Steve,

The chances are they were stored salted and dryed. I took 18 animals in Zim a few years ago and didn't get them for 7 months, they were fine, got them, tanned and mounted all of them, including a Leopard. I'm licenced bu USDA to clear shippments from other countries. When I unpacked the crate I could smell someting like moth balls, so they were taken care of.
Don't worry about the skins I think they'll be fine....

Ron: All my stuff is crated and at the air cargo office to ship from Windhoek. Maria Europa at Hunter International is cooordinating the receipt and delivery to Golden State (USDA for the warthog tusks) in Calif. before it comes on to me.

Question: They told me the warthog tusks had to be boiled again and quarantined for a period of time, so they couldn't include them back in my crate after they removed the salted capes. Is this correct, or just another way to get another shipping charge? How long is a typical holding period?

Thanks for the replies.

blank,

If I have this right, your trophies are ready to be shipped from Africa to the USA. Putting them in a seperate crate is the right way to do it, that way the rest of your trophies won't be exposed to the warthog. if they were in with the rest of the trophies, loose, the whole shipment would have to be treated by a licenced USDA agent.

But here's what they should do, wrap and put tusks in a crate or box just big enough to fit them, then put the tusk box in the crate with the rest of your trophies. There is no reason to ship two seperate crates! I have my clients do it that way every time, hell I shot 3 warthogs, and 2 bushpigs last year, they all came in one crate, along with the other 16 trophies of mine. Ofcourse they were in a box of their own, but in the same crate! No reason for the extra charges.

Get in touch with the safari company or shipping company in Africa, tell them to ship them in one crate!! Tell them about the crate in the crate, It's fine to do that, I've been clearing critters for USDA for over 20 years, that's the way to do it...

If you need anymore help give me a yell!

Blank,



Quarantine period can be as long as 30 days. But, you should have someone in Calif., that's a USDA agent take possession of the tusks when it hits the states, he will then treat the tusks and give them to you. That shouldn't take more then a few days. If you need a name of someone, let me know I'll talk to my inspector, she can get the info for me.

Thanks for the info. These are the little things you find out after your first trip. My stuff is all in one crate (300#), and will be received in SF. She will clear it thru USCustoms for me and they will then be delivered to Golden State, who are USDA. I talked to them this afternoon and they will simply remove my capes for tanning and tusks for treating, close my crate and it will continue on the way to me here in Idaho. Tusks will follow as another smaller compact shipment. Nice to know all the ins and outs of getting trophies back. The shop manager personnally picked up my animals at the ranch; my dip/pack/tanning rear skins/Zebra rug took 120 days total, and was on its way home.