I guess the question that needs to be asked now is: With the current ban by ALL the airlines on shipping trophies back to the states, will the cost of taxidermy mounts that are already done go through the roof as well? Looking at the price of some of the mounts on line, there are a few that are quite reasonable, while others will just stay where they are.
I'm guessing only time will tell.....I wanted mounts done from my first (and so far, only) safari, because it was "special". I had animals done that meant "Africa" to me (gemsbok, blue wildebeest), and I must say that I am disappointed in the mounts.
They are also quite large!!! ....and I don't have much wall space, and will probably have even less in the future, as we are talking about downsizing. I have a few more animals that I would like to "put on the wall" (springbok, black wildebeest), but as others have said, unless it is quite spectacular, I don't think I will pay the money to have it done.....quite frankly, I could be on my 2nd safari right now with what it cost to have taxidermy done.
Crunching some numbers, it would be cheaper just to pay the VAT on the trophy fees and call it a hunt. I'm also considering cull/management hunts in the future as well, because for me, it's about the hunt nowadays and not so much about putting a trophy on the wall. I'm even considering doing a cow elk or cow moose hunt, as they are a fair bit cheaper, taste the same, and there is "less pressure" to "get a big one".
