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JJHACK Offline OP
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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.


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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.





"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated." Thomas Paine
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Originally Posted by RickBin
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.



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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!

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


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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!


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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


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


RSA or Zim?


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RSA


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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....


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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.


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Originally Posted by jorgeI
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.


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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.

Last edited by jorgeI; 08/01/15.

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Originally Posted by RickBin
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.





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.


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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.

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Originally Posted by Biebs
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


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$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.


"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated." Thomas Paine
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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.



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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.


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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


A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
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