I have decided to do half of my trophies from my last safari as european mounts. I was pretty surprised when my taxidermist quoted me $350 per animal for kudu and red hartebeast. Is this reasonable? Thanks in advance, CC

I think it is a reasonable price. As long as his skulls come back to you nice and white and clean. Also how do you plan to display them? Is that the cost for the skull and horns alone or are they on a panel of some sort?

Too high. Have the work done in Africa for Euro mounts - cheaper and the shipping is the same.

I have several euro mounts done in the US, they average $150 for skulls and $100 or so for standard plains game skulls and skull plates including final cleaning and an average panel to display them on.

That is pretty high. I just had a kudu done a few months ago and total price with panel was $130. Also had a blesbok done with no panel and that was $45.

200.00 and 175.00 is a more reasonable price but sometimes they are a lot of work. It is hard to bid a price without inspecting the job so 350.00 could be a fair price.

Thanks for the replies. They will be on a fairly basic panel/plaque. I just feel that he was upset that I was going european rather than shoulder, so he jacked the price on me. I may be wrong, though.

That is way too much. They are boiled ( too bad) in Africa so its pretty much all clean,must be that way to clear customs and you just have to degrease and placed in the peroxide to whiten.Unless he is placing them on some rare and fancy wood.

www.african-montana-taxidermy.com

Oakman,
What do you think is reasonable?

I've done most of my european mounts in south africa. They are cheaper and the quality is good

All you have to do is degrease and whiten, all else has been done over there--you can do it very easly,just be a little easy on them for they are fragile from being boiled. At the studio I charge 175.00 with no panel for my beetles to clean that size of skull--fresh which means taken and shipped to me from here--and African game I discount 50% + panel if any. But some are broken to bad to do skull mounts and then you do just the skull cap white or cover in leather or the mounts, if you have the capes bought in with the skulls and do not mount them , then sell them or tan them and store for furture use. Good luck

www.african-montana-taxidermy.com

I've never been to Africa, but I'm under the impression that the staff over boil the skulls, let them sit in greasy water etc. An acquaintance of mine has some African trophies that were boiled that way and they have badly deteriorated over the years. They are now yellow, crumbling and smell badly due to the fat that is putrefying.

If it were me, I'd ask if I could closely supervise or even do the boiling myself starting with fresh clean water and not over cooking them. I'd carefully skim off the scum and grease that accululates on the surface of the water etc. I'd bring a small drill and drill holes in inconspicous areas of the skull where the water can't enter and clean everything out. Once the marrow etc. has dried in the bone cavities it's never going to come out-but it will rot.

just my 2 cents

cheers