Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Trophy costs to the USA

Well guys,

I'm becoming far more disheartened about the way this trend is going. The cost of getting trophies to the USA is very quickly escalating out of control.

Even with me being in this business and have countless connections to make this happen with the least cost. I cannot imagine how these prices and blowing up!

I just saw a shipment for 540 bucks, 2 animals both Euro mounts, and two tanned flat skins. This was just for shipping not the whole Pack and dip process or the Euro Mount or Tanning work. This was Shipping to Portland Oregon and also does not include getting this from Portland to the Hunters Home 500 miles away.

The total cost for these two trophies on the wall in his home will be over 1500.00 bucks. I'm just not sure how most folks can justify the costs. On entry on the invoice for the 540 bucks, was 187.00 for Insurance. Nearly half the cost of the shipment was insurance. My home is insured for a year for 400 bucks, these two euro mounts were half that?

I need to dig into this and see what the insurance covers. If it pays your way to go back to Africa and re-harvest the game it's fair. If they cover a couple hundred bucks for the trophies then why bother with the insurance?

I'm deeply embedded into this business and I cannot get the system to work any better then anyone else. It's just really becoming a frustration that the costs are going through the roof. it's doubled in about 3-5 years, in some cases it's more then tripled depending on the content and the people chosen to handle the trophies and the shipping.

My Argentine outfitter included the price of trophy permits, packing, dipping, yada yada, etc. into the price of my March red stag hunt. Said all that was left was transport from BA to USA. This was at the end of the hunt when we were settling up.

The bill for transport came two weeks ago: $1100 to transport two red stag skull plates and one cape to LAX.

Needless to say, I was a little hot. This is all before contemplated taxidermy costs. Had I known, I would have saved the aforementioned several hundred dollars in fees to the outfitter too.

Thankfully, I took a LOT of pictures. In the future, unless I take something truly stellar, I can't see dropping that cash on getting international trophies home and then mounted.

As much as I love good taxidermy, I'd rather take great pics and throw the rest of the cash into more hunts. Or my IRA.

BIG +1

Dip and Pack for Bushbuck, Warthog, Red Heartbeat, Black Wildebeest, Watrbuck skulls. Plus 1 cape (only shoulder mounting 1 animal and Euro for the rest)

$450 for Dip and Pack - seems reasonable
$400 for documentation & crating - seems too high
$??? Shipping - Still to be determined
$??? Clearing agent - Waiting to hear
$275 Each for Euro mount from taxidermist in Texas - seems high
$700 For shoulder mount of Bushbuck - seems reasonable
$250 shipping to my house

Yea, pretty steep for a bunch of Euro mounts. Probably would have been better off saving the funds for another hunt in Africa.

I'm sure I'll enjoy seeing them on the wall though!

After my experience getting stuff home this summer, I'll never be doing taxidermy again.

What a statement:

"After my experience getting stuff home this summer, I'll never be doing taxidermy again."

Who could blame you!

This is likely the most common phrase I hear from my hunters every year for the last 5-6 years.

Video and digital pics are the way of the future.

I have one very good hunter that has been with me hunting 20 years now on too many trips to count anymore!

He buys all his trophies from estate sales and Ebay or auction sites. His trophy room is massive and beautiful Only a very few he actually shot, but all represent the game he has taken around the world.

An unusual view of the process, but then he hunts constantly and has spent Zip on import, shipping, pack and dip, taxidermy, etc. I'm not going to judge this. He hunts as much as anyone and puts his money to the best use for his hunting needs.

He says " I'm a greenie" I'm recycling trophies! These would have been stuffed in a garage, basement, or thrown away. Plus my family can sell them off when I'm gone without concern, they were not " grandpas" trophies to begin with!

After getting my crate home I will join the list of those unwilling to pay again

Dip and Pack.........................................$2450......10 animals
Shipping................................................ $1400
Broker and USA truck line shipping...... $500
This before any taxidermy is done.......$4350

Shipping sounds about right but your fee on Dip and Pack is outrageous. Don't tell me....let me guess...


RSA or Zim?

RSA

Mannnnnn...I don't know what to tell you. Ive run into some shady operators from RSA. This may be a case of that...or not. Haven't been to the Motherland in 7 years and the way things change there....

RSA is a complete ripoff when it comes to the dipping/packing stuff. That said, taxidermy was a LOT cheaper than in the states. Although I have not been back in many years, I saved about 35% had I done them here in the states. I did however drive to Atlanta to pick them up though. The damned freight company wanted almost as much as the air freight from RSA to Atlanta! Also, Taxidermy in Africa doesn't have all the tree-hugging issues with chemicals, they still do it the old fashioned way and that practically ensures your mounts will NEVER get dermestid infestation.

Unfortunately, I have to disagree with you....last month I got my mounts back from my 2014 trip: one wildebeest shoulder mount, one gemsbok shoulder mount, one waterbuck flatskin, a European kudu mount, and an impala european mount. The cost of the taxidermy (not including shipping), which was done in SA by a well-known company, was more than my safari!! When I got it back, the 'crate' was akin to a cardboard box IMHO...2x2 and 1/4" plywood.....for close to $4K in trophies!!! REALLY!!! You couldn't step up to, say, 3/8" plywood? The crate was damanged, and my kudu skull mount had some broken pieces on it....when I looked closer, I could see something moving.....BUGS!!! Bugs in a damn skull mount, of all things! In addition, my wildebeest mount has an ugly seam going up the leg.............to say I am disappointed is an understatement! If I ever get another chance to go to Africa, I sure as hell WON'T have the taxidermy done there....I will pay for the dip/pack; or better still, just pay the damn VAT on the trophy fees and take photos instead.....it'll be cheaper in the long run.

Well, I never had that issue and I used a Taxidermist out of RSA and they were professionally packed in plywood, and air freight was a lot less than what you paid, then again it was eight years ago. As to the bugs, all I can tell you is what I know about the chemicals used. It appears the outfit you used was the issue.I can't argue with what JJ says, he is always spot on. Times are changing.

Rick,
I had a similar experience getting a Water Buffalo skull and horns back from Argentina. The transport fee was outrageous. My outfitter charged me separately for pack and dip charges, on top of it all.
My first trip to Africa was in 1998, to Namibia. Dip, pack, and freight charges to the US weren't all that bad, but in the past 17 years, costs have escalated significantly.
I've got one more African animal at the taxidermist, and that's it! No more. No room left in the house, and no appetite for spending outrageous bucks on more African taxidermy. If I happen to take another exceptional head of NA game, I might consider it.

I abandoned the animals from my last 2 trips over. When I saw the bill, just to get it sent to RSA for shipping, I told them to keep them. They see us as blank checks.

I 100 % agree

They don't discuss the DP&P cost until the last day of the hunt or after your home

They know if you want your crate you will pay whatever they chargep0

Those with piles of disposable money see these charges as affordable and just send the money

This just drives up the price year after year

$1100 is a nonresident tag and a whole lot of diesel, or a round-trip airline ticket if you prefer, to Argentina even!

It's an easy call for me. It's not even the money, although $1100 is not chicken feed. I already did the Argentina hunt, and I have lots of great pictures, video, and memories. I don't want to sour the experience by finishing it off with a reaming. And that's exactly what they are trying to do.

Sorry. They can eat those skullplates and that cape. I think I am doing another hunt in 2015 instead of letting them bend me over, pardon the expression.

I haven't brought any trophies back from RSA except photos since 2008, and the only reason I did then was because my trophies and those of two other people from the same part of Montana would fit in the same container. And all I did after receiving them was hang the dipped skulls on the wall.

Like Rick, I'd rather admire my photos and spend the money saved on other stuff.

My 2013 trip the cost for taxidermy, shipping and insurance was $2200 for Cape buffalo, red hartebeest, waterbuck and warthog and all the back skins. I had a friend chase them through US Wild Life and importers for me and there was no cost for that.
My 2016 trip will be considered a vacation, obtw I'm taking a rifle and will shoot a half dozen animals on the eastern cape. Bringing back memories and electrons.
We Americans are too used to having to bring back proof that we shot something.

I'd like to think I have one more safari left in me, two if my twins ever GTFO of my house. One is for a leopard, which I intend to full mount; at whatever the cost might be (to quote Churchill).... j

I have at least one more left in me

Eland, Nyala, Zebra and really big Kudu still keep me wanting more

When going to the Taxidermy in your African country, let your PH give your mounts in because they charge you more when they hear you are American or foreign. You will save a good deal of money when you do so.

Did Moz. in 2011, two buffalo skulls, one eland skull, one bushbuck shoulder mount and eland hide. Just short or 5K to from start to finish, never again. Did RSA in 2006 and had six skulls and one shoulder mount for just under 2k.

Johann

The trophies for export must be accomanied by the PH register copy.

To leave the country they must be inspected by nature conservation which will also require the ph regester documents for export.

There is no way to get them exported without proper documents which require nature conservation and the taxidermy shop to participate.

As far as getting a ph to do this and " try" to help. That is more likely to take away from his commission to send the trophies to that taxidermist to begin with.

I know the commission/kick back to be a fact

I had to dig and even send more than a couple emails that I asked friends to help me with dig into the rebate money

I had a half dozen friends from accross the country email the same taxidermist is South Africa

From the prices they were quoted vs my prices they varied for the same exact species
by $75 per animal

10 heads = a $750 quote differential from the same d&p guy in the same month

I've always dreamed of going and can easily afford the trip. Doubling the cost, however, just to get some bone and hide home sounds like a complete rip off.

Might just do my exotics in Texas.

Unless it's something real spectacular, I won't be doing taxidermy again. I don't have the bills handy, but it's been about $4k to get five animals back. That does not include the actual taxidermy!

Once again the "market" will react to what the cost is. There is no escaping that fact. While premature, I wonder what the "cost" will be to the industry as the Cecil debate is still on the front burner. Unscrupulous businesses will diminish their own industry soon enough. What will be left are those in the uber rich class who will still participate.

Tedthorn, I've run every aspect of the safari business now for over 20 years, both living in RSA and here in the USA. If any one needs to fond out how something works in Africa with the Safari industry, this is the place to ask! Although some things might work best through the PM system

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".

Hey 16gauge, the taste is the same, but the chew ability is in almost every case far better!

I think your numbers are correct. Most basic first time plains game hunts are less expensive then the taxidermy and other costs to get them on the wall.

This thread has been depressing. I can't believe how expensive the shipping has gotten.

If you're depressed now, wait till you start to explore what's being charged for DG hunts. They've gone up considerably over the past 2-3 years, and all the add-on nickle/dime charges have gotten quite ridiculous. A lot of them even want $275 -$450 per day for an observer/non hunting companion!

I refuse to be gouged, so going back to Africa is no longer in my plans.

jorge,

Sorry buddy! the last thing I wanted to do was make you depressed. However I know that shooting something fantastic would bring you out of it. I have that medicine in RSA. Just let me know when you are ready for treatment.

Unless you have something that has spots or tusks...Although I often-times pine for a Lord Derby..

Seems to me the attraction of an African hunt, at least for us common folk, has been the value. Compared to a Brown Bear hunt in AK, etc., one could, with less money, have a great African PG hunt.

All these new airline rules, this Cecil stuff, may put a dent in that business. Of course, the Trump boys, et. al., will always be able to hunt Zim or any where they want. Those of us considering a Namibia or RSA adventure may be looking domestically for exotics, Nilgai, etc.

All this may enhance the local exotic hunting business, high fence notwithstanding. High fences may become less of a pariah to those wanting to hunt certain species.

Time will tell.

DF

When you consider that you can hunt several different species for the same cost (including airfare) as you can one decent elk hunt out west, or an Alaskan hunt where you take one animal of one species, then it's not a pretty good value, but a great value! I really enjoyed my trip over there last year....great place, great people, great hunt.
However, now some things have changed: if it's not the antis turning us into social pariahs with lies and outright bullshit, it's our own govt. making taking our own firearms out of country difficult, with rules that they (the Obama administration) instigated to curb gun running by drug dealers in Mexico (guns which they (the administration), let go there in the first place!). To make it even more difficult, nobody in said administration had ANY idea as to how to enforce the said rules.....talk about a cluster!!!
I hope to go to Africa again...I seriously doubt that I will bring many, if any, more heads/trophies back...the cost is just too ridiculous anymore, and photos fit on the wall much better.
As you said, Dirtfarmer.......only time will tell!

I had planned on going back next spring/summer...supposed to meet with PH this week or next. But now I am questioning going again....wanted a shoulder mount Nyala but....now it may be a skull mount if anything...if I go....sigh...