I got my Kudu cape back from the tannery today. It was shipped straight to the tannery after clearing customs, so I didn't see it before it was tanned. The cape I got was beautiful, but it wasn't the one I shot. The one I shot (I have LOTS of pictures), has a nice flowing beard on it. The one I got back has a scraggly, kinda non-existent beard.

I shot my Kudu about 7 AM in the morning, and it was in the salt by 7:30. It was cool, and I'm sure the cape didn't slip. So I don't think the beard fell out. I plan to contact my outfitter + the tannery, but I'm sure it's going to be "I shipped the right one to the tannery" and "we tanned the one we got". Is there any recourse? Should I just let it go, and mount the one I got? Other than missing a full beard, it's a beautiful cape.

Jeff

Yep. Just happened to me. The East Cape Kudu I shot displayed a real nice dark cape with a long flowing mane but the mount I got back was much lighter in color, had a very small mane, and, according to the taxidermist, had been shot in the head. In addition, the chevron on the face was almost non-existant. My PH assured me the correct cape was in my shipment so either my taxidermist made the swap or the tannery did. It's still beautiful and it has my horns on it but I'm disapointed. Maybe it only happens to left handers.

My kudu mount shows considerable hair slippage on the left side which is not evident on the pictures nor in my memory. Otherwise I cannot tell the difference i.e. whether the cape had been switched but this was the only one of over 20 capes taken with that outfitter between my partner and myself on two safaris that had ANY slippage. Chance I guess.

I shot two warthogs in 2000. I received one and it wasn't mine. By the time I got it it was about two years (D/P, shipping, and taxidermy). It wasn't worth the hassle of trying to straighten it all out.

But in this case the hog I received was bigger than either I shot. I think I'm the only person who got a better one in such a screw-up.

Take Care,

-Steve

this is why alot of folks are tanning their own now.

I always inspect my stuff at the taxidermist before it goes to the tannery. I had a set of record horns switched by a expediter in Texas once.

My neighbor shoot a large male Leopard in Zim 2 years ago, and had it life size mounted there.
But, when the mount arrived, it was a small female cat.

Of course, no one knows anything.

I have had capes switched on my Greater Kudu. The one I shot was a beautiful full cape. The one I got was scragglely and had hair missing. The beautiful ivory colored tips had been painted black.

When I open the crate, my male warthog had transfromed itself into female.

What some taxidermists do is switch the capes and horns and sell your stuff to outfits like "Skin and Bones" and others.
That way they get your money and the get paid again for your nice capes.

I would stay away from taxidermists like Capricorn Taxidermy in Pietersburg RSA.

In my opine we spent a lot of time and effort to collect trophies and then let someone we know little or nothing about mount your trophies. Those are a great part of the memories of your hunt.

A word from someone who has been burnt. Check em out or even better bring your hides and horns back here.

Yep, a fox fur....I had pictures...the one I got back had rings on the tail, was more pale and had an exit hole stitched up, probably from a larger caliber bullet. Mine was shot with a .22WMR, from the front in the chest and had no exit hole...

Nothing could be done...I just had to learn to enjoy somebody elses fur on the wall.

Frans

I've had a Jackal switched, one the one I sent had a mangy tail and I got a beautiful bushy tail on the full mount I got.

In 94 my wife shoot the largest female Warthog our ph had ever seen. When our trophies arrived in Alaska the tusks were gone. Its my belief they were taken by some one in New York when the trophies were being cleared.



I have hunted three times in South Africa, twice I have noticed trophies tagged poorly. Most of the time single tags are attached to a horn. When the horns dry they will slip off, Making it easy to loose the name tag. The worst thing I have seen were capes with paper/string name tags & horns pilled together with only one name tag for each pile of horns! Every new hunter in camp looked and compared horns from each pile. I guaranty in time horns were miss placed.



The best thing a hunter can do is have laminated name tags pre made up, and personally verify each of his or her capes & horns are double tagged (one on each horn)