Many other Indian artifacts include dance sticks and dream catchers as well as bows, arrows knives headdresses and war bonnets. Jerzy Shedlock can be reached at jerzy(at)alaskadispatch.Native American decor, Indian artifacts and pow wow regalia for sale online are the very special handcrafted rattles, prayer fans and medicine pouches that are so popular in Native American culture. The public is good about reporting illegal sales being advertised in the area.' 'We don't go through Craigslist every day, but it's common knowledge that people attempt to sell furs and trophies. 'That's what we see the most,' Agnew said. If the antlers are left intact, it's considered to be in 'trophy configuration,' he said. If the antlers are removed from the animal's skull plate, they can be sold separately. For example, the troopers' Palmer post commonly deals with people trying to sell moose, caribou or deer antlers, said Sgt. In the complicated world of Fish and Game regulations, there's likely more loopholes. Fish and Game provides permit holders with a number that accompanies the ad that tells troopers the seller has the legal authority to sell the trophies. One party may be stuck with all the mounted moose heads, and that person can apply for a permit to sell them. Lastly, the Board of Game created a provision to deal with cases of divorce last year. The recipient can sell those with a permit. Next, selling big game trophies is allowed if grandpa lovingly but annoyingly leaves a relative a trove of mounted, dead animals in his will. If a taxidermist receives an order to mount a trophy, and the customer disappears or cannot pay, the mounter can apply for a permit to sell the trophy to cover his or her expenses. In all, there are three exemptions to the sale of big-game trophies - and all require obtaining permits from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. But selling mounted hides remains illegal for the most part. Brown bear hides can be legally sold in some areas of the state, too. About once a year, the investigations unit scours websites, targeting offenders in an effort to reduce the number of sales, Chastain said.Д¬urrently, the state allows the sale of black bear hides statewide. The unit receives many of its reports from the Fish and Game website, where Alaskans are encouraged to report illegal sales of big-game trophies.

A lot of Internet sales-related cases are handed off to the investigations unit, because the unit has more time than patrol troopers to delve into those types of crimes, Chastain said. The investigations unit handles wildlife and fisheries crimes, typically the larger cases. Others still attempt to sell their illegal goods, as was the case with Ziegler.Д¬hastain did not have statewide statistics, but said, 'I think it's safe to say it's on the rise, because of the prevalent use of sites like Craigslist.' Most sellers say they're unaware of the law, Chastain said, and remove their advertisements from sites like Craigslist and Alaskalist. Bernard Chastain, who commands the troopers' wildlife investigations unit, said his office generally calls and warns people attempting to sell trophies, or bear furs, that what they're doing is illegal. Bear rugs can be worth several thousands dollars.ДЄlthough there are exceptions, big game trophies, bear furs and even fish caught by anglers generally cannot be sold in Alaska because harvesting is intended for personal and subsistence uses. Ziegler was ordered to pay a $500 fine and forfeit the rug to the state. That didn't stop Ziegler from going ahead, and undercover troopers ended up buying the brown bear rug in a sting operation, according to a trooper report. The 34-year-old advertised the rug online, and wildlife troopers contacted Ziegler and informed him that state law prohibited its sale.

Last month, Ryan Ziegler pleaded guilty to selling the rug last August.

Attempted Internet sales of game Alaska trophies and furs have risen the past few years, according to troopers, boosted by online classified ad sites like Craigslist. An Anchorage man has pleaded guilty to illegally selling a brown bear rug even after Alaska State Troopers warned him the sale was illegal.

Bear rug native game