I'm working up plans for a plains game hunt in Namibia, and -- being a mere wage-earner at a newspaper instead of a retired orthodontist -- I'm trying to get a handle on the costs of dealing with trophies back home. The least expensive way seems to be to have the skulls and horns cleaned for European-type mounts. I'm also thinking of having the hides vegetable-tanned, hair off, because I like to do a bit of leatherworking. I'll want the zebra tanned hair on, of course. Could I mount the skull and horns of a kudu or oryx and save the capes for possible later shoulder mounts? I'm just new to all this stuff, and know only enough to realize that dealing with the trophies can be a big chunk of the total hunt budget.

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Could I mount the skull and horns of a kudu or oryx and save the capes for possible later shoulder mounts?

Yes you can. As long as the hides are properly treated, do not have to be tanned, they will last a very long time, especially if you freeze them. By properly treated I mean as long as they pass inspection into the US is all they is needed.

Bill, there are alot of options. You can keep the skull and just have the cape prepped, but most people when they do a Shield mount have the skull cut above the upper jaw. If you leave the upper jaw and teeth it makes for (in my opinion) a weird looking mount. As for skins, I don't think you will save much money having them tanned in the US and that is one of the lesser costs in the overall trophy preparation budget anyway. I think having the skins flat tanned with a felt or leather backing is a very nice way to do a Zebra skin as well as a jackal skin. I also had an impala done that way since I decided on the spot to have the horns and skull on a shield mount. For my Kudu I did a shoulder mount but had them tan (no backing in felt or leather) the backskin which I have draped over a couch. My wildebeest was so mangy that I didn't keep the skin, just the shield mount. The wildebeest tail makes a nice fly whisk. You might want to talk directly to a taxidermist before you go and discuss the options/cost with him.

Taxidermy can be a cost easily forgotten when planning your first hunt. I went pretty much all out on my first hunt and did shoulder mounts on kudu and impala, tanned all hides and did skull mounts on every horn (my first African animal was a "biltong" impala, maybe 18 mo old...I´ll never shoot the first again). All in all taxidermy came to around 1200 USD + 600 USD for shipment (which I split with a friend).

On the other side after hunting Namibia last Oct I did only European mounts (gemsbok, springbuck, duiker, steenbuck) and took two hides. Total cost 400 USD + 300 USD for shipment etc.

All the work was done in SA or Namibia, the quality is good.

So now I have quite a lot of trophies and the house won´t hold many more so I´ll be restrictive on trophies -just horns or skulls.

But the zebra is a must, man is that rug cool.

one of the ways to save some money is to have trophies shiped via ocean rather than air. in my experience it was about 1/3 the cost. took 4 weeks on ship to get here.

Yes, ocean shipment is the way to go. It just saved me well over 50% of the costs estimate of what I had been quoted for air. The extra few days or a week or two is worth the wait in my estimation.

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Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
Yes, ocean shipment is the way to go. It just saved me well over 50% of the costs estimate of what I had been quoted for air. The extra few days or a week or two is worth the wait in my estimation.

Saved a bunch on ocean freight, but still cost and arm and two legs to get them trucked from NY to home. Almost two months from landing in Ny to my house. I thought that was poor performance on the part of the broker getting the job done, but no storage charges incurred.

No kidding? My bill was for EVERYTHING from Africa, right to my front door. I used Safari Cargo and Fauna and Flora.

You might want to contact Maria Felix at Hunter International Brokerage in San Francisco tel: 1-650-652-0100, email: hbrokerage@sbcglobal.net I believe they are one of the few (the only?) customs brokers which only clear hunting trophies. Many west coast hunters use them. Maria is a also wealth of free info about a potentially very costly exercise.

She in turn will probably recommend that you talk to Pam Forester of International Air Cargo Services in Windhoek, Namibia tel: +264 (61) 255-333, email: pam-iacs@mweb.com.na . I found it very helpful to drop by Pam's place in Windhoek on my way to the hunt. Pam can give you lots of advice on trophy shipment, dip & pack, etc.

You might want to tread a bit carefully in Nambia. I believe a few years ago there was a major controversy about some shippers, dippers & packers, etc. there giving kick backs to outfitters and overcharging hunters. I belive SCI even did an investigation and sent letters of warning to SCI chapter heads.

A lot of hunters often leave trophy shipment to their outfitters. Then when back in the US, somne of them get a telephone call and an unexpectedly high faxed bill from a customs broker they never heard of saying that there trophies have arrived and to pay up. There usually is a warning that nonpayment means the trophies won't be cleared and will incurr charges of $$$/day for storage, etc. Could be the most disappointing part of a hunt.

Hope this helps!

Go to our website huntingtrophy.com
The FAQ section covers what happens to your trophies from the time you leave camp 'til they come home. Please note that all plains game are ruminants and therefore require re-processing in the US. We recommend that you ship direct to your tannery as they are all USDA Approved.
There are two agents in Nambia we think you will be comfortable with - Pam Foerster of International Air Cargo Services and Harakd Preschal of Namibia Safari Services. Have a great hunt.

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Originally posted by Hunting Trophy Queen:
<Snip> Please note that all plains game are ruminants and therefore require re-processing in the US. <Snip>.

The term "plains game" is very unscientific and should be used only to refer to 'non-dangerous animals residing on the plains...?'. Not all plains game are ruminants! Zebra is generally regarded as plains game? Yes, but zebra is NOT a ruminant. Same applies for warthog!

Bill/Oregon,

The cheapest way to get your trophies home is to take them yourself as hand or booked luggage when you return from your next trip.

Works like this: You go on a trip and hunt some weird and wonderful strange African animals. Your well-chosen Hunting Outfitter later delivers the trophies to a good taxidermist to have the skins leather or fur tanned. The horns are made into European skull mounts, or as shield mounts. With most good taxidermists your trophies will be completed within a few months, certainly in less than a year. These are now all 100% finished products, which your taxidermist can export directly to yourself. Between your taxidermist and Hunting Outfitter they can get all the required veterinary certificates and export papers ready for you before your next year's safari.

They, the taxidermist and your HO, can also pack the trophies in what is locally known as a "China Bag". This is a very cheap, but incredibly strong, large zippered bag made from woven PVC. Almost everywhere you travel in South Africa you will see a lot of street vendors lugging their ware in such checked blue, white and red bags. Real ‘value for money’ bags these! By using common sense and lots of ‘bubble plastic’ and duck tape the trophies can be securely packed to withstand the destructive efforts of the most destructive of airline baggage handlers.

You have been warned to ‘pack light’, and as this is your second safari, you heeded the advice and took the minimum of rubbish with you. You also leave some old hunting gear as gifts for the trackers and skinners to end up with a real minimum of luggage for your second return flight. To give you some idea of weight required I list the trophies that I personally took to the USA on a flight in August 2004: Waterbuck 2, blue wildebeest 3, kudu 2; warthog 2; steenbok 2; red hartebeest 2, Impala 4, and maybe even some that I don’t remember now. It is true that in those days I was allowed 60 kg of booked luggage, and I had to buy some clothes in the States! But I did not need to pay any overweight charges, and my clients got their trophies within months of their safari!

I had absolutely no trouble at customs at all, a bit of a wait until a girl from Fish & Wildlife could be called to Atlanta customs, to inspect the paperwork. As I made sure that everything required was there I had no problems whatsoever! It can be done and is by far the cheapest and mostly the fastest way to do it. I’m not sure if you could bring a “Dipped and Packedâ€, but un-tanned cape this way. I think not? Taxidermists will not like to work with a cape that was tanned by someone else, the softness of the skin and type of tanning favored seems to be a very personal thing with these true artists! Maybe you could check with your stateside taxidermist if he would mount a cape that was tanned in South Africa?

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren.