I just paid my last (hopefully) invoice to get my buff skull/cape shipped from Bulawayo to Denver. Over 2 grand USD. Prices seem to be way high IMO.

Next time I will only ship back an animal if it is a way big!

BH63

I've got no more room for any trophies. Whole house has them. Now I don't ship any back. Pictures in my albums. Money saved I put towards another hunt or rifles or??

Yes, having game mounted in Africa and then shipped home is expensive. First there is the taxidermy cost. Then there is the crating, then the international shipping, then the insurance on your boxes, then the receiving end (mine was in Seattle), then the reshipping via truck to your door. If you have say, 5 animals shoulder mounted it about pays for the cost of another safari in RSA.
On the other hand, I have gone the photo route too. Most recently on a sailfish caught in Costa Rica. Having a mount vs having a photo just doesn't bring the same amount of satisfaction or the same level of return of memory.
By the way, I call my trophy room my memory room since only a couple of my game animals are technically trophies according to one standard or the other. But in my mind, they are memories.

The back side of safari is rarely discussed because of one reason or another but one thing is certain....

D-P-S fees an industry and the outfitters, taxidermist and shippers rape customers on a daily basis and hold the trophies for ransom

Anyone have any input on what it would/should cost to ship back a European mount or mount(s) on some general plains game.

I'll be making my first trip next year and would like to bring back a zebra hide. Possibly a euro gemsbuck and maybe a warthog. The rest could probably stay.

Thanks for any input.

cal74-----On my next trip over it's nothing but photos. I'll get my euro skulls & skins on ebay.

No more trophies for me, photos are plenty. In my opinion, a complete waste of money vs spending those funds on additional trips.

cal: 2012 untanned zebra skin $900. 2014 2 tanned zebra skins and 2 buffalo skulls in same shipment but 2 hunters $4000. Waited almost a year to get it. Tedthorn is right - bend over and grab your ankles. I am done with Africa unless I win the lottery and know I have 6 months to live.

As a rule of thumb, shoulder mounts for 4 animals, with taxi. and shipping fees will cost almost the same as the hunt cost, regardless of whether the work is done here or there. Euro months will be about 1/3 or more of hunt costs. I quit bringing stuff back about 4 safaris ago- more money for the next hunt.

Hopefully you did not fall for it.

In 2007, when my skins, skulls, and horns arrived home from Zimbabwe via South Africa, the people who dipped and packed these items valued the items at 8 billion Zimbabwe dollars. Canada Customs agents did some quick calculating based on 132 Zimbabwe dollars being worth 1 Canadian dollar. That made the package worth about 60 million Canadian dollars which were on par with the US dollar at that time. Needless to say a 3 month rodeo ensued. When I was in Zimbabwe in 2006, the official exchange rate was 1 USD to 100,000 Zim bucks. Street exchange was 1 USD to 1 million Zim bucks. A while later, when the exchange rate was over a billion to one, the currency not only collapsed, it vanished.

I wound up paying the 7% Goods and Services tax on my entire( I mean everything!) safari to put an end to this harassment. I don't know if African business people have a perverse sense of humour, or are just naive. But when customs and revenue agents see multi-billion dollar amounts there will be trouble.

Insist that the people who ship trophies value them in US dollars. Everyone in the world can do the math. Even Canadian federal civil servants.

Have received quotes before hunts on probable animals to get an idea of costs from D&P, freight, clearance and have been with in $100 either way on 8 African shipments.

Takes a few emails and some patience to get responses sometimes, but not to hard to do.

Have left cash to pay for some and renegotiated a better deal at the D&P level FTF.

It hasn't always been perfect; but never a surprise.

I've never had a mount done. I couldn't justify the cost to my family.

Hmmm... A new 375 H&H and a nice PG safari or material stuff that won't ever appreciate in value?...

As one can't bring home some loins and hams, the trophy aspect is about all that's left. That expense is all that keeps me from going. I've no idea where that profit margin goes, but someone is getting rich for doing next to nothing.

I've got several mule deer, bear, antelope and one elk mount. All "European" or just antlers on a wooden plaque. Classy, inexpensive, and they take up a LOT less space than a full head & shoulders mount.

If I ever venture to Africa, I'm seriously thinking that photographs are plenty of "trophy" for me.

Guy

We just cut out the skull plate large enough for the antlers, and screw it to the cabin walls. They get used for hats, bows, arrows, and kitchen tools and paper towels.
Recently had a boxful of mine removed, and traded them to a knife maker for handles. Got a 100# Fisher Anvil in exchange. (Great deal)1850-1870. (Which will be much more useful)

I haven't had the pleasure of going to Africa yet.

I think picutres would suffice for me.

What about just bringing back horns (plains game) or teeth (warthog)? What kind of $'s are associated with that?

My recommendation is to contact KWIKTAN Taxidermy through their US company out of Dallas, African Game Industries. I had all my mounts done by them, and granted it was way back in 2006, but overall, I saved about 40% over having them done here. They also ship a lot of their own stuff from Africa to Dallas to sell, and they can include your trophies (done by them) in their shipping to defray some shipping costs.

The larger the business gets, the more likely one of their staff will not be up to American standards. Kwiktan folded an impala flatskin wet and I can't get the "squares" out. Karoo Taxidermy actually burned my kudu horns. With African work there is NO RECOURSE. They kickback to one another and will not point fingers. Also, taxidermy has priced itself out of the market, just as with ear-tagged (price tagged, too) trophy whitetails.

I'll share this again even though I seem to get jumped on every time.

I carry my trophies home as checked luggage. I understand regulations in foreign countries have changed since the mid-2000's. I've personally carried trophies home from foreign countries six different times. One of the times my trophies were confiscated in Denver, which was wrong, and I did receive an apology, but I did have to pay for air shipment from Denver along with a fee from a receiving company. In all still far cheaper.

You'll need a list of all the trophies from a local government office documenting each animal. I have returned home with CITIES 3 animals without issue.

If I were to go again I would hand carry back european mounts and have my taxidermist purchase capes if I wanted life mounts.

You'll want to book your arrival so you have extra time to go through customs but in all my trips it only took about an extra 20 minutes. One time when entering Dalles the agent was taken back and I asked them to contact their manager who came out and said my shipment was acceptable. He also asked me if I had enough time to use my trophies for training. It was fun to watch him train his people.

I extend my trip after my hunt to allow my trophies to dry - still far cheaper than shipping them.

The cheapest hide and horns import I have ever done was from, of all places, Mongolia.
I shot a Gobi Ibex there. The hide was dried while we were still in the desert. The skull was boiled, and there was a veterinary certification obtained for the head and horns before they left the country. I took along another duffel bag to put the hide, skull, and horns in, with sections of garden hose to put over the horn tips to keep them from breaking. Upon arriving at the Denver airport, the USDA had to inspect everything, but no problems whatsoever.

The most expensive import in recent times is the cape, skull and horns of an Asian Water Buffalo I took in Argentina. By the time they arrived at my taxidermist in Denver, the bill was well over $2000!

Like many others here, my days of bringing home horns, capes, skins, etc. are over. House is too full of mounts to allow for any more, and it has gotten too expensive in general.

Where the previous countries you brought stuff home from in Africa? I am willing to bet hard money you won't get vet, nature conservation, and customs export certificates done now in less than 2-3 weeks. Bribes will only help just so much. If you don't prior contact with USFWS and USDA inspectors to meet your plane on your arrival, again you are screwed. Good luck on bringing raw stuff from Africa as your personal luggage.

Returned from Namibia three times, once from RSA, once from Kyrgystan, and once from Canada. Had others I hunted with also return with trophies. One doesn't need to make prior contact with USFWS or USDA. I spent time with the USFWS agent when I enter Dalles with a wolf and two Siberian Ibex. He said my paper work was perfectly in order and what I was doing was perfectly legal. I did research the regulations prior to my entry and made certain all forms and trophies were properly completed. One CAN NOT import "raw stuff". Trophies must be without any raw meat. My capes did have trace amounts of dried meat and that was deemed acceptable.

You would loose any bets with me. I was present when the Namibian vet certificates were issued and they were provided during our visit. A fee was charged although it was low enough the PH didn't pass along the expense. I don't recall the RSA experience other than the PH said it was easy and his first time sending trophies (euro mounts in this case) home with the hunter. Kyrgyzstan was a little more difficult for my hunt manager but I wasn't charged extra. Canada was more time consuming because the inspector was a big time hunter and wanted to swap stories about goat hunting and he told me right off I was free to go but he wanted to talk - really nice guy.

Namibia mandated dipping of trophies since my travels. There wasn't a US mandate requiring imported trophies to be dipped prior to entry and I don't know if there is one in place at this time.

It's all about knowing the regulations. Clearly I understood the regulations better than the Denver custom's agent and that didn't keep my trophies from being confiscated but I did receive them back shortly and for far less than shipping them from Namibia.

BTW, it your Chicken Little type reply that set me off. Making statements about something you have no experience or expertise doesn't help anyone and only fuels fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

Good stuff Boise. I did not know that was possible. I will have to check into that next time over. This jdollar guy lets his mouth overrun his asss quite often, especially on the ARForums where is the the perpetual muslim apologist and ass kisser.

Thanks for the info.

All I know is what I have been told by African outfitters. Of course, they have a vested interest in sending you to dip and pack services, as I imagine they get a cutback. Namibia is definitely easier than anywhere else in Africa but
still wonder if times have changed since your last time through.it is definitely a topic to discuss with your outfitterit as it saves a lot of money and time..
And what exactly does Muslim apologist and ass kissing have to do with the topics at hand? Your red neck is showing, JG.

It exclaims that you are a clueless idiot.

Roger that, Red....remember, though, ad hominem attacks are the last refuge of a weak intellect. And if the Latin term is unfamiliar, google is your friend.

Namibia implemented mandatory dipping since my last hunt. It was not mandatory for importing into the US. It is just one more step in the export process and should keep US hunters from carrying home trophies. We carry them home from Canada all the time, the US doesn't discriminate against trophies from other countries.

One has to deal with both the exporting laws of the hunt country and the US impotation laws. They are not secrets and easily found on websites.

You'll also need to deal with those individuals who will cast uncertainty and doubt on any action outside their comfort zone. Not just here on this site but from those in the country one hunts.

I just received shipment home I spent 1200 on shipping with zebra rug, Sable cape and back skin, bush buck, nyala life size skin, Eland, Blesbok, ostrich and Impala all skulls and horns. I spent 1100 at Taxidermy there including $400 for completed zebra rug and ostrich tanned which was $600 total so 500 for the prep, pack and dip. From South Africa I cleared myself when they arrived withy taxi being usda approved and that was free other than time to do it myself.

I've written this before on this website.

prior to 1999 100% of everything was taken home by hunters including additonal trinkets curious and art work in the crates.

Until about 2002-2004 fewer trophies were taken home, and way more Skull mounts were being shipped. Probably a 30% reduction in shipped trophies

From about 2005 to 2010 minimal trophes were shipped and often times only a single shoulder mount and a couple skull mounts. Looking at the records of trophies and hunters I would say at most 50% of the trophies taken where shipped.

After about 2013 til present more than 50% of the hunters take nothing but photo's home. This number increases every year too. I suspect in time it will stabilize and settle out at 30% or so. Maybe the shipping and dip pack folks are trying to earn the same income based on fewer customers today. The cost of this type of work has not gone up 10 times in the last 15 years, but the price sure has!

The advent of the digital camera with the instant gratification of a good quality photo 100% verified at the instant it was taken replaced much of the trophy expenses. It seems that the certainty of a great frame-able photo is replacing the expense of the mounted trophies. Time will tell, as stated above the 10 animal safari is less expensive including airfare then the 10 animals coming back from the taxidermy including the expenses to get them to the USA either as dried skins, or finished taxidermy.

I agree but pics are the same as a mounted trophy. I will always bring mine home as I sit in my room and look at the heads it all comes back. Plus pics don't do a lot of the animals justice

If I do get to go back, I won't make the mistake of having taxidermy done in SA again......I was very disappointed with the work that I had done, and it was supposedly done by one of the "major" taxidermists in the country.......I actually had live worms in one of my skull mounts!! As others have said, I"m running out of room, so only "special" trophies will come back (in dip/pack form) for mounting in the states.....the rest will be just photos. The VAT is cheaper than the taxidermy.

Just paid to have a kudu redo by Rowdy Woodson. After ten years of enjoying what I could pay for at the time, I stepped up to American artistry, for ONE animal. The original was done nearby, by another Texan who admittedly didn't routinely do museum quality work (although he could and would bill accordingly.) My wife's warthog done by Nylstroom Taxidermy in Vaalwater (Gerrit Krueger) is still fantastic, the only shoulder mount done in RSA. Any further trips will be dip & pak only unless Taxidermy Africa in Humansdorp does my skull mounts. The Peacocks do good work, but African staff just have a different idea of how a shoulder mount is supposed to end up looking.

Hope it looks like the left turn one in the middle.

Mountain reedbuck by B&B Taxidermy (Houston). Gerrit did the warthogs.



Bruce Gotcher did my Eastern cape kudu from 2005 (plus an augmentation I did using an internet acquired single horn.)

Had a buffalo, sable, nyala, and impala done by Trophy Solutions in SA. When the 4 sets of horns got here it looked like the had been laying by a waterhole for two years. Took a lot of paint and bondo to make them look right. Cost was about $3000.00 SHIP AND DIP. $25,000 worth of animals in all and they did their dead level best to ruin them. The sable had a gold translusence to them they were beautiful, not any more.

Pictures for me and maybe a video.

Had a great trip to Zambia, shot a buff and a croc, took some great pics and was done. Just see no point in spending thousands to ship and then thousands to mount. I hunt africa for the experience and adventure. That will last far longer, and mean much more, than something on a wall.