Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Hindsight is 20/20, What I Would Do Different Next Trip...

Boeing builds the 777.

Scotty most bullets full pass thru. Good destruction. One shot for each except a really big old bull wildebeest who managed to stay on feet for three. He looked like a small buffalo. That said I do have a few from quartering shots.

Oh and Business class is really really nice.

Another thought; have the hides tanned and have them shipped with your trophies. I have done this on all three of my trips and the resulting product makes for great "trophies". To date we have had made briefcases, purses, carry on bags, tote bags and boots.

When people ask my daughter about her purse she tells them "my dad shot it", then goes on to explain from whence it came.

RinB; sounds you're having a grand time. Please post pictures when you return.

Are they actually illegal or just can't be the main locks? It's a minor point but is there an actual U.S. rule that says you can't add TSA locks in addition to your regular locks? My case has four locking points. Last trip I put two regular locks at each side and added a couple of TSA locks in the center.

Taxidermy costs if done in the U.S. consist of:

1) Dip and pack at African taxidermist

2) African exporter

3) Shipping

4) U.S. importer

5) Shipping fee to your taxidermist

6) Taxidermy

If you use an African taxidermist you don't have the expense of the dip and pack

But except for the taxidermy, these are all fixed costs regardless of whether you go with shoulder mounts or euro mounts.

Very cool Rick. Sounds like they worked excellent, but I sorta figured they would anyhow. Looking forward to seeing some pictures of them.

TSA regulations state that you must transport firearms in a locked, hard-sided case and that "only the passenger should retain the key or combination to the lock." Since TSA agents can open TSA locks, this means that they can't be the main locks securing your case. It doesn't specifically state anywhere that you can't use a couple of TSA locks in addition to other locks. Since you didn't run into any problems when you mixed regular and TSA locks on your recent trip, it's clear that some TSA agents don't see that as an issue. On the other hand, I also wouldn't be surprised if you had a different agent at a different airport give you a hard time for doing that. For that reason, I'd say it's a much better idea just to fill all the holes on your rifle case with regular locks and carry a spare or two.
For more information on flying with guns, check out: http://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/2016/06/how-to-fly-with-a-gun/


I recently did an analysis of the total cost involved with shipping a kudu, blue wildebeest, impala, and warthog to the USA from South Africa. My goal was to do as close to an "apples to apples" comparison as possible of the cost difference between doing taxidermy in South Africa and shipping those animals home as shoulder mounts vs getting them dipped & packed and finishing the taxidermy in the USA.

Generally speaking, taxidermy prices in Africa are cheaper than in the USA. Also, as postoak pointed out, you don't have to pay dip & pack fees if you elect to get your trophies finished in Africa. However, because they physically take up much more space (thus requiring a larger & heavier crate) shoulder mounts are much more expensive to ship than raw trophies.

On the other hand, it's generally more expensive to do taxidermy work in the USA and you do need to pay dip & pack fees if you elect to go that route, but that's offset somewhat by the lower shipping cost.

When all was said and done, I found that the total cost of everything involved (dip & pack, shipping, taxidermy fees in the US, etc.) was sightly higher to ship those four animals home as "raw trophies" and to get the taxidermy finished in the USA. That being said, the cost difference was very small (on the order of a couple hundred dollars).

European mounts are a different ball game though. It costs about the same to ship a European mount to the USA compared to the same animal as a raw trophy. However, you can avoid the dip & pack fees by getting your European mount(s) done in Africa and maybe save a little money. So, purely from a cost perspective, it's probably a better idea to get your taxidermy done in Africa if you only want European mounts. Keep in mind that you cannot ship finished and raw trophies in the same crate, so this advice only applies if you want to get all your animals finished as European mounts in Africa.

Of course, the exact cost varies depending on animals you're getting mounted, the taxidermist/dip & pack agent you use, and where you're shipping your trophies to and from. This conversation also does not take into account the quality of work by taxidermists in Africa vs the USA.

So what's the big takeaway here?

You can probably save some money if you only get European mounts and you do the work in Africa. On the other hand, there isn't much cost difference with doing shoulder mounts in South Africa vs the USA when you take everything into account, so don't worry too much about trying to save money in this area.

Instead, if you want shoulder mounts done, focus more on finding a quality taxidermist that's very experienced working with African animals and get that person to do your work.

TAKE MORE MONEY

Excellent thread. Just did my first trip last year (SA, both Limpopo and Kalahari) for plains game. Below are only the things that weren't obvious to me or haven't been discussed at length already. Trust me, I have a 7500 word journal from my 10-day trip and a huge, detailed spreadsheet with all the costs, packing list, etc. that was invaluable *to me*. Yep, I'm *that* guy.

• Bring less sets of hunting clothes than you think, but bring layers. Including a skully/warm gloves. It can get very chilly early in the AM or on that last ride back into camp.
• Hire a meet-and-greet for Joberg. They get to use a different line through immigration and customs. Must quicker which is really, really nice after a 17 hr flight.
• Keep a daily journal. I kept mine on my iPad, which is also handy for ebooks, etc.
• Things I used every day that weren’t obvious – sunglasses, scent-free lotion (it’s dry over there), chapstick, and Nuun tablets. Also sunscreen.
• Ask your PH about gifts before you go - most times I think the PH/trackers/drivers/skinners, etc. would prefer you add the $50 you spent on gifts to their tips. Cash is king. But do ask what they need before you get there - I brought some batteries that were difficult to find/very expensive in SA that were easy and cheap here after a last minute catch up convo with my PH before I left home - you'd have thought they were gold by the reaction.
• Take cash for a tip. In most places US$ is fine/preferred. Take more than you think you'll need. It's easier to come back with it than want it and not have it.
• Hire a US importer/customs broker before you head over and let them handle your trophy imports/shipping. I tried to do this on my own last year (I live in the Atlanta area) and it's a nightmare. US FWS was terrific, CBP a nightmare. I ended up getting help from Coppersmith at the last minute and would highly recommend them. I promise you that it is $500 well spent. I couldn't bring myself to spend it on my first trip and that was a huge mistake.
• Speaking of costs, I did a very thorough spreadsheet (did I mention I'm one of those guys?) with all the costs listed by line item. Therefore, I knew what the extra cost of another animal would be including trophy fees, tips, D&P vs European vs shoulder mount, shipping, etc. Therefore, when we saw a huge impala after I'd already taken one, I knew it was in my budget and he's now on my wall. Same with my 5" steenbok.
• +1 on costs. My 10-day $7000 plains game hunt ended up at around $15k after tips, extra animals, a charter flight from Limpopo to Kalahari, taxidermy, shipping, etc. It all adds up. Thankfully, given my spreadsheet I knew all of this in advance and had planned for it. And there wasn't a dollar I spent that I regretted spending.

I love European mounts and it is cheaper to do them in SA and have them shipped. Contrary to a previous post, my crate home included Europeans and shoulder mounts, along with pillows, backskins, and rugs all together in the same crate. Shipping is expensive - I think mine was about $1700 for a 130kg crate that barely fit in the back of my F150. My shoulder mounts and full body for my steenbok that were done in SA were very good quality but not excellent.

My experience with CBP in ATL when I returned was a nightmare. Landed and through immigration/customs and had my checked luggage 30 mins after we landed. Left the airport 90 minutes after that thanks to CBP and I had all my paperwork in order. Just really rude/indifferent CBP officers who didn't know what they were doing on duty at the time. Be patient and be prepared.

I had a Cape Buffalo mounted in Zimbabwe and NEVER again!!!

After getting 5 backskins tanned I recomend NOT doing this.

Backskins are readily available in the USA for purchase and are cheaper then the cost of bringing your own home and getting them processed.

Same goes for capes for shoulder mounts.

Of course.

Bump and a question I haven't seen asked yet: Hunting pack, yes or no? I'm thinking of one of my smallish packs to stash extra ammo, gloves, snacks, wipes, etc. Or do you just throw it all in the truck? In all the Africa vids and pics I've seen over the years, I don't recall seeing a hunter with a pack.

We'll be in the Limpopo province in late August.

Thanks!

I had a pack in truck with me each day...ammo...snacks...extra camera....etc. Came in handy several times. Would do it again.

I always take along a smallish North Face day pack, for carrying stuff on the airlines, and for hunting. Keeps everything with you, and organized, Plus, if you need to 'bug out' for a day or two of hunting in another remote location, it's easy to throw in a few items of clothing. While hunting, it helps to keep a camera, spare ammo, allen wrenches,etc. always handy.

I will have to disagree and say get the best airline tickets you can afford. I'll never travel coach again.

36+ hours door to door can be taxing: try to diminish salt intake, wear TED hose and take baby aspirin as DVT prophylaxis and diminish leg swelling.

If you have to travel coach, ask your travel agent for the longer leg room seats.

If you can't afford a nice hunt, don't short change yourself and do a half assed low budget hunt. Remember, you get what you pay for! Unfortunately throughout the entire hunting industry there are a lot of scheisters out there.

Material things in general (eg trophies) can always be replaced, memories last a lifetime. Don't short change your memories.....it ain't a dress rehearsal.

Don't forget, Africa can get cold at night......

Lot of pretty good advise but: Flying business class makes it a much nicer trip.

Regardless of what you do or don't do-- you are gonna want to go back
Plan for it--
It is as much fun as you can have with clothes on!!

Didn't read all the thread but determine what trophies you will bring back before hand. I know many experienced hunters who don't bring back anything. If not doing a skull or Euro mount have the horns sawed off and the skull cap separated at the suture line. Shipping is by weight and bulk. Buffalo skulls are heavy, take measurements and then do the same treatment. The only time that this is not a good idea is if you want to enter the horns in the record book as this can disqualify them.

I am not sure what I paid for bringing hides back but it was about four times more than what I could buy an already made rug for. Same with pillows. But if I had shipped less I could have taken two more trophies.

On the next trip, I'm going to shoot 2-3 trophy's and a bunch of culls. I almost could have made another trip for what it cost to get it all back and mounted. I'd rather spend that money on hunting. Also, I will look into other airlines. I flew Delta but have learned there are often better options for cheaper. I will also check into using one of the camp rifles. I didn't have any issues but it just seems easier.