I have been sitting on this for several months. I recieved my animals form my last trip to Africa several months ago. The 38-39 inch bull gemsbok I shot was switched with one that was 31 inches. I am so sick of dealing with my outfitter, agent and the taxidermist. I can't say anything good about any of them.

I know this happens.... but what do you do!

I plan on going back next year I think I will be a bit more selective with who I go with next year.


Have you ever had an animal switched? How common is this? whats a hunter to do?


A very unhappy,

Urdubob

Very sorry to hear of your troubles. Have they accepted they messed up? If you say you have discussed this problem in length with your outfitter and taxidermist and they have yet to rectify the error, I'm afraid there is not much you can do anymore......an honest person would have sorted this mess out by now.

If you are sure about their mistake and their reluctance to trake responsability, you can name them on this and other forums so that others may be "alerted" before booking with them. this might make them take notice and resolve your issues with them.
Good luck!

Bwanamich, about said it all!

You can also make your grief known to the Hunting Report (mostly one files a report of the hunt taken - and the aftermath such as taxidermy). If you already have correspondence with your outfitter/taxidermist, you can include that in the report. Often, the Hunting Report gets in touch with the parties involved, and all replies become a part of the "file" for this incident. Eventually, unless the issue is resolved, it will be mentioned in the newsletter, that a negative report (with possible rebuttals) has been filed against outfitter/taxidermist so-and-so. FWIW.

Regarding switching of trophies. I doubt there is any way one can completely avoid this. I try to mark each of my skulls/capes with tags that I put on with cable-ties. They usually stick pretty well, and should be on there when I receive my trophy shipment. Not a guarantee, by any stretch of imagination...

- mike

Please file with the Hunt Report.

Also, please let us know the name of the outfiter and the taxidermist so that we can avoid them.

Did you use a booking agent? If so, is the booking agent trying to make it right?

Bob

I received a brown zebra skin rather than the very nice unmarked unscarred black one I shot.

I thought it was a tanning chemical problem until someone here pointed out to me it must have been switched.

Shorter horns are an obvious switch.

What can you do? Probably nothing except name the parties. You are not having a good run of it.

quote:

Originally posted by NitroX:
Bob

You are not having a good run of it.

You are correct and all my bad dealings can be traced back one person and the group of sub-stanard folks he hooked me up with after my buffalo hunt was cancelled by his outfitter 48 hours befor I was to leave.

urdubob

If you were caught for a sucker, I’m truly very sorry for you. Every single taxidermist that I’ve ever dealt with measured every single horn at the time the trophies were delivered and entered the measurements on the trophy acceptance form. This should have been done (?) as IMHO it is standard practice with all reputable taxidermists, and should be the basis of answering the question: Were the gemsbok horns swapped or not? IMHO, if they were swapped the taxidermist should bear the cost of you shipping the swapped set back to you, and fixing the problem and then bear the cost of shipping the correct pair back to you. But if you were passed to substandard operators, I’m very sorry for you, and my heart bleeds for you, having a really small 31†gemsbok in stead of a rather nice 38-39†job!

I have no real idea of how powerful negative publicity on a forum such as AR is, but IMHO you owe it to your fellow hunters to alert them to the dubious dealings of XYZ hunting outfitters and ZYX taxidermists. If you feel done in, speak up! Just as I say, if you had a good deal, speak out and tell everyone about the virtues of XYZ as you experienced the service. The only advice I want to give is: If you submit a negative report, give full details so that the actual culprit can be accurately identified by every reader. What I mean is, don’t blame Jim Smith: There are literally thousands who will be offended, just because one is guilty. Blame Jim Smith of No. XYZ ???? Street, ???? City SXYZ Zip Code and give telephone numbers and other details, so that every reader can accurately determine which one of many potential Jim Smith’s he/she should watch out for! If you have a good thing to say about Jim Smith, don’t worry about being very specific, they (the many Jim Smiths) will all feel good!

To repeat: If you want to blackball someoen make sure he and he alone is targeted!

In good hunting,

Did you watch them measure your stuff or did you take the measurements?Did they us SCI method or Roland Ward?Did you add the circumference of the bases into your numbers if using SCI?As Verewaaier stated the taxidermist should have the numbers.If not then you got screw.And all that left is getting the info out there.

Urdobob


At a smaller scale, I met the same problem.
6 years ago I shot my first mufflon, an old male with full curl horns (silver medal) and a fantastic mane. My brother in law shot a smaller one (bronze medal). Advised by the local Game dpt, we let them mount by the local part time taxidermist.
This buffoon stuck the lesser horns of my brother in law’s mufflon on mine . Anyhow I kept the head of my mufflon because of his wonderful mane.
No need to tell You, the Game dpt never advertised for him again. Worst, this head is still stinking like a full sheepfold, and the eyes are bulging as if headshot and MY.... this bloody veinlike strings around his snout....

The poor beast died one or twice more.

File with the HUNT REPORT, You'll help lots of naive hunters.
God bless Rhodesia, God bless Ian Smith

Not in reference to this thread, but many time clients THINK their head was larger than they thought or the PH said it was..this is very a common occurance according to some of the stories I have heard from SCI PHs and taxidermist,..

I had it happen to me some years back and I know he got the right head because I shot it and gave it to him because he wanted it...He told everyone he shot a Springbuck that was no. 2 in the book, it was a only a bit better than average, and he had to save face by claiming the taxidermist switched heads on him...and when I corrected him he never spoke to me again, for which I am eteranlly grateful..

The hunter could/should mark his horns or cut a small knotch from the hide, a scratch on the horn or nick it with a pocket knife, whatever, so that he will know for sure if it has been switched..

One can, most of the time, tell if his trophy is correct by a picture, and a bullet hole scar...

I do know that sometimes heads are switched, on purpose or by accident, that is the nature of some and it happens in any business, and one bad apple can make the rest look bad..so its best to take the above precautions, but always try to work it out first, as it could be a legitamate mistake..

Geesh, I'm sorry to hear about this, but not terribly surprised. The nightmare continues.
Why don't you post a pic of you and your gemsbok, that will stop "the hunter didn't know how big his gemsbok was" stuff.

A friend had a Kudu switched in Zimbabwe. I think the one he got has never been displayed, and he has never returned to Africa because of it. I had the horns switched on a Nilgai from Texas; mine was number SCI #2 or 3 although I will never put in the book. I ended up getting the right one after a lot of threatening phone calls, etc.

These outfitters live & die by their reputations. I would firmly explain this to them and let them know that you aren't going to let it happen too others. The Hunting Report and public forums like this can be powerful tools.

Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice, shame on me!!!