In an effort to stretch my hard earned dollars, I am looking at all the details of my May RSA plains game safari.
I am considering purchasing trophy mounts that are already here in the states instead of paying dipping, packing and taxidermy fees. Of course the mounts I purchased would be representative of my animals I shot on safari.
If money wasn't an issue I would rather have my own trophies mounted, but the funds spent on taxidermy, dipping & packing could be spent on hunting more animals!
Of course the obvious question is; do you think trophies could be found that are priced less than I would pay mounting my own?

Leif, Check ebay. There's usually a few African mounts for sale there. On the other hand, why not just buy the mounts and save even more money and not go to Africa! Totally kidding of course.

I'm on my first safari this next June myself and plan on taking my own trophies to the taxidermist. Years later I can remember that exact animal and the exact situation that put that animal on the wall. I bought a nice mule deer mount at a garage sale years ago and it just doesn't have the same value to me as my own mount does. It's nice to look at but just not the same.

Leif,

Save the money instead of buying others trophies!

You won't have the same feeling with other trophies so you better bring a good camera and take a lot of photos. Then you do enlargements, use it as screensaver and wallpaper on your computer and make a photoalbum that you look in every day.

After a while you will think; Why didn't I bring the trophies also?

Try to find anyone else in your area that are going to RSA in about the same time and see if you could share transportation and then you at least bring home your most valuable trophies as european mounts or just like skulls to start with.

Price for skull mount at my taxidermist Safari Taxidermy is 37 USD for an Impala.

I too use Safari Taxidermy. I haven't received my trophies yet so I cannot tell, but I trust my PH when he tells me they make very good job... Anyway, they are very reasonably priced (specially if you go for skull mounts). Personally I would never hang a trophy I have not taken myself, or my father, brothers, or close friends, or my son when I have a son, in brief a trophy that has no story - and consequently no value - related to it. Having the trophies shipped back home is part of the hunting process for me. I am on a budget too, but I just prefer to take less animals if I am short of cash for taxidermy.

The majority of the animals I have taken in Africa all have a story behind them. They are not record book trophies, just representative. But the buffalo had the scars and wounds of a poacher's snare, the kudu was an old man that was broomed a good eight inches on his right horn. His ears were frayed from fighting. Each of the other animals had "character". I can't define it, but I know it when I see it. I think, too, in the telling of the story, that "that is the buff that I got at a garage sale that looks kinda like the one I shot" loses something.

I agree with CCHUNTER.

It is your own trophys that counts.
You got a special feeling when you have shoot it yourself and have special memories from each hunt and each trophy.
So I recommend that you bring your own trophys back home.
Every time is a special situation that only your trophy tells the story for you.
Others Trophys is nothing worth it that case.

Jan

Leif, just some more support on obtaining your own trophies or pictures.

Last year I was offered a East Cape Buffalo mount that my favorite gun trading center owner had picked up at an estate sale. He wanted me to buy it as I could really "enjoy" the animal. I have my own mounts but admittedly they pale compared to this beauty. Must have been taken 20-30 yrs ago, my guess 45+ and the most beautiful, symmetrical horns ever; actually I fell in love; BUT it wasn't mine and most hunters could never claim another man's/woman's trophies as their own.

Just MHO. pm

keep your trophies---have them dipped and then sent to your taxidermist, tell him that you can't afford to have all of them mounted right now and that as money comes you'll let him know which ones to mount--that way you can get some mounted right now and then the others later and you keep all your own trophies--in fact he'd probably let you bring them home so that you could at least show case parts of them until it's time to mount them----chris

All good answers. I like King Baboon's best, because that is how I planned my budget.

I figured I had the money to hunt and mount a good Kudu, Gemsbok and Nyala. In the course of finalizing my plan, I dropped the Nyala.

The hard part was after I got to RSA and started seeing some great impala, eland, springbok, black wildebeest, waterbuck; then stood face-to-face with a big Nyala one evening.

I'm a pretty disciplined guy, but I thought about it, and then held my fire.

I wouldn't care to have anyone else's trophy as a representation of what I shot. I would end up lying and saying I shot it, because I would be too embarrassed to say, "I didn't really shoot this thing, but I wanted to impress you so I bought it". Just the thought of it makes me gag.

I think csutton7 has got the best plan after the cpaes and sculls has been cured they can stay that way for long. And do one at a time with your favorite first.

Let me suggest that you have European mounts or rugs made of the really special animals, have really nice pictures made of the others, and finesse buying someone elses trophies. One of the joys of having them, it talking about them and you don't want to say, "This is like the one I shot." Or be less than honest and leave the impression you shot the one on your wall.

I read an article by Boddington a while back in which he said he hardly ever had a trophy sent back, settling instead for pictures. There is nothing wrong with that approach.

The European mounts are really a good deal and the rugs are practical. Rugs are essentially a tanned skin. You don't need the felt backing. Ku-dude

For me as european hunter is that a kind of "strange",...not to get the own trophies mounted, but buy them from anybody..
But maybe you US Hunters have another "relationship" to hunting.

Anyhow,..do what you feel to do,..and do it.

I like to wish you a great Time
konst_

Not to get off-topic, but would those who use Safari Taxidermy recommend them over having the trophies mounted in the US? The prices certainly seem a great deal lower on their website, are there hidden costs in having the mounts done in RSA & sent to the US?

Woodhits,

I have had taxidermy done twice in RSA (by Life Form Taxidermy). There were no hidden costs. The freight bill was very expensive. Being that far away, you don't have much control over the taxidermy. Therefore, you better give the taxidermist specific instructions as to how you want the trophies mounted. Also, there is the chance that your shipment could be held up (especially if it is transhipped to another country while enroute to the US) resulting in storage costs. Finally, there is a chance of damage to your trophies while being shipped. It would probably be hard to prove who caused the damage, making it difficult to get some sort of compensation for the damage.

If everything goes well, it is cheaper to have your taxidermy done in RSA that in the states.

Regards,

Terry

I have had several clients go to Africa with the intent of bring their mounts back to be mounted but give in to the lower prices in RSA. I have yet to have one tell me that they were happy with the quality of their mounts. If your happy with less quality to save money then leave them or you can tell your taxidermist what mounts you want and when. I have several clients that I'll mount an animal as they can afford it.

The first time I went to Africa I had the taxidermy work done there. Since then I've had it done in the USA. I prefer the latter for the following reasons.

First, the bill comes due all at once if you have it done there. Nine months after the hunt I got a fax that said: send (big bucks) now. Followed by the cost of shipping bill.

Having it done in the USA is more digestable as I can have it done one chunk at a time.

There is something to be said about the African taxidermists having a lot of experience working with African game mounts. And that some USA taxidermists with African experience can get a little carried away with their pricing. But I've come to prefer European skull mounts anyway, so it doesn't matter much.

I also had a bad experience with a RSA Taxidermist that charged me ridiculous prices for some oh-by-the-way things. The final straw was $250 for a crate to ship my items in. After much complaining to my PH the fee was lowered to $100. I kept the crate, which probably cost them less than ten bucks to build. It was indeed a lesson learned.

I also get very annoyed when there are indications that Americans are getting charged a different (higher) price. I work at getting price sheets in a different language and do the translation/conversion from Euros or Marks or Rand to U.S. dollars. I do my best not to be gouged or be subsidizing someone else.

My first trip I used Life Form Taxidermy in RSA and was very pleased with the experience. But, after checking around and anticipating a larger hunt the next time, I checked into local (US)taxidermists with African animal experience. I tried the local and have been sold on this ever since for several reasons. As others have said, the total amount can be divided up, usually, into sections, as far as when they are ready. This is nice not only for delivery, but also takes the large bite out of cost and turns it into several nibbles. Also, you don't have to wait until all of them are ready for pickup.
Back to the original problem, I personally like having my own mounts on display. Each of them have a story behind them and I would rather be more selective on my animals so that I could mount all of them than to have to skimp on having them mounted. They mounts are actually tangible reminders of my hunt.
A

Buying trophies that you didn't shoot??? Just not done old boy. If you ae going to RSA, give Kwiktan Taxidermy a call ( or see their website). I used them after my zimbabwe hunt. John Lewis is the proprietor and he is a decent, honest man. Prices were waaaay cheaper than USA taxidermists including all the shipping, crating etc. I saved about 40%. Paid for it via email with my american express card and had my trophies from "ground-to-wall" in 10 months. jorge

I've used Life-Form Taxidermy in RSA several times, and they are now doing the work from my most recent safari. Try this and see if it works for you. When they request the deposit, send more than is asked for. Then send additional payments over as time passes, instead of waiting for the entire bill to hit when all the work is done. It works for me.

Buying trophies, to me, would be like hanging up pictures of some stranger's wedding.

John

Man, I sure regret starting this thread. But what the hell is a guy to do, shoot more game or hang 'em on the wall. I am leaning towards more hunting.

Leif

You may want to give some thought to doing European(skull) mounts and hanging them with some nice 8x10 trophy photos. If you do photos alone you will save some cash but I find the horns themselves being back a flood of memories every time I stop to look at them. You would spend far more buying shoulder mounts here in the states than you would shipping your trophies back and doing Euro mounts yourself.

Jason

I second what Jason recommends. You can free up a lot of extra hunting money by doing Europeans and Photos.

I went to RSA in September, 2001. I collected eight different heads for European mounts and made ten rugs, two were zebra. I used Thea Swanepoel of Zululand Taxidermy, taxidermy@pga.dorea.co.za . They did a great job.
Cost was way less than getting it done back home in Texas. I had two black bear made into open mouth rugs and the cost of that work almost equaled all the work done in RSA. Crating, shipping, import fees, clearing customs cost around $1200. All told, around $3400 for all the taxidermy, their door to mine!
Best of fortune on your trip.
Jeff