Having shipped a lot of stuff from Africa, I can report that dipping, packing, and shipping is just another revenue source for operators and shippers. You can do it yourself - make all the transportation, packing, vet clearances, permits, and shipping arrangements, but it can take days to arrange all that and that's assuming you know how to get all that done. So, if you are not doing it regularly, you're going to spend way too much having your outfitter and/or taxidermist do it all for you. It's just another unspoken and often overlook expense of a hunt. So yes, it can be pretty shocking.
Depending on the country of origin, you can shop for the best deal "before" your hunt. Contact shippers (Google) and see what you can negotiate. But most folks don't want to bother with it.
