Splitting Image in P.E. is new to me -- planning to use the Peacocks in Humansdorp but may be asked to consider dip and pack closer to Uitenhage, hence the query. Karoo Taxidermy is a no-go for me. Also, we will have finished products and I liked what Taxidermy Africa did for me in 2005/6. The only incomplete product would be a tanned zebra rug-to-be that we'll want properly stretched, backed etc. over here. If we elect to dip and pack something else, rather than skull mounts only, I'd rather know of any past difficulties on the Eastern Cape. (Karoo Taxidermy put open flames to my kudu horns and slung carbodust over other finished products sent in a CARDBOARD box. Peacocks use a proper crate.)

I sent you a PM.

We are Class of '82. Got it, and thanks!

I have had good luck with Paul smith and relive taxidermy in the east cape. Have had him mount and tan things for me. He has very good dip/pack rates I think also

I wouldn't recommend having work done out of the USA,if your a uS citizen. Being in the hunting business for years, Ive heard too many horror stories and had to deal with such problems that come with a businesses 3000 miles away from home.

But just from a business point of view, in any business things can go wrong, misunderstandings can happen, all manor of problems..Do you want to travel to Africa to settle the matter, sometimes three or four times..thats high dollar taxidermy..Not to mention rip offs in shipping by airlines and others. It can get pretty grim sometimes..

Be smart have your taxidermy done close to home, or eventually you will understand what Im saying...

Mr. Ray, I've had success both ways. The failures, however, were spectacular.

bcap

Forgot about Paul Smith (Relive) and had good results with shield mounts at Taxidermy Africa, whose recent preferred shipper's quote, although attractively priced at first, wants to double dip me out of New York City?

I may have to take Arthur's advice and go closer to Uitenhage when the time comes. Just HATE the way they get a percentage of shared business -- muddies the waters if something goes bad. No recourse is right.

Just getting stuff shipped especially thru Britten is pain enough for the average world traveler IMO, much less dealing with foreign taxidermists...

I recall one conversation with the infamous British airline wherein they gave me a price of $3000 to pass a Zebra hide and a Buffalo skull to the USA..Our Limy friend arrogantly told me, I couldn't not pay as I would loose my valueble trophies in a black mail tone of voice, and we, at British air don't have any use for them" to wit I replied "Sit and watch cowboy, I have more than a few zebra hides and buffalo skulls, you can always stick them where the sun don't shine as far as Im concerned" Never again will I deal with British Air, and how about the guns lost or confiscated over the years by British Air, land of the antis. They do back off when the pressure gets bad, but you can bet those anti gun liberals will wait til the response dies down and then show up again ever couple of years, been doing that for years...

A dispute with a African taxidermist is a lesson in frustration, lies, and excuses that in many cases would require the client flying to Africa, hiring a lawyer and going to court, and who in the world is going to do that? and the bad guys know you can't do a thing..

Not all African taxidermist are like this only the minority, but enough of them are. Enough to require you be very careful, and it only takes one bad apple or one event to ruin your day.

Im taking this approach warning to all based on the number of complaints Ive had to deal with for clients that I forewarned to start with, and other clients that just advised me of their problems. some even booked with someone else and then called on me to help them for heavens sake, as their booking agent couldn't help them.

Just a warning to take it or leave it... I realize the same thing can happen in the USA, but at least you can visit the taxidermist and deal face to face and even choke the living shit out of the ass hole!

Another scam is the PH or Taxiedermist that tells you American taxidermist can't mount African animals as they don't have the exposier to what African animals look like, That's been going on for many years and makes since to the newbie, and that my friends is total BS, The American taxidermist are the worlds best and by a long shot..

I am sorry to hear of your trouble with Karoo Taxidermy. They are in my home town and I know the people well and they generally do good work.
I suppose that it helps to be able to look in regularly and I still recommend them to my clients.
Good luck wherever you go and there certainly are good taxidermists in this country.

[Excerpted from email sent to Karoo Taxidermy who handled dip & pac for second half of last year's trip]

I just received back from my taxidermist the trophy items needing washed up from the carbodust they were shipped in. Not only was I dismayed when I saw the shipping "crate", a cardboard box (!!!!) my combined shipment via Mike Rex arrived in, I now understand why the mountain of white powder disguising the work done for me and Blaauwkrantz Safaris. Shoddy doesn't begin to describe what I've found underneath. Despite specific instructions to preserve the original color of my kudu horns, they are boiled black. Furthermore, the mountain reedbuck skull and horns are drilled and broken at the bases. The pedicels are mostly gone. The shield mount looks good AFTER I glued the right hand snapped-off horn back with Gorilla glue (urethane). The pictures attached may begin to show the poor craftsmanship.

There are burnt spots on the bases of both kudu horns, to go along with the cracked horns, drilled out and labelled tips. Once a shiny smooth blond, the horns will never look as when I took the trophy. I await disastrous further news when the skins are finished at the tanners. His manifest to my taxidermist show holes in the mountain reedbuck cape I had hoped to shoulder mount (if the horns can be made to fit the skullcap, which they do not currently do!)








Arthur, please reconsider using Karoo Taxidermy for dip & pac. Trophy preparation, evidenced by the Taxidermy Africa trophies shipped to me from the safari I enjoyed with you in 2005, was far superior in the past. The waterbuck trophy prepared by Pieter's dip & pac shows a marked difference. My taxidermist, providing the cape tans well, can color the horns correctly for Pamela's waterbuck shoulder mount. I seriously doubt I'll want the mountain reedbuck shoulder mount for me. (On the other hand, her shield mount looks quite nice alongside all those from Roland's.)

Hi Barry, are you referring to the trophies Karoo Dipped & Packed for you back in 2007?

Correct. I took a bronze brush and a drill to grind off the ash. Some gun stain next, then a nice plaque from a taxi store plus Bondo to set the horns on the skull, arts & crafts store piant for the yellowed skull parts. Voila, salvaged.


The other stuff is standard, and I was apprized of the pedicel rebuild thing with mountain reedbucks, which I did myself. Later on B&B in Houston made a shoulder mount of it for me -- my cape. Gorilla glue took care of the finished skull mount of Pamela's mountain reedbuck snapped by the shipper. Disgusted!

If you are ever back in the Eastern Cape, you should go and visit their new state of the art Taxidermy Studio in Graaff-Reinet. Arguably one of the largest taxidermy establishes in the world. It is really impressive and my clients do admit that few other taxidermists can compete with Karoo's quality, price, turnaround time and shipping advantage.






No, not this building, that is their raw processing plant and tannery. Scroll to your right.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................This is their offices and main studio!

The only time I've had any taxidermy done in Africa and sent home was at Karoo Taxidermy.
Honestly I had a very good experience with them. Saved quite a bit of money and quality and communication was excellent. Now, I just had a few basic plains game mounts done and some European mounts. I would never do something like a big Cat there.
It was all crated very well and arrived perfectly.

Happy they've fixed their issue -- staff can ruin an operation's reputation. Gonna stick with the Peacocks for my needs. Fixed the shipping nonsense and we'll use Lynette Lilley again (WELL Worldwide.)

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