with trophies.

It is my understanding that hunters can group trophies together in an effort to reduce some of the costs associated with shipping. The only issue is that the shipment has to be consigned to one person.

The easiest way to clear customs would be to hire an agent - Fauna and Flora or the like.

The question I have can an individual still clear customs himself or is it so much of a hassle that it is best left to the experts?

Phoenixdawg,

To be completely honest... leave it up to the experts. You may save a few bucks doing it yourself, but if something comes up and there are problems, the experts (Fauna and Flora) are there to take care of it.

Unless you live in the same city as the Port of Entry,leave it to the agent,it is worth it.

Yes, you can do it yourself. The issue is, should you?

If you can be there when they arrive, and then hustle them through customs and FWS and Dept Ag(if primates are involved, and have all the paperwork filled in correctly, and have understanding agents from all agencies involved go for it.

Peace of mind and hassle-free, that's what my broker/agent gives me. F and F has always been super.

If you have the time and you are close to the port of entry there is no reason to not do it yourself.

Go visit the customs and FWS agents personally and tell them what you are wanting to import and they will tell you that it is easy and that they will walk you through it. Even with CITES animals from "approved" countries, it can be done without the use of a broker/agent.

Namibiahunter

Some taxidermists who specialize in foreign animal mounts will clear the shipments for you, thereby eliminating the need for a separate agent.

Peter

quote:

Originally posted by MVR:
Some taxidermists who specialize in foreign animal mounts will clear the shipments for you, thereby eliminating the need for a separate agent.

Peter

Creative Concepts Taxidermy in Maryland did exactly this for me on a shipment from Tz.at NO CHARGE. John George is a nice guy and did great work. this clearing service saved me several hundred dollars and he took the cleared shipment from Baltimore straight to his shop.

Hands down, this post gives good advice. If you live nearby, it's OK to DIY. However, it's Africa...and if trouble happens, John @ Fauna & Flora is worth a million bucks. He has helped so many clients get out of a jam I can't tell you. He knows the good companies and the fly by nights. You can take his advice and forget about it. You can combine trophies, but each piece must be tagged to the Hunter who took it. AND, EACH & EVERY Hunter must have their own paperwork. Don't even think about making an "official" do any extra brain strain. You'll get your shipment seized. Call John Meehan and enjoy your hunt.
LDK
Fauna & Flora
John Meehan 718-977-7700 ext 1

We normally clear our own shipments, however, since we live on St. Thomas and the trophies must be cleared stateside, it's just cheaper to hire it out. there is no magic involved and if trophies could be cleared here we would do it ourself

Everyone else seems to have done a good job of answering your question, but I've gone through a few struggles getting my trophies back to America, so I thought I'd share what happened to me this past year.

When my capes, skins, and skulls came back from Africa back in December, I decided to hire a broker to import them for me. I went with Coppersmith, and it turned out to be a good thing that I did.

There were several delays even getting my crate on the plane, and each time it didn't show up in America, a simple email to Coppersmith and back told me what the status was. My shipment was bumped twice to make room for other items, and twice it didn't show up at the JNB airport when it was supposed to.

Finally, a month after the original shipment date, my crate did arrive in America. I opened my email one morning expecting good news, but instead saw a note titled "Shipment Refused". Turns out the crate did not have the IPPC stamp on it, and customs/agriculture turned it down.

I would have been absolutely at a loss for what to do at that point, but Coppersmith handled all the necessary paperwork and got my shipment recrated for me and billed the work back to the shipper in Africa.

It was a painful process, but everyone involved handled the situation in a professional manner, from Coppersmith to the trophy service in Africa. I'd deal with any one of them again in a minute for my next safari. My shipment is finally ready for release, and I just sent the payment off this week. Hope to have it at the tannery by next week.