Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: JDArms1240 on September 16, 2025, 07:15:08 AM

Title: Restaurant owner busted with bear parts
Post by: JDArms1240 on September 16, 2025, 07:15:08 AM: Don’t know if this has been posted yet, OR if this is the proper place.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/newsroom/news-release/skagit-county-woman-sentenced-wildlife-trafficking

Kinda funny to me to think that it wouldn’t even cross my mind to try to sell a bear paw or let alone a gall bladder to someone. And here this lady is with a whole pile of ‘em!
Title: Re: Restaurant owner busted with bear parts
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on September 16, 2025, 07:20:51 AM: https://amp.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/crime/article312118618.html
Title: Re: Restaurant owner busted with bear parts
Post by: JDArms1240 on September 16, 2025, 07:27:39 AM: I kind of understood the paws, but what why would anyone want a bear’s gall bladder!?!? 🤨 So I had to google this one. Apparently it’s used in traditional medicine in various Asian countries, but more surprisingly is what they sell for over there! Per Google:

“Asia: Depending on the location and whether the bear was wild or captive, prices vary widely.

South Korea: As of 2019, a wild bear gallbladder could sell for around $10,000. In 1994, traditional Chinese medicine doctors reported willingness to pay between $1,000 and $18,000.

China: Bile powder from captive bears was priced at approximately $3 per gram in 2011.

Japan: The price for powdered bile averaged $153 per gram in 2011.”

That’s wild to me.
Title: Re: Restaurant owner busted with bear parts
Post by: dilleytech on September 16, 2025, 08:00:16 AM: Seems like a victimless crime. Assuming bears aren’t being killed just to have certain parts stripped. My Chinese friends go Crazy for Bear paws.
Title: Re: Restaurant owner busted with bear parts
Post by: Southpole on September 16, 2025, 08:01:22 AM: Big surprise, she’s Asian :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Restaurant owner busted with bear parts
Post by: Ridgeratt on September 16, 2025, 08:11:28 AM: why do you think the largest buyer of deer and elk horns usually are bought by Asian buyers. If my memory is any good, there was a group of folks just killing bears for their feet and just taking the galls.
Title: Re: Restaurant owner busted with bear parts
Post by: Shrimper on September 16, 2025, 08:17:56 AM: Sounds like Operation Cody
Title: Re: Restaurant owner busted with bear parts
Post by: HntnFsh on September 16, 2025, 09:48:41 AM: That was my thought!
Title: Re: Restaurant owner busted with bear parts
Post by: Bareback on September 16, 2025, 11:34:44 AM: Quote from: Shrimper on September 16, 2025, 08:17:56 AM
Sounds like Operation Cody

This sounds like a chapter right out of Todd’s books. Next chapter, supplier/potential poacher.
Title: Re: Restaurant owner busted with bear parts
Post by: dilleytech on September 24, 2025, 01:33:44 PM: Quote from: Ridgeratt on September 16, 2025, 08:11:28 AM
why do you think the largest buyer of deer and elk horns usually are bought by Asian buyers. If my memory is any good, there was a group of folks just killing bears for their feet and just taking the galls.

There are lots of people who kill bears and only take the skull or hide. Disgusting.
Title: Re: Restaurant owner busted with bear parts
Post by: Meathunter06 on September 24, 2025, 01:50:53 PM: Her name tella you everything you need to know :stirthepot: