</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; It was a good feeling.&nbsp; And my cat eventually came upstairs, but never again really trusted my ol&#039; man![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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