Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Sport hunting with no mounts?

Rather than hijack somebodies thread, I figured I'd start this as its own thread.

I would like to know this forums feelings about going to Africa, whacking a few animals and leaving everything behind.

Further, using those savings of not dipping, shipping, mounting everything to go back sooner?

Steve

It makes perfect sense, but is hard for most people to do at first. Once you've gone a few times its practically inevitable.

There are more than a few people who feel the same way as you on that subject. If you're happy with just the memories and photos/video of the hunt (and many people are), leaving all of your actual trophies in Africa is a good way to save a lot of money, time, and hassle.

I did it that way myself. I'd rather shoot more animals than put the money into mounts. I took pictures, and measured everything. That was good enough for me. You can buy just about anything already mounted if you really have to have something for the wall. I'd rather save the money from having mounts done and take anther trip, buy another rifle, etc. I don't eve. Have that much wall space. I shot a zebra, and bought a zebra rug on ebay. It looks just the zebra I shot, and I didn't have to wait a year to get it. I did have to convince my PH that I was really happy with the stuff I shot...I didn't want him to think I was disappointed with the heads. I just told him I wasn't that into mounts.

It's been pictures only for me for quite some time. I've even left two Cape Buffalo in Africa. I have plenty of taxidermy in my house and no room for more. That plus the cost of shipping and taxidermy have convinced me to just bring home the photos. My last few hunts have been cull hunts for non trophy male animals. Got to shoot quite a few head of plains game. The hunt for a 47inch Kudu was just as much fun as the one for the 54 incher hanging on my wall. Same thing for 20 inch Impala versus the 24 inch version.

You'll save a bundle and go on more trips if you forgo the mounts.

I always dreamed of an Elephant hunt but the prices are simply to high for a trophy hunt. I have however managed to shoot 3 non exportable non trophy bulls. All the fun of a trophy hunt for far less $$.

I agree, but most people have to get it out of their system. I am bringing back my Botswana stuff because my wife killed a waterbuck and I got my first eland but I am done. It is just too damn expensive. I don't regret my taxidermy but heed my advice...take pics and go on more hunts.

I've been fortunate enough to go on two African safaris, a trip to New Zealand and one to Spain.

I have had 20 mounts done and shipped home. I really enjoy sitting in my man cave and looking at the heads, but as I age and think about downsizing, I can not help but to think, what am I going to do with this stuff?

Pictures for me from now on!

donsm70

I've only been once, and suspected that, that might be the only trip, so I brought back some animals. They are at the taxidermist and I'd love to have them all shoulder mounted (except the zebra) but I'm thinking I'll save some money if I just to the European thing. Well, maybe next time. Still don't know if I'll get a chance to go again, and I keep getting older. Do some of you just do the European mounts to save the money. Sounds like most of you had trophies from the first couple of hunts before you settled for pictures.

Actually, I'm in the other camp. Personally, I feel some kind of a moral responsibility to the animal itself. I can't help but feel by shooting the stuff and leaving it, we have somehow reduced the value of these animals lives to a mere few megapixels on a camera card.

I've been in a "spirited debate" on this several times, with several people. Typically, I'm in the minority on this one, and I'm ok with others doing things their way.

Steve

If you are one of those guys (like the OP) whose been to Africa countless times, I could see some justification, but for us mere mortals with just two or three trips under our belts and maybe one or two more, no way.

Good morning Jorge,

I really don't see it as a function of "times over" I simply feel that the taxidermy itself is part of the process of Safari. In my mind, the Safari experience isn't complete until that day the taxidermist comes over, I get out the stud finder and hang them in their final resting place.

I harbor no animosity or ill will to those that feel differently. This is just always a very interesting conversation.

After I got some trophy gathering out of my system my last two safaris were culling.Non-trophy animals were culled ( broken horns etc.) so I still got some hunting/shooting in, and didn't have to go through the dipping, packing, shipping, taxidermy sequence of expenses.

IIRC you've been in a spirited debate on this subject on this very forum....?

Anwyay, I've been over a few times and chose to bring back a couple of euros and zebra rugs, and one big kudu bull. It's been pictures otherwise, and likely will be from here on out. As you're well aware, nothing goes to wasted in Africa, so no guilty conscience about that either. I find the cost to dip/pack/ship/clear US customs/ship to taxi/and taxidermy akin to highway robbery. The money saved by not doing these things again will pay for other trips over.

You're correct, it was here. Again, to be clear, I don't harbor any negative feelings towards anyone who does the opposite. These are my feelings, and mine alone.

As far as mounts, I have accumulated a fair amount. Even today, I won't kill anything without the intent to mount it. That practice has made me one, more selective and not just shoot the place up for the sake of shooting a bunch of stuff.

So why are you back to rehash the same thing again? Just curious. Last time you presented your feelings on the subject you tried to make everyone feel guilty for not feeling the way you do.

Once again, what are you trying to accomplish this time?

Unless you have your own museum or equivilent, eventually everyone runs out of wall space. At that point you get to decide if you are going to move, build on or otherwise let your taxidermy run your life. A couple of friends with homes planned around their taxidermy work have had an abrubt change of heart and claim that if they had it to do over again they wont have kept anything.

Leaving trophies is a mental hurdle. On some level people seek to turn a "profit" on hunting. A true meat hunter can't comprehend how someone can leave meat, even after it is explained that it gets used. A trophy hunter can't understand why everyone doesn't have scraps of hide and bone scattered around his cave. Still others have realized that they were just hunting for the experience and memories all along and don't need anything.

Ever ask a PH how many heads are hanging in his own home? Most have a few, but really just a tiny percentage of what they have taken in their life. Its interesting to hear the excuses, err "thought out reasons" why they don't keep everything they've ever shot, because its the same list reasons given by clients that are leaving or thinking about leaving theirs.

I've noticed that everyone involved in the trophy care and shipping biz believes that they have you over a barrel. Permits appear out of nowhere, shipping rates are whatever they want them to be, and the experience is somewhat like a hostage recovery. (Send the money or you'll never see the kud-alo again. Nice antel-phant, be a shame if something happened to it.)Then some are lost or ruined anyway.

Theres a liberating feeling in knowing that when you leave that you have spent the last nickel on that hunt.

JGRaider,

Ah, yes, as soon as I saw who started this thread I got an overwhelming sense of deja vu. Of course, the Campfire in general can provide that on any given day.

But when somebody basically posts exactly the same thing as they did once before, in order to re-recite their discerning tastes and ethics (and how many mounts they can cram inside their museum) it's not a question like ".280 vs. .280 Ackley Improved," but a mission statement.

Right you are, sir!

I'm back to receive my annual beating over this? heck I don't know. I just saw someone in another thread state they were going to just take pictures. I chose not to hijack their thread.

And as far as Mule Deer goes. He obviously has an issue with me, fine. I don't (and won't) ever see an internet forum as a place to just agree with someone for the sake of popularity. If my views are contrary to the norm, isn't that what makes a forum an interesting place?

I read his stuff, some I find fascinating, other stuff not so much. I don't just discount his writing accomplishments because I don't agree with one piece he's written. The overall "body of his works" clearly speak to his experience.

If we all just nodded in agreement, What interest does that serve?

My feeling about this forum is that there are a few superstars, all forums have em. If running off contributors, simply because they have a wide delta of opinions is the goal, that's ok as well. It makes for a dull forum if we all have to agree in order to run with the herd.

I'll say it again, I'm fine with others doing the opposite.

I think you enjoy being a PITA. I'm out.......