In May I went on your basic PG hunt in Namibia. I have found the process of getting the trophies back to be by far the worst part and has frankly cast something of a pall over the whole thing.

Anyway, I will try to lay this out in full as it happened as best I can so to whatever extent my mistakes compounded this, others can learn from.

The first mistake I made was thinking that I would just use the ph’s usual dip & pack service. My theory was that they would do a lot of work together and the chances of getting screwed would be lower. This may work for some people but didn’t for me. It was more of a clean hand off.

Anyway, at first I was unsure of whether I wanted my work done over there and shipped finished or if just a straight dip and pack. I got quotes both ways and was mulling this over for a while. I also got quotes for shipping both ways from Namibia Safari Services as broker. I mulled it over for a couple of weeks and then emailed Namases Taxidermy in Okahandjia (spelling?) that I would have them do it.

That very night another client on the hunt called me to talk about this and told me about a post by TJ on this forum. To say the least, TJ did not have a good experience.

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/...=877101666#877101666

So after reviewing that, I sent TJ a PM asking for more details than what he included in the post. Since this was in a PM, I’m not going to share anything further, but I was strongly inclined to not use Namases or Namibia Safari Services as a broker.

But I figured that I’d hear what they had to say. So we passed a few emails back and forth and it was a largely a “he said, she said†affair. At the least, I had TJ’s horrible experience, so I decided to cancel the taxidermy order and just have a dip and pack done.

One of the problems with TJ’s experience was that finished trophies were shipped loose in a box with shredded newspaper as filler. Knowing this, I asked the tannery here that cleared my trophies what he thought of this as far as just a dip and pack was concerned. He said that it shouldn’t be a problem if just shipping horns. As I later came to find out, he thought that no one would be stupid enough to ship this stuff in just a cardboard box but that it would have internal wood framing with cardboard walls.

I also switched brokers on the Africa end from Namibia Safari Services to Pam Foerster. I don’t have any problem with this part of the transaction. However, I would point out that Namibia Safari Services gave me a quote based on 113 kg, which is what Pam used to give me a quote. Pam was quite a bit less expensive for the record. As it turned out, the weight on my shipment was 170kgs. That is a 50% increase in weight. I don’t understand how someone in the business couldn’t look at what was being shipped and be closer than that on their weight estimate. I would like that kind of margin for error in my work.

So I finally got the email that my stuff was ready and I needed to wire funds. Much to my surprise, Namases included a $50 “communication charge†for the intense burden of sending 9 emails back and forth, most of which were my trying to get their side of the story on TJ’s debacle.

This is the thing and you newbie’s should pay attention here – these guys have you by the balls with this crap if you want your trophies. So what did I do? I paid the ^&%*^ fee.

Anyway, the stuff finally arrives and Northwest calls the clearing guy to say that the “crate†had arrived but was damaged. So I went down to check it out. It had been shipped in a cardboard box with shredded newspaper as filler. The only part left of the box was the bottom. All of my stuff was just stacked loosely on top of it. Needless to say, the trophies are fairly well damaged. The springbok was pretty much totally destroyed – I can’t imagine that a taxidermist can fix it; I can’t even piece it together. The impala was going to be a Euro mount, but I guess not anymore.

I’m not sure at what point in the process it happened, but the base of the kudu horns is completely bleached out.

Another thing – the gemsbok, kudu and springbok had holes drilled in the horns (toward the tip on the Gemsbok and Springbok no less) to attach a tag. The black wildebeest and impala did not. I’m not sure where this happened because the drilled holes were all on animals that were shot at Okanduka Seibe whereas the ones without holes were shot at a different concession but with the same ph. One thought I had was that this is required for import but I have never heard of it before, and the fact that not all of them had it done leads me to believe otherwise.

Strangely, even though all payment and communication was conducted through Namases, there is a tag on one of them that says Reiser Taxidermy which leads me to believe it was subcontracted out?

On a final note, the guy that cleared my stuff said that there was another box from “the same place†that he cleared at the same time which was also destroyed like mine.

Anyway, I believe I have accurately conveyed all that went on and the degree to which I was a PITA to work with as far as asking them to do the taxidermy but then changing my mind.

By the way, if you are hunting with Dirk Rohrmann or Omalanga Safaris, this is their default person to handle this stuff. I would suggest lining someone else up in advance.

See pictures below. Or attempted pictures below anyway.

Not sure what can be done, but I know that your taxidermist can fill the drilled holes with no problem. You may want to look into a reproduction skull (if they exist for your animal) from one of the taxidermy supply houses or Skulls Unlimited in Oklahoma City. With patience the broken springbok horn can be put back together. Good luck, it seems you have had the bad luck so far.

One thing I forgot to add - assuming there is nothing that can be done with the springbok horn, I still have the cape. It's caped for a shoulder mount of course. Does anybody have any ideas on a good way to display such a thing? The way it's caped, I wouldn't think a rug would be all that nice.

This is to say the very least, appalling. I have never seen anything like it. What a shame and a terrible end to a great safari. Someone needs to be financially responsible for this and they also need to lose their license/business as well. Thanks for posting. It will help all of us to get out the word and to avoid, at all costs, the people and businesses that were involved in this.

JV, $50 communication fee? You have to be kidding. $50 to ask questions from someone your giving money to. Now that you have you trophies in the states I would be asking for that back and more or this story should be on every hunting forum in the world.

Have you contacted Namases Taxidermy, Pam Foerster or Dirk Rohrmann about any of this?

When we were in Dirk's camp and asked Dirk if we could visit Namases Taxidermy I thought it was strange when we were told it could not happen as some unannounced holiday that no one knew about was happening that Fri. Hard to believe anyone owning a business that stood to make around 8K USD could not be there. Very odd.

I sure hope my mounts get better care than yours.

By the way did you ever get the back hides you asked to have saved?

Sounds like the packing of your trophies was not done well and the horns were boiled until they became brittle.. However, the holes in the horns for tags and the bleaching out of color (like on the base of your kudu horn) are very common and not at all difficult to fix by your taxidermist. It is not unusual to see large holes drilled in horns with spade bits where they pour in insecticide. Looks shocking, but again, easy to fix. That springbok horn can be re-built by an experienced taxidermist and you should not be able to notice. To be honest, the condition of your capes is a lot more important than the horns. It is not that difficult to re- create the look of horn with epoxy clay but missing hair and sections of skin is when it gets difficult. Good luck.

JVinAK

You have a PM

JVinAK

It is deer season here so I'm too swamped to lay this out fully but it is a bummer and it probably won't help much to say you are not the first on that has had such an experience.

Guys really need to prescout the preperators, and systems their ph's have in place on the front end of the hunt. Once the tab and tip are paid its all bets off with some of the less than professional outfits.

If you want to e-mail me I can probably hook you up with a replacement springbok skull and some other needs. Holes drilled for tagging is fairly common and no big deal, The broken ones can be fixed and or reproduced.

There should have been some insurance on the shipment. They may try to lay it off as poorly packed which seems like the case but if they accepted it for shipping and accepted the payment and insurance fees then they may be liable for some of the costs.

I'd start back with the outfitter and work down the line. Be a squeeky wheel! These guys have to understand that their clients can pay far less to take a photo safari if all they are going to get in the end is pictures!

JVinAK, I hope Namibia is not the problem. I have had problems with Nyati Taxidermy in Windhoek.

Sounds like you had a rough time - and I'm sorry for that but it sounds to me as though more than one person/company is to blame for the stuff ups.

Regarding the cardboard box, the US Government refuse to allow wooden crates etc from overseas into the US. (I don't know if this is just for hunting trophies or a blanket ban?) - Therefore taxidermists have to use cardboard now. Most use very heave cardboard with rails at the bottom to allow the airlines to use a forklift. It could be that the damage to the box and contents was caused by incorrect use of a forklift? (probably by the airline) and/or it could be that either the bottom rails were absent on your box or damaged by either the cargo handlers or someone else.... (Or they might just have been cheap boxes with no 'forklift' rails)

As to the horns, it looks to me as though whoever skinned and prepared your trophies either overcooked them or had the water level too high during the cooking process.

Regarding the holes drilled in your horns. If it's one hole at the tip of one horn on each or some animals, that's a very old fashioned way of attaching labels. - Nowadays, most companies use plastic ladderstraps through a natural hole in the skull. - If it's more than one hole, it might have been done by customs to check for illegal substances...... but it's more common for them to use x-ray as a first step. - Either way, if the holes aren't too drastic, the taxidermist can probably fill them for you.

The US$50 comms fee sounds like utter BS to me.

quote:

Regarding the cardboard box, the US Government refuse to allow wooden crates etc from overseas into the US. (I don't know if this is just for hunting trophies or a blanket ban?) - Therefore taxidermists have to use cardboard now.

The above is not quite accurate; There are restrictions on the type of wood and a required treatment of certain woods but wooden crates have arrived at my shop from Africa and other overseas locations as recent as last Thurdsay.

These are the things you are paying the preperator/packer/shipper to know and do properly and in your best interest.

Just a note to correct part of your message. There is no such ban on wooden crates. What there is is a requirement that all Solid Wood Packing Material must be affixed with a Logo that confirms the solid wood has been either heat treated or treated with Methyl Bromide.

Other types of wood such as oriented strand board or plywood are man made and does not require the logo.

Lastly, the airline is required by the Warsaw convention to provide insurance cover on every freight shipment at a rate of $20 per chargeable kilo of weight. Also, the airfreight quote should have included additional insurance as well. Check the freight breakdown that Pam provided to see if additional insurance was purchased. In my opinion I would check with Pam to see who packed the shipment.

I apologise for the inaccuracy f my statement.... you are both correct, but the reality - or at least the reality is that of the 3 taxidermists I know in my local(ish) area here in RSA, all 3 opt to use cardboard (albeit very strong cardboard) cases because they're so concerned that wooden cases will be returned at the clients (or their) expense.

i would start with the outfitter and work my forward to the arrival in the states. as far as i am concerned one of the outfitter's responsiblities is to act as your on-the-scene advocate when a problem arises. if he does much business with the packer, shipping company, etc, he may be able to pressure them in providing some compensation. as an aside, my last trophy shipment including a full body leopard and 3 shoulder mounts was done by Derek Robinson Taxidermy in Thabazimbi,RSA and shipped in a wooden crate. the wood was properly stamped as being treated and USDA had no complaints. I had contacted Derek about the need to use treated wood prior to shipment and was told not to worry- they were aware of the regulation and always used treated wood. good luck with this mess- hope somebody in the disaster chain steps up and makes it right!!

Sorry, the worst way to finish the adventure
Thanks to warning us about that f... people

I have not read the entire thread in detail, however I have used Reiser and was very satisfied with my European mounts and hides. They came in wooden crate.
Peter.

I agree with the other taxidermists who posted, the Springbok is easily repaired and should make a nice shoulder mount. The Kudu horns look good also, that's the way nearly all of them look, if finished properly after mounting you won't be able to see the lighter colored areas. The broken skulls are another matter, they can't be repaired, but you should be able to cut them and salvage some type of skull mount out of them.

This is the scariest part of the safari experience to me. I would rather face an ele charge then open a crate to find this. Who will you be using around here to finish everything?

The $50 comms fee is ridiculous and I wouldn't pay it...or submit to them the bill for the trophy repairs minus the $50 fee and see what they say.

Take encouragement from the excellent taxidermists here saying that much of it can be fixed. I would love to see the end result. Keep your head up and start making plans for the return trip!

Amazing story! Being a professional taxidermist 36 years and a Professional Hunter in Africa for 10 years....I've never seen or heard of such deplorable treatment of a trophy shipment, (and I thought I'd heard it all!)
All the companies I've worked for (East africa, or south) always wire the trophies safely inside a well built, sturdy plywood crate. I've never heard of a cardboard box for shipment before. VERY STUPID! FYI: Crates can still be used & importable into USA no problem! Never saw crushed skulls yet...but the kudu problem is seen from time to time. I've never seen or heard of such a dumb practise of drilling even a small hole into the horns!! (The worst story I have heard was client's name written in indelible blue ink in big letters across middle of both elephant tusks!!!....if this makes you feel any better?) Regarding the "Communication Fees": in EVERY business there will be problems from time to time, that's normal; but when have you ever heard of someone charging "Communication Fees" for their time spent dealing with that problem?????? What absolute rubbish!!!!!! I think this outfitter owes you big time!!

If you are a member of SCI, contact them. You may be able to get them banned from the organization. Not that that would mean much in the way of satisfaction to you, but it could cost them a lot of business. I'd file a complaint with both the safari outfitter and the taxidermist. File an offical hunt report with SCI for the member database. Anyone from SCI can search the database for outfitters and will be able to read your report. Hit them in the pocketbook.

And also get a really good experienced taxidermist that specializes in African game. Horns can be reapired or even re-created from resin. Capes can be replaced. Most things can be fixed. It's just a matter of time and money. Or, bag the trophies, take the money you would save on the taxidermy and go hunting again. I don't even bring trophies home anymore. I'd rather hunt again that support the taxidermist. Photos are cheaper and they convey the experience far better than a shoulder mount can.

Mac

I understand your frustration. Deciding what to do about the animals I harvested was harder than deciding where to go for me. I decided to have my rugs done in Namibia, had my shoulder mount capes dipped and shipped to a tannery in the states. My buddies had the entire process done in Namibia and the outcome is this. Their trophies are on their wall, an August 06 hunt.They had them months ago. My rugs made it to the states almost a year ago, my hides are supposedly in a tannery in California. I wanted to use local taxidermist I had used before so I could watch the process. Bottum line, I return to Namibia in a month for another hunt, I still do not have my mounts finished, I do have the skulls and horns, I do have my rugs,,, but I am leaning to just having it all done in Namibia this time, quicker and a little less money in the past but it is a crap shoot everytime at best. For the record, we used Reiser Taxidermy in Windhoek and they delivered as promised. Work looked good, I would not call it artistry but good. I will use them again this summer. What a nightmare for you,, and my biggest worry when I hunt overseas. drwes

Just a note to negate the incorrect information in this post. Wood crating can be used to ship to the U.S. If it is solid wood then it must carry the proper logo which confirms that the wood was properly treated either with heat or methyl bromide. We recommend the use of manufactured wood such as plywood or oriented strand board since they do not require that labeling.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
Sounds like you had a rough time - and I'm sorry for that but it sounds to me as though more than one person/company is to blame for the stuff ups.

Regarding the cardboard box, the US Government refuse to allow wooden crates etc from overseas into the US. (I don't know if this is just for hunting trophies or a blanket ban?) - Therefore taxidermists have to use cardboard now. Most use very heave cardboard with rails at the bottom to allow the airlines to use a forklift. It could be that the damage to the box and contents was caused by incorrect use of a forklift? (probably by the airline) and/or it could be that either the bottom rails were absent on your box or damaged by either the cargo handlers or someone else.... (Or they might just have been cheap boxes with no 'forklift' rails)

As to the horns, it looks to me as though whoever skinned and prepared your trophies either overcooked them or had the water level too high during the cooking process.

Regarding the holes drilled in your horns. If it's one hole at the tip of one horn on each or some animals, that's a very old fashioned way of attaching labels. - Nowadays, most companies use plastic ladderstraps through a natural hole in the skull. - If it's more than one hole, it might have been done by customs to check for illegal substances...... but it's more common for them to use x-ray as a first step. - Either way, if the holes aren't too drastic, the taxidermist can probably fill them for you.

The US$50 comms fee sounds like utter BS to me.

I delt with Namises and Namibia Safari Svc.
Skulls arrived in cardboard box and shredded paper, knocked around but ok....
I had a kudu skin to be sent later. Namibia Safari want $520 to send 1 x tanned kudu skin.
Oh and by the way they also hit me up for the $50 comms fee.
Once bitten
Stu

See my PM

I keep getting an e-mail regarding this topic. I responded in the one area I have knowledge of. I don't want to unsubscribe from the site. If you have a private message for me please send it to therutkowskis@aol.com. Otherwise I don't know what it is I am supposed to be doing on the site regarding this posting. Thank you.

I can recall that Namases charged 15% for the packing which they did. I did originally give the quote based on the weight given by namibia Safaris, and I can recall I was quite a lot cheaper for shipments to ANC. Also when I was advised that damages had incurred I did request that photos of shipment arriving in ANC should be sent to me so that we could process a claim against the airline for possible bad handling. My company - International Air Cargo Services only did the export documentation & freight to ANC.All trophy exporters in Namibia will not open or repack trophies that have been packed by the taxidermist. I currently have a client who has shouldermounts made and has asked me to personaly pack his trophies and go and collect from Namases, which I have told him I will do.
Pam Foerster

Pam, what would you charge in freight to get a box of trophies from Namases to you?

Stu

Stu,
I would just charge the Petrol Costs plus the hourly rate for my driver - probably in the region of USD 75.00,

quote:

Originally posted by stuey:
Pam, what would you charge in freight to get a box of trophies from Namases to you?

Stu