Just wanted to pass on my experience of bringing back previous years PG trophies with us on this years return from Namibia. It was a little daunting at first getting into it and sorting out the paperwork with USF&W and US Customs, but now that I've successfully done it once without a problem I'll be doing it again.

All we brought back was a couple of European mount gemsbok, a gemsbok tail and a mountain zebra rug. All were shot last year and all were completed taxidermy.

Since I currently live in Tampa and not far from the airport and local USF&W office and US Customs Office, I started there. Turns out that since I was bringing them back as checked baggage with us, there were no form(s) to fill out with US Customs.

The person at USF&W was VERY helpful - provided me with a two page (large print) guide of the forms to fill out on-line and the fees needed to pay and it also had a contact phone number to the regional office in Atlanta if I had any question she couldn't answer - she answered everything just fine.

Fees - basically all I needed to pay on the US side is $100 to obtain an import license that is valid for two years, $100 to have a special permit to have the shipment cleared here at Tampa instead of our primary port of entry. I decided to pay the extra $100 to do it local just in case there was a problem it would be easier to solve "at home" and $100 in "overtime" pay for the USF&W officer to meet us at baggage claim after normal duty hours - 10pm arrival.

Did any of you think, "what about the CITES permit on the zebra"? If so, that turned out to be a piece of cake too. Since I was importing "my own" and "completed taxidermy" and it was "not for commercial use" and mountain zebra are on CITES Appendix II, all I needed was a CITES export permit from Namibia and no CITES Import permit for the US. Animals on Appendix I require the CITES Import permit regardless of "use".

On the Namibian end, the taxidermist charged me $150 to process all the Namibian export paperwork. Everything was wrapped in bubble wrap and then inside a very solid card board box with removable/reusable straps that met the airline size limits. As it was all European and just a rug it was well under the weight limits and we didn't incur any extra baggage fees. He emailed me copies of all the paperwork so I could complete the USF&W import paperwork.

All the USF&W paperwork was done on-line and took me about an hour or so - mostly because I was trying to figure out the web site and working through the forms. The forms were only a couple of pages each. I printed out copies and took them to the local USF&W office to review before I "officially" submitted them on-line. I was even able to pay all the fees on-line once I filled the "official" docs. I also gave the agent a copy of our flight schedule. Once the import documents were "approved" the agent emailed me a set that include her name, badge number and cell phone number if we had any problems at our initial port of entry.

Once "over there", our PH had picked up the box of trophies and the original copies of the Namibian export documents and a metal "tag" to seal the box when Namibian Customs inspected the box and signed off on the paperwork. We went to the Namibian Customs office (right next door where you check your guns back out when leaving). She looked over the docs, popped the top off the box, did a quick look inside closed the box and put the metal tag through two holes (one int he side and one in the lid) sealed it, stamped/initialed all the docs and off to check in we went.

Our initial port of entry was Charlotte and other than it not having the Global Entry kiosks for clearing Immigration, US Customs was a snap. Told them we had trophies, they cleared the guns as normal, looked at the paperwork and asked to look in the trophy box. I told the agent (very politely) that my specific instructions from the USF&W office in Tampa were that "nobody" was allowed to break that seal until we get tp Tampa and if he had any questions, my instructions were to have him call the number on the import documents. He looked over the docs, walked over to his desks and stamped everything. 15 min total and we had cleared Customs.

The USF&W agent met us at the baggage carousel in Tampa right on time. She looked over the docs, opened the box and compared the info to the tags on the mounts and rug, opened the bubble wrap to make sure the species were correct and by the time the rifles showed up, she was done and we were on our way to the house.

All in all, now that I've done it once and for as long as I keep going back every year or so I'll keep bringing my own stuff back. Next year I'll be bringing back just one gemsbok, a warthog and a baboon. Already, checked on the import requirements and unless the laws change between now and next May it will be a snap.

Sorry for being so long but trying to pass along info that can save you BIG BUCKS!!

m3taco,

Bravo to you, man! I plan on trying to do the same as you did in the future. Paperwork is getting to be less daunting to me, because as you say, doing it yourself can save you big bucks! I really like the idea of bringing trophies back as checked baggage. It saves an awful lot on airline freight and shipper charges.

No, you weren't long-winded - I appreciate the detail you put into this post, and will use this info in the future for sure. Thanks!

Glen

m3taco,

Glad to hear it went so well for you but can I ask if you shipped the package back as excess baggage or as cargo?

Very insightful piece. Thanks for the information and the detail was helpful.

Steve:

Nope to the cargo - was just another piece of checked baggage.

Since it was just two European gemsbok mounts and a finished rug and a tail, the taxidermist was able to fit it all in a box that was within the maximum dimensions and weight limit allowed by the airline. If I remember correctly it was less than something like 35lbs.

Since there are two of us and we pack pretty light anyway we didn't incur any extra bag(s) fee either - came within our two bags per passenger limit.

I am guessing that you could do smaller species shoulder mounts in individual boxes as long as each box met size/weight limits. Even if you had to pay a couple of extra bag charges it is still a hell of a lot cheaper than having to have them shipped back.

Guess the other difficulty is you have to go back to the same country and get them...damn the luck!

quote:

Originally posted by m3taco:
Guess the other difficulty is you have to go back to the same country and get them...damn the luck!

Life's a bitch huh!

I guess if you can do it on your normal baggage allowance it's a great idea!

Well done.

A lot of people seem to baulk at handling paperwork and regulations themselves. You have demonstrated that with a little planning and organisation it can been done, quite easily.

Excellent initiative, and good info for all.

Sure wish we could do that from Zim ... how beautiful life would be!