I will be going to SA in aug and the outfitter uses Highveld Taxidermy. Has anyone used them and how has the service been? They indicate full service of taxidermy, packaging, and shipping to you final destination(Home). What is your experience, or should other arrangements be made?

Thanks,

I used them once back in 03 or 04. The just preped my Klipspringer and Mt Reedbuck for shippment. I had no problems just as slow as anyone else.

One of the biggest and best Taxidermy in South Africa, Dieter the owner has over 30 years experience and did Taxidermy in Zambia and South Africa. His Manager / curio manufacturer did a hunt with me in April 2009.

We in RSA always want to wait for our trophies, because then we know that a proper "job" has been done...

www.highveldtaxidermists.com
Tele: +27 12 650 0000
Fax: + 27 12 349 8334

Used them for my 8/07 trip. Just received my mounts, rug and back skins 2 months ago. They were xlint in correspondence in all areas, answered questions etc. The crate and packaging was top notch. Used their contacts for brokerage for the west coast and no issues.

Work quality was to my satisfaction. Plan to use again for my 9/09 trip.

Used them on my first safari. Would never do it again,

They shipped a year late, sloppy work. My local taxidermist could NOT remount, because of a tanning process used over there.

Had to redo Kudu, nyala, and gemsbok.

Have your work done here.

I have used them twice and both times they were excellent. All emails were answered and they sent me pics prior to the final mounting for my approval. As with all taxidermist both in the US and abroad turn around was slow but I have not seen better work. All total I have about 20 mounts done by them and would highly recommend them.
Wesley

They prepped all my stuff from 2005 trip and did all my Euro mounts. I was completely satisfied.

Wesley : Do you have any pics you can share ?

Best r

Anton

I have never used them but my outfitter had to drop some stuff off so I took a tour of the place. All the mounts I saw looked excellent and they even did some mounts for some museums. Picked up one of their brochures at the time back in 2005 and their prices seemed very reasonable.

This thing about all taxidermists being slow is just not so. Marcus Zimmerman in Martinsburg, Pa is not cheap, but I took him Roe Buck, Sika, Falllow shoulder mounts and a life size Water Deer. When I delivered them to him he said Mr Seager they will all be ready in 4 months and they were to the day. Marcus is probably one of the best in the business.

I have not received my trophies yet (not due for a few more months), but correspondence has been better than any taxidermist I have used locally.

The only problems I had with them which I must admit were minor in the scheme of things were:

They were unable to run my credit card for dip and pack payments. There was some mumbo jumbo about it not working out of the country. I was assured by my bank that there was no reason it should not work and I had used it with them 2 years before without difficulty.

The other problem was they did not want to put my stuff in with my dads stuff even though both were to be shipped to my address. Both our mounts were to be done by my taxidermist here. They argued with me for several days via email. A quick call from the customs broker and it was taken care of.

I use Mike Dinges in Omaha. He's also Steve Hornady's taxidermist. Very high quality at reasonable prices. I have always had mine done here because that way I can change my mind as to how I want them mounted and when. The cost of shipping completed mounts usually makes up for any savings. In 2006 I hunted SA with a friend of mine. The PH talked him into having the work done there. I don't know who did it. We shot many of the same animals. We both got our mounts at about the same time. His total cost was alittle more than mine for the same animals, only a few dollars. The mounts are nowhere as go as mine, his words. Two of mine are on pedistals, Zebra and Cape Buff, I can't fathom what that would have cost to ship from SA. I was going to have the Kudu on the ped. but was able to change my mined once I got home and tried to figure out where they would all go.

Mike Dinges of Dinges Taxidermy is a real artist. His e-mail is realdinges@aol.com

I paid them about two months ago to prep my Blesbok to be shipped to my taxidermist and just sent an email to inquire if they had any idea when it would be shipped. From what I have read about trophy's on this forum, I don't think their response is unusual. I will post later if there are any issues. My email and their response:

Thank you for your message.

Our standard waiting time for dipping orders is 4-6 months from receipt of
payment.

We have already applied for the export permits needed for your shipment and
will place your trophy in the crating section as soon as all permits are on
hand.

We will send you a short message as soon as the crated order has been
uplifted from our studios.

Best regards
Ms Lisa Swart
Highveld Taxidermists (Pty) Ltd.
P.O. Box 34242, Erasmia 0023, South Africa
Tel: 27 12 650 0000 Fax: 27 12 349 8334
Email: info@highveldtaxidermists.com
http://www.highveldtaxidermists.com



Sent: 02 July 2009 02:30 PM
To: Lisa Swart
Subject: Re: FW: Order

Lisa,
Any idea when my Blesbok will be shipped?
Thanks
Mike

In 2005, I had a kudu and warthog shoulder mounted and two impala, a wildebeest, a blesbok and a gemsbok european mounted. They also tanned a jackal hide and did a felt-backed zebra rug, and tanned an impala and a blesbok. I have absolutely no compliants with them. They stayed in constant communication and the packing and crating were excellent.

I'm going to Masailand in two weeks and will be using John Pyles Taxidermy in Orlando who does museum quality work, but were I to return to RSA, I wouldn't hesitate to use Highveld again.

I can't complain, they did 3 safaris worth of stuff for me. Delivery wasn't fast, but it was very close to their estimates.

I have used Highveld with very satisfactory results. I also have a hunting friend that used them for a leopard mount. It was a very large cat taken in the Limpopo area of SA. The workmanship and design on the mount is outstanding. They do great work. I am off to Mozambique in a few weeks on my first Cape buffalo hunt. I plan on using Highveld for my buffalo if the hunting gods shine a light on me!

I was in at Highveld on June the 19th. Lisa gave us the grand tour and then I made the arrangements for 24 trophies for them to do for me.

The down payment was done with a credit card, my bank did call and make sure the charges were not fraudulent, very good policy in my books.

Lisa and I have communicated by e-mail on some ideas on how I may want to change how some of the trophies will be presented. Lot of heads to try to figure out where to hang, I believe I am going to change a couple pedestal mounts.

They are about 20 months out right now but Lisa told me they were working on getting caught up so as to reduce that time.

Poochus,
Taxidermists vary greatly - whether in the US or Europe or Africa. Quality of work is in the eye of the beholder. I am an amateur taxidermist (birds only) and I do not like my own work as a rule. I use a guy that I think is the best out there, but his work is not always perfect - to my eye at least. We work together to get what my "minds eye" sees but I am not always clear in my design or expectations. So, somethime, it is not perfect.

So, taxidermy work is a crap shoot a lot of the time. You have likely seen work on AR that is fantastic and other that looks like a POS. I have been taken advantage of and I have received more than I paid for. I just don't go back to the poor ones.

All of this to say - expect the work to take a long time, at least 9 months from shot to mount and oftentimes longer. Expect some of the work to be average and some to be great.

Use someone you are comfortable with and generally like their work. In the end, the memories are more important than the head on the wall.

I used them for my safari in 04, 15 mounts all excellent. I am using them again for last months safari.
Recommended without reservations

We used Highveld on our first safari in 2006. Great results, the animals were as good as if not better than taxidermists in the U.S. That being said, my father hunted in South Africa and Botswana in 2007 and we still have not received the shipment. His animals he took while in Tanzania are at Animal Artistry now and will be in his home this month. I visited with the new owner last year while returning from our trip in Mozambique, and he promised those animals would be here by July. My father is now being told about December for his animals he took in 2007. The animals from our hunt in Mozambique in late 2008 will most likely be on the wall already along with his trophies from Tanzania. Another friend who hunted in 2007 with my father had his animals only dipped and shipped and they were just returned in January of 2009.

I can not in good conscience recommend Highveld Taxidermy at this time. I would recommend having those animals dipped at another location and having them shipped back to the U.S. to your taxidermist.

I have used Highveld many times, they are slow but excellent.

Here are a few examples












All the shoulder mounts are by Highveld

Hope this helps
Regards
Aziz

Well, we don't have ours back yet, they were left there last July. However the boy and I talked about it, and I'm in absolutely no hurry, as long as they do good work.

Aziz, very nice mounts.

Mad Dog

I would tell everyone loud and clear to stay away from them. They promised me 9 months return on animals that are now 2 years out. Also on another batch of animals I gave them there were 12 animals that I wanted mounted and I needed 1 dipped and packed to be put on mount I already had mounted back home. When the mounts arrived from them the one to be dipped and packed the hair had slipped. ( white springbuck) Also one of the animals I got was clearly not mine. I have been to africa several tomes and it is great DON'T let your trip memories be clouded by dealing with highveld taxidermy. Their work also is not what |I would say is top of the line.

It must be kept in mind that hair slippage may not be the fault of the tannery but of initial poor care of that skin. I use to use Animal Artistry but had bad hair slippage on some of my mounts and it turned out to be poor care at the skinning shed.
As you can see in my photos, Highveld does very good work and if there is a problem they are very responsive and take care of it, or not charge for it.
The only problem is they are slow.

Regards
Aziz

I just recently got in a shipment two weeks ago. The quality of the work was fine and I have no complaints on that issue. However, the animals were from a hunt in September 2007. I know that they got the animals in shop that month and my deposit and final payment went out within days of the request for them.

Twenty months to turn around trophies is not acceptable to me and I will not use them again.

I've used Highveld for years and wouldn't think of changing to someone else.

What you in fees, you will lose in shipping charges.You will be billed by weight and volume.

Have them done here. I had a kudo, gems buck and black wildebeast done for $800 a piece and had them on the wall with in 6 months of pick up


JD

That should read "What you save in fees other there"
Sorry about the double post the edit button won't work.

JD

Should I assume that those that had problems left the skins with the outfitter to be delivered to Highveld? I am going through Cruiser Safari's and our last day is taking the skins to Highveld. At that time deposit is to be made.

Poochuss,
I hunted with Cruiser Safaris in 2006 and just returned from a another safari with them a couple of weeks ago. I am a hobby taxidermist but had Highveld mount my 2006 trophies and they did a top notch job. They are doing a dip/pack for my 09 trophies simply because I am impatient. On the way to the airport on both trips, we stopped and toured Highveld's operation. It is impressive. My understanding is that Highveld does a once-a-month pickup of the skins and skulls at the skinning shed at Cruisers. Cruiser does an excellent job of skinning and salting. No worries there. If you choose to have your trophies mounted in RSA, I would recommend Highveld do the work.
Good luck on your safari.

AZIZ,
I rarely ever say anything about taxidermy except my own, but the rear legs on your crocodile are BACKWARDS. A crocs toes can't and won't point that direction. The legs would have to be broken to get them in that position.


Here's the way they should be.

Hello Jerry

You may be right, they messed up, but on the other hand these photos do show some interesting poses, and I am sure their legs are not broken.



Regards
Aziz

I agree with many of the other posts. The quality and shipping have changed after the change of ownership to Dieter's son. Everything has seemed to slow and the quality has changed. Our hunt in 2006 was in July and our trophies were here by October of 2007. They look great. My father's trophies, like others after the change of ownership are still held up in shipping. His first shipment from them (3 animals) cost a very large sum of money and the quality was not that of our previous shipment. I, like others on this board will now always have my animals shipped back and mounted here in the states.

Poochuss

I will be hunting with Cruisers in the last half of August for our first African trip. I Plan on having Highveld do my work. After reading a lot of posts about Highveld and other taxidermist I think they will be fine. Mostly good reports and some not, just like all the rest. Maybe we will see you there.

TJH

It looks to me like 65% of the people have had good luck with highveld and the other 35% have had some kind of problem. I have veiwed this sight for over 2 years and any time I see numbers even near that I would look for someone else for any service they provide. I know I should have stuck with that in the past and would have been better off.

quote:

Originally posted by Jerry Huffaker:
AZIZ,
I rarely ever say anything about taxidermy except my own, but the rear legs on your crocodile are BACKWARDS. A crocs toes can't and won't point that direction. The legs would have to be broken to get them in that position.

I agree with Jerry, I also do not like to critique others work unless asked, but when I saw the picture of the croc mount that is the first thing that came to my mind. Aziz, although your reference picture does show the legs splayed backwards, the crocs in your reference picture are at rest and not bearing weight on their hind legs. It is anatomicaly impossible for a croc to stand up with it's rear legs splayed backwards, they could not bear their body weight in that position.

I do like the bushpig mount. I am fond of baseless mounts in relaxed positions.

Mary

Hello Mary

May be this one did not know that crocodiles cannot walk into rivers with their legs splayed backwards.



Just kidding, they did look awkward to me but I was told that when getting out of or into water they will some time do exactly what we think they are not supposed to do.

Regards
Aziz

quote:

Originally posted by Aziz:
Hello Mary

May be this one did not know that crocodiles cannot walk into rivers with their legs splayed backwards.





Regards
Aziz

Ba-dum-DUM! He'll be here all week, folks!

Showing my ignorance here, no doubt, but the croc to me looks fantastic. Awesome collection, dude.