Palmer taxidermist charged with selling big game trophies

PALMER — A Palmer taxidermist was arrested Tuesday for allegedly selling Alaskan big game trophies over the Internet, Alaska State Troopers reported.

Shawn McCrary, 38, who owns Adventures North Taxidermy in Palmer, was taken into custody and booked into Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility on $5,000 bail.

McCrary was charged with five misdemeanor counts of criminally negligent sale of Alaska big game trophy.

Troopers said McCrary offered to sell trophies on his Web site. According to Alaska law, a permit from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game must be obtained for the purchase, sale or barter of any prepared big game trophies, according to troopers.

McCrary never obtained the proper permit, troopers said.

The investigation began after someone approached law enforcement officers with a complaint.

Based on that complaint, an investigator with the Wildlife Investigation Bureau contacted McCrary, who offered to sell the investigator a number of big game trophies, including a bison, brown bear, caribou and a mountain goat he claimed to have shot himself, troopers said Wednesday.

McCrary allegedly offered to sell the four trophies for $9,000.

McCrary also owns the Alaska School of Taxidermy in Palmer. The school is the only licensed taxidermy school in Alaska.