Just got my bill in from my shipping agent this morning. Major sticker shock! For eight animals my tare was almost $2,600 for shipping alone... all in about $3,200. I don't know if it is because it is a shipment from Benin or if oil prices are working their way through the economy, ladies and gentlemen. Maybe both. Hope you find a way to get your shipments over at a lower cost.

WOW!

Russell, I am awaiting my trophies from Cameroon. I paid the outfitter a per-animal fee of $250 Euro (~$400 USD) for handling and transport from camp to Paris. From here, I am responsible for the shipping.

Your $3200 bill...were there any other charges levied by the outfitter? I am hoping for my sake not! Also, sounds like your did Customs Broker charges were ~$600?

Hmmm, go figure. Your shipping was $2600 and customs $600. My shipping (from Namibia through South Africa) was $600 and customs fees $2000. It's all a big money racket. I'll never do it again.

quote:

Your $3200 bill...were there any other charges levied by the outfitter? I am hoping for my sake not! Also, sounds like your did Customs Broker charges were ~$600?

Hey, Bill. I had to pay about $1,000 dip and pack to the outfitter. High but standard for the industry, I guess. There was no other charges from them. Yes, the Custom Broker charged me the rest to get the shipment in and clear it through Customs....

Now, taxidermy!!! At this rate I am starting to side with the camp that says leave your trophies for the PH and save the money for your next hunt!

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Now, taxidermy!!! At this rate I am starting to side with the camp that says leave your trophies for the PH and save the money for your next hunt!

That is the sad part, we are always the last one in line when the client is out of money

seriously, it is a shame that all the permits and dipping can not be done "while you wait" during/after the hunt. I would gladly pay extra (reduced) daily rates just to stay in camp and watch the skins dry, then just throw everything into a duffel and head for home. in the more developed countries like RSA and Namibia, it would be great if you could spend 5-10 days or so touring around while your trophies/paperwork were being prepared. You could get a lot into a duffel or a tuffpack. Oh well, we can keep dreaming.

Damn that is high for skins and horns, What was the weight? Who is your shipping agent?

For what I have into D&P, shipping, clearing customs, 3 shoulder mounts an 1 tanned zebra skin I could do another 8 day plains game for 2 large animals and a few warthogs sans the air fare.

Russell,

I think we are just going to have to accept that dip/pack, shipping, broker fees etc. are going to be a significant part of our safari expenses. My shipment from Mozambique cost me $3,000 plus for '07 and I still have a shipment coming from Zim. Do we leave our trophies there? Not yet at that point for me but if I have to choose between hunting and mounting my trophies it will be hunting with a few snapshots.

Mark

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That is the sad part, we are always the last one in line when the client is out of money

Sorry, Grafton... don't mean to slight the taxidermists. You guys create the works of art that bring back memories of the trip for years to come...

And I agree with Mark, I still can't leave my horns behind... BUT it is getting so expensive to just get our shipments back we could throw a couple of extra safaris into our planning every few years if we just left shipping out of the equation!

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What was the weight? Who is your shipping agent?

111 kgs.... which seems really heavy. I'll check that out. And I've used Coppersmith for years.

the idea of sticking around in country and then bringing the salted hides home in a duffel has merit. that is the way trophies are brought home from Mongolia and as well as Russia and Mongolia is certainly a third world country.

It seems high to me. I just spent $4500 for the trophy shipment and clearing from the trip my son and I took to Tanzania last year. These were 21 day hunts. We had more animals and they had to go further.

With those shipping prices, make sure you throw a bottle of lube in the duffel bag.

I'm also awaiting a shipment of six animals from So. Africa; just last week I paid $835. for dip & pack. I'm stuck with whatever it costs for the shipping - THIS TIME - but like Mark, above, I'm probably finished with these sky-rocketing shipping costs & packing & dipping for future hunts - I'll take some nice pics, and save my money for hunting, not trophy room decorations. Oh, by the way, five years ago for four hunters & 16 animals from So. Africa, dipping, packing, AND shipping (everything for the four of us) was $1,925. to the taxidermy shop here at home ...... actual costs have NOT inflated that much in five years - it IS a money-making racket .....

Just take the taxidermist with you. He could tan the hides and treat the horns and the boys could bring everything home with them. A group of 4 could save $10,000 at those prices. I think I will have to stick with hunting North American game animals.

MC: I'm leaning in your direction on the hunting of North American animals ..... with airfares, dip & packs, & costs always on the rise in Africa, it's getting harder to justify.

We just did a 7 animal shipment from Ethiopia to Houston. Dip, pack, and documentation was $760 . Airfrieght was $535. I have no idea what the broker will charge. Looks to me like Benin is closer to the USA than Ethiopia is. Could it be that the farther South one goes in Africa the more expensive shipping is?


Rich Elliott

We just got back a shipment from RSA a couple of monhts ago. Dip and pack on 31 animals was about $2700, warthogs were tusks only. The shipping and fees was $2500. There was three of us in our group and to save some money we put all the paperwork in my name. That way we only had to pay all the administrative fees once rather than each of us being charged the same fees individually.

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Originally posted by David Culpepper:
We just got back a shipment from RSA a couple of monhts ago. Dip and pack on 31 animals was about $2700, warthogs were tusks only. The shipping and fees was $2500. There was three of us in our group and to save some money we put all the paperwork in my name. That way we only had to pay all the administrative fees once rather than each of us being charged the same fees individually.

I agree this sounds like the best way, but isn't this something the USFWS is starting to frown rather severely on-more than one hunters trophies under just one hunter's name? Not totally sure of this, just that I read something like that recently. Anyone have more info?

Comparison 2006 shipment from Dar, Tanzania 4 crates 758 lbs... $3300 to NYC Fauna & Flora.. Included all charges...

Also picked up an paid for a friend: one crate 100lbs. $1895.00 someone made out on that deal...He reimbursed me...

Mike

been to africa a number of times only hunted 4 times out of 11 trips 3 for 10 complements USAF. My last trip this year I paid as a civilian left everything there except the camera and the pictures I took.