If the trend was not to export your trophies then safari prices will go down especially for high-value animals such as cats.

I have often wondered if DSC/SCI could not hire a cargo plane to collect trophies from Africa?

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Who sent you the invoice? Your PH or a shipping co?

Hate to say this, but some operators look at dip/pack/ship as a profit center.

I regularly ship from Namibia to the US and most of my larger shipments (150 - 300 pounds) range in the area of $1,500 - $2,000 USD but we manage both ends of the shipment. So it would seem $5,736.00 USD for your shipment is a little pricy.

Defiantly ask for a breakdown in shipping costs.

...................A little pricy?????? That is not a little pricy, it is armed robbery! If the safari companies want to stay in business, they better get hold of the folks robing their clients. For what it is worth, they can forget getting my business.
The above prices are nothing short of theft! No other way of saying it!
................................................ MacD37

Yes Sir...armed robbery it is..!

Gents,
Many thanks for all comments and advice offered in response to my original post. It galvanised me into investigating cost saving alternatives and to this end was relatively successful. I owe some thanks to my NZ customs agent Geoff Olsen, GoDo NZ ( known to some of you I'm sure ), Silvia Reguera of Mayo Oldiri and Annie van der Merwe of EMIAC South Africa, all of whom willingly explored options for better deals.
The shipping quote from Spain to NZ came in at Euro 2960.64 ( NZD 5205.06 ) which added to the original airfreight leg Douala to Spain Euro 4835.05 ( NZD 8000.00 ) totalled a whopping NZD 13,205.00

Obtaining quotes from carriers flying alternative routes was the key to knocking these costs down a bit. I decided to go with routing Douala to Johannesburg, to Auckland NZ for a total cost of USD 6046.43 ( = NZD 8743.93 ). Honestly, I'm still hurting a bit from swallowing this cost but it is what it is I guess. I'm aware in this pandemic environment airfreight costs have escalated but I suspect agents and airlines do add cost premiums to hunting trophies. My basis for this belief is comparing airfreight costs for vegetable seed consignments to NZ which is a job done by one of my sons. I looked at a couple of examples similar in weight / volume which cost much less, even allowing for the pandemic. My consignment is 85 kg, the container measuring 132 x 83 x 45 cm.

Unlike some here who have told shippers to keep trophies when presented with inflated shipping costs I'm simply unable to consider that option. Personally I want to bring my trophies home. I don't hunt to shoot as many as possible. I'm completely satisfied with a few good trophies, properly hunted while reveling in living the life. And my trophies will be tangible testimony to those days when I'm no longer able to be afield. That's my definition of my happy place. Hence my decision to suck up the hurt and ship my trophies.

A couple of interesting things in breaking down the above figures.
The total for just the airfreight component to NZ is USD 3247.07 ( NZD 4695.69 ). The additional costs are charges for processing, handling, govt. fees etc.
Airfreight cost Douala to Jo'burg, 3900 km approx, 5 hr 50 min flying USD 2388.57
Airfreight cost Jo'burg to Auckland NZ, 12187 km approx, 16 hr 20 min flying USD 858.50
I can't make sense of that difference but maybe related to the current crazy state of the world ...!

I still have landing / clearing / gst costs to pay once the trophies arrive in NZ. I'll be very happy to both have them here and to put this shipping episode behind me.
Thanks again guys. It's always worth running the sticky scenarios by the experienced members here.
Cheers

I'm just impressed by the number of guys who have been to Africa and the number of times they did it.
I see now that I picked the wrong profession.

Thank you for sharing your success story!! I M pleased it was your Outfitters that also assisted...and this should serve as an example for others if they wish to continue hosting international hunters!!

I believe the rates from DOUALA TO JNB are high due to a very few flights and even air passenger rates are high. It is probably cheaper to fly DOUALA TO PARIS, and freight same??

I too want to hunt the fantastic animals of

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
I have often wondered if DSC/SCI could not hire a cargo plane to collect trophies from Africa?

Great idea!

A lot of this is probably because the volume of trophies, etc. being shipped has gone way down this year so all the people/companies involved with the shipping have to charge more for each load to cover their costs and make some profit.

Guys,
Thanks again for the comments.

Steve, I asked about costs for Douala to Paris but didn't get anywhere. Air France seemed the only option currently for that route, and I was told they don't ship hunting trophies. The original plan was to ship Douala to Madrid and just that leg was costlier than Douala to Jo'burg.

Frank and Steve,
Yes, definitely, the pandemic pushed passenger bookings, freight volumes and flights frequency way down. Revenue streams will be looking pretty sick. Airlines have undertaken heavy cost cutting measures hoping to avoid the worst and forced passenger and cargo rates up and it's simply my unfortunate timing to bear the brunt of this. While annoying I hope many airlines manage to stay afloat. We need them to get around in our world !

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
The fallow I had shipped from Austria cost 2,323 Euros from Vienna to my door.

My four skulls and hides from Bulgaria was 950 Euros from Sophia to Chicago. There was a fee to Chicago to my door, but I do not remember what it was. That was in 2018.

Wow that’s a lot Joshua.
I shipped 1 stag and 1 fallow to Texas in a wooden crate for 470 GBP before this Kung flu

A wee update to sign off this thread.
Today I'm as happy as I can be. After interminable delays my Cameroon trophies have finally, finally made it to my home. It was a very exciting time opening the trunk, dislodging the trophies from among the dunnage and lifting them out to be admired and fondled. Oh, the memories of that hunt ! Very special indeed.
Everything looked to be basically in very good condition. The only casualty was one of the Warthogs lower teeth was completely split lengthwise and had been taped up for shipping. I hope my taxidermist can repair this.
The air consignment arrived in NZ on 06 February and it's frankly ridiculous that it's taken ten and a half weeks to clear all official processes before reaching me. It's not right but that's how far downhill bureaucracy has descended here now.

We’re these the trophies you hit on your hunt when we met in Dubai?

Very nice!

Hi Saeed,
Great to hear from you.
Yes, after we met in Dubai I went on to Cameroon where I hunted these trophies. Very shortly after I got home the world started shutting down over CV so my timing was incredibly lucky.
Thankyou for being such a convivial host. I really enjoyed our meeting and spending some time chatting, and especially laughing !

Glad you got your trophies home. I know the excitement when opening the boxes. One thing for sure, after the moneys gone, you still have the memories.

I have a hunting buddy who is much younger than me. We met at our local gun club. He joined this site based on my recommendation.

I've been trying to get him to go on an African hunt with me without any success. He is at the stage of his life where he wants to get his trophies mounted. The outrageous cost of shipping trophies home from Africa is the reason he won't hunt in Africa. I'm sure he's not the only one.

Great news!

Congratulations on your great trophies!

Congrats on your trophies. They look amazing!

I understand your elation of finally getting your trophies home.

The longest I have waited is two years getting mine home from Africa, so your 10 1/2 months could have been worse!

I just received a shipment from RSA it was up a little from 2 years ago. What got me was the Canadian government Covid fees. Import fees where over double what it was 2 years ago, most to do with Covid handling feed.

Getting your trophies home is always frustrating, expensive, and is the most fraught with unexpected charges. In my experience, there was always someone else that wants money. It was usually another $500. May be up to $1,000.

I don't need many new trophies and am not inclined to bring a lot home. But, as long as I want to bring anything home, it won't cost any significant amount more to include the whole safari in the crate.

Kinda ridiculous, but it's the way it is. And shipping and clearing customs is the most undisclosed cost around.

But that's the way it is. It's not unexpected to me anymore.

Outstanding my friend! Glad your ordeal is over.

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Who sent you the invoice? Your PH or a shipping co?

Hate to say this, but some operators look at dip/pack/ship as a profit center.

I regularly ship from Namibia to the US and most of my larger shipments (150 - 300 pounds) range in the area of $1,500 - $2,000 USD but we manage both ends of the shipment. So it would seem $5,736.00 USD for your shipment is a little pricy.

Defiantly ask for a breakdown in shipping costs.

The profit center statement is accurate. An outfitter in Zambia who I was booking a sitatunga hunt wanted 2000 for dip and pack. Turns out the guy in Lusaka who actually did the work charged 500. Outfitter marked it up 400 percent. Disingenuous at best.

I'm glad that you finally got them, Grant. They look great!

Beauties! Sika Country in Taupo mounted my Cameroon trophies and made a lovely job, especially the Eland. If you want to see them contact me through Bakes or through Sika Country. I'm in the Bay of Plenty.

quote:

the Pom
posted 24 April 2021 12:33
Beauties! Sika Country in Taupo mounted my Cameroon trophies and made a lovely job, especially the Eland. If you want to see them contact me through Bakes or through Sika Country. I'm in the Bay of Plenty.

I agree, Vern and Louise do fabulous work and I have seen many of their mounts.
Tomorrow I'm heading down to see my long time taxidermist Pete Livesey ( Wildlife Art ) who has done most of my mounts over many years and will finish my Cameroon mounts. Pete does top shelf work and is also a keen hunter so a catch up is always a good time.

To all, thankyou for your compliments and comments. I always enjoy the interaction of others who, like me I suspect, basically live to hunt. Like many of you I too suspect price gouging is involved in the often unreasonably high cost of international trophy shipping. Unfortunately in this case CV complicated the matter resulting in even more cost loading. It was tough to swallow but I couldn't turn my back on these trophies that are so dear to me. I still have post NZ landing / clearing costs to pay and that bill should arrive any day. Of course MPI ( NZ Quarantine ) ordered fumigation of the shipment and the only approved facility currently is in Dunedin, right at the extreme southern end of the country. So, from Auckland they went all the way there, and back, before I took delivery. Just another example of ridiculous stuff hunters face when importing hunting trophies here.