Add my name to the list of satisfied clients of Life-Form Taxidermy.

It not only happens on that side of the pond. I got stuck for a bunch of extra fees over here on a shipment of raw trophies. When I finally get the shipment in my hands, I will post a full report of how Coppersmith screwed me to the wall.

Regards,

Terry

to add to my somewhat dissapointing experience in SOUTH AFRICA. im gonna get beat over the head with all kinds fees that the taxidermist lets say forget to talk about. when they tell you that cargo shipping is 900$ i didnt expect to be paying 2100$ in extras! it seems many have there hands in the pot along the way! they like to call it things like holding and storage fees. after this last straw i will be keeping my money in the u.s.a.

I used Zulu Taxidermy for my hunt in September, 2001. Their prices were good, along with their work. Shipping, crating, and customs fees, clearance, and brokerage added a bunch to Zulu's, at no fault to them.
Jeff in Texas

If it isn't too late here is another option if you had the trophies done in RSA. See my post .

This ocean shipping option saved several dollars over comparable raw shipment and US taxi, as well as air shipment of finished trophies from RSA.

I can recommend Safari Air Cargo/Fauna and Flora!
Les

I too have experienced some hose-jobs. In RSA the taxidermist my PH recommended had all kinds of hidden costs to run the bill up. Like $100 "pick-up" fee and wanted to charge me $250 to construct a crate to ship my trophies in (couple hides, horns, and a vaal rheabok shoulder mount!) Plus they had a two tier price structure; one for Americans and another (lower) for the rest of the world. That really upsets me.

And then there is good ol' Coppersmith. I had used them on three shipments. I got charged for "insurance" but when items were stolen out of the shipment, all I got from Coppersmith was "sorry". I then discovered that they had been padding the bills for services they never did.

Check your Coppersmith bills...if there is a line-item titled "warehouse transfer.... $75" it quite probably never happened and you can demand a refund. They are charging you for transfering your shipment from the airlines facility to another location, and most likely the truck freight outfit simply picked the shipment up at the airlines location.

Wink and RHS is this the taxidermist you are refering to?

Life-Form Taxidermy
PO Box 763
White River
1240
South Africa
Phone: 27 13 7501470
Fax: 27 13 7501512
Email: art@lifeform.co.za

Liguidorange
Your disappointing experiences in South Africa have been felt by many hunters. Unfortunately most hunters will never publicly admit to being unhappy with a hunt or being overcharged for shipping, which only helps to perpetuate dishonest business practices. I personally put most of the blame on outfitters, they usually recommend the taxidermist that pays the largest kick backs. And of course the taxidermist recommends the air freight forwarder that pays the largest kick back.

A really GREAT booking agent can save you money and a lot of grief , simply by insuring your trophies go to the best (as far as quality, service and price) taxidermist and air freight service in the area.

It would be to all hunters advantage if you joined the Hunting Report and filed a in-depth , HONEST report on your hunt. I have found they are the only one who will allow a disappointing hunting report to be published. Exposing problems only hurt's the dishonest.

Having been through the RSA rigamarol, I try to run a one-stop-shop. I have dip and pack, a shipper and a US based taxidermist who clears incoming freight himself for my clients if they so choose (= good savings and none of those ambiguous clearing house *fees*) for RSA based safaris. You will not get better taxidermy in Africa, period. We use a far better tan here anyway, a true tan, you can throw capes in the washing machine if you so please.

No fuss, no muss and no kickbacks.

Again, why you would not want to use a booking agent (at no extra cost) is beyond me....!

Hunting in RSA can be a real pleasure and no one should not consider hunting there due to bad shippers, clearing houses, etc.

I have read this post and the prior threads about the hunt itself and I would like to make a few observations:

1. A lot of American hunters going to Africa are old and/or overweight, and want the best deal they can get. The product you chose was targeted at this type of hunter. These guys want to get all their trophies in seven days without breaking out a sweat. And they want the cheapest deal in town (by your own admission, that's what you opted for). The PH obliges by letting them shoot from the vehicle, the fastest way to get the package put to bed, and often the trophy quality is lacking. You ended up in the wrong restaurant, it seems.

2. Most all RSA ranches are high-fenced, but unless you end up on a small one (less than 5000 acres), this isn't a big deal. The animals you are hunting are territorial for the most part and the fact that there is a fence somewhere on the property doesn't change their habits or behavior.

3. The security situation in RSA is grim, with farmers in particular taking the brunt of the heat. That's why many have their homes surrounded by wire and dogs. It's not their fault, guy, they live in real fear of their lives. In a way, it's the fault of the foreign governments (including the US government) who engineered the overthrow of the former "regime" so they could be replaced by a "democratic" government. To call them incompetent buffoons would be kind.

4. "They gave my brother special treatment". Probably because he had a better attitude from the outset. Yes, and if he indicated he wanted "extras", they were going to accommodate him. After all, they are there to sell trophies, not all-day hikes in the mountains.

4. You get to choose your taxidermist, your forwarder, and your carrier. If you don't choose, someone else chooses for you.

5. Given your predilection to get ripped off, going to Alaska ain't going to change things a bit. Ever pay $10 for a cardboard box? You will in Alaska. How about $7500 for a one animal hunt. You will in Alaska, for a Moose. And you will sleep in a Cabela's tent for that price, and eat MREs.

Instead of blaming the rest of the world for what happened, you ought to consider your contribution to your actions. There are plenty of fair chase hunts available in RSA, if you look for them. There are inexpensive, excellent taxidermists in RSA, if you ask around. (Just as there are ripoff artists in the USA). You can ship your trophies back by ocean freight, or by air; and if by the latter, there are at least 5 companies who can handle it for you. You just need to get the crate weights and dimensions from your taxidermist and then shop the shipment around a bit. And read the fine print. You wouldn't buy a car long distance sight unseen without doing an awful lot of research and checking the fine print. That's what you did with your safari, your taxidermist, and your freight. Beats me why you are surprised when the late model low mileage vehicle turns out to be an overpriced lemon.

PS I have a nice Ford F600 I would like to sell you. Just send me a check for $5000 and I will get it delivered to you. Believe me, it's a helluva deal! Delivery is extra of course, we'll let you know how much when you take possession. And make that a cashier's check!

I've been pleased with the hunts I had in RSA, just wasn't pleased with a taxidermist that was padding the bill. Being charged $250 USD for a crate made out of cheap plywood and a couple screws seemed a bit steep and I balked at it.

And what does me being old and fat have to do with Coppersmith padding their bill on me, charging me on two different shipments for services they never performed?.

And being fat and old has nothing to do with not liking two-tier pricing plans. I wouldn't have liked it any better when I was young and lean.

I do agree with you that African hunting can be a much better dollar value than most Alaskan hunting. That is why I don't go to Alaska anymore and try to make Africa every other year. The two real adventures in African hunting is getting your luggage/gun cases to arrive at the same time you do, and to not get hosed on the trophy shipment. Everything else about hunting in Africa is quite well organized.

On my first South Africa safari in 2002 my PH recommended the local firm of Life Form Taxidermy. He had complete brochures in his camp which I brought home with me before making a decision. The Ph kept all the raw trophies in his camp and told me I could take my time before making a final decision. I hunted in September and he wasn't going to drop off the trophies at Life Form until December anyway. You should know that everyody goes on summer vacation in SA in December. I e-mailed Life Form and discussed several options with them. They were quite explicit about the costs, right up to delivery to a freight forwarder in Johannesburg. They gave me the contacts for the freight forwarder and I contacted them before confirming my order with Life Form. The short answer is that I knew the total cost for delivery to my home before commiting to anything and ended up paying exactly what I was quoted. I didn't get my trophies until ten months later but if you are in hurry then you probably won't get good work.

I had a similar experience as Wink. Did RSA in Aug. 2003, just got my mounts and skins this month from Lifeform Tax. They did a great job. The broker, who handled the shipment here in the U.S., tried to get cute with some "extra fees", but I vetoed all that by picking the crate up after work (10 min. ride) in Columbus, OH instead of having it delivered by van to my home. Once he found out about my pickup, he never called back about the extra fees and seemed very putout. Must have dipped into his commission a bit.

I'll be using Lifeform again for this last hunt in June of this year...no surpriises and I'm staying with what works.

My taxidermist in RSA was indeed very fair and up front (I hunted in Zimbabwe) The costs were what he quoted and as a matter of fact, the only "ripoff" was the freight company here in the US that wanted to charge me almost the same price as the air freight charges from RSA to Atlanta. I just took my own truck to Coppersmith's warehouse in Atlanta and loaded it myself. I used Kwiktan Taxidermy out of Johannesburg. jorge

Robert, LOL!

I had forgotten all about that post. From the trip report where he got screwed and now he was hosed on the shipping.

I don't think L.O. was meant to go to Afrcia, since he either didn't do any research or had the misfortune to book with the worst PH in Africa and then the worst shipping agent.

At the point he was hosed on both ends, I think lack of research was the contributing factor.

Yep.

As RHS confirmed, it is Life Form in White River. I should add that I avoided the last minute ripoff of the freight agent here in France by forcing the South African freight agent to give me a price "delivered to my door". This forced him to contact freight agents in Europe on his time and on his dime. It turned out that the freight agents in France ask a lot of money for nothing and he went through a Belgian freight forwarder who was reasonable and honest.

Thanks for letting me know about them. I found a link to their webpage http://www.lifeform.co.za/home.htm

Nice Gallery page they have there

Life Form are just up the road from my home here in White River..........and I can highly recommend them...... It's not just their taxidermy that's good, it's the way they keep in contact with their clients. But if anyone has a problem with them (which I doubt) please feel free to send me an e-mail and I'll be happy to pop over there and try to sort it out for you.

Life-Form is the best, together with Safari Air Cargo Systems in RSA and Fauna and Flora Custom House Brokerage here in the USA, they will get the work done well and delivered to your door for the agreed upon price--which is a bargain by the way, as compared with US prices--even including ocean freight shipping.