Vote: African Taxidermy VS a week in Cape Town

[jt13]

Let's see what the great minds of HuntTalk think about this one:

I bid on and won a Ducks Unlimited /NMGFD donated hunt raffle for a South African Safari for 4 hunters/16 animals (4 each) for $2,800/$700p.p. These hunts are kinda like free hotel rooms and flights to Vegas, anything to get you in the door.

Donated animals are your choice of impala, blesbuck, springbuck, warthog, blue wildebeast, or black wildebeest. All inclusive including lodging, food, drink, taxes, shuttle from airport, etc. Theres up-charges and add-ons for anything else like rental firearms, more animals, taxidermy, gratuities, etc.

I was planning on doing euro mounts for the "free" animals, adding on a Kudu and Gemsbok hunt to the package, and having them mounted (either in Africa or at home). Everything is fine and dandy until you look at shipping, import, and export prices for taxidermy. Estimated costs for the additional animals, taxidermy, shipping, import, and export is in excess of $6,500.

A discussion with my wife spawned another option. Skip the additional animals, skip the taxidermy, instead just take nice photos and make a photo album when we get home what's included in our hunt. We could use a portion of the savings ($1500-2000) to spend a week in Cape Town after the safari hiking Table Mountain, going to wineries, hanging out with penguins, cage diving with sharks, etc.

 

[seeth07]

I feel like 4 animals is plenty and just start there on your first hunt to Africa. Export those euro mounts back as you planned and spend the week in Cape Town with your wife.

 

[Letthemgrow]

Trophy extortion has become a normal part of the African hunting experience.
Take lots of photos, make your memory book, and save the money.
I've done 2 trips over there and if I ever went again it would be on a cull hunt and I would bring nothing back but memories.

 

[hank4elk]

My dad used to talk of S. Africa trips during the war. He said it was one of the most beautiful places he had been to.
The flora and fauna. The nice city...long time ago.

 

[huntin24/7]

I’ve gone to Africa once and brought most of my animals back to get mounted. If I could do it over, I’d have gotten the zebra hide tanned and maybe another hide and probably a warthog euro. Other than that, I’d have just taken good pictures, got a few framed and saved the money and space.

 

[fishing4sanity]

I've hunted S Africa and Zimbabwe, I had the hides and horns shipped here for the taxidermy. I did a lot of photography during the hunt, but I'd still bring the critters back here and do the taxidermy. A friend of mine did the Cape Town stuff with his wife and really enjoyed it. If my wife was going with me that might sway me to do some stuff other than hunt, but not the shark stuff!

 

[Moserkr]

I voted for a week in cape town. That being said, my friend just got back from a safari that he had bid on just like you. They did extra animals and were making deals as the animals were in front of them. Some of them they werent even charged for in the end. Total of 4 free animals including an ostrich and croc, over 20 animals total between 3 people.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

If it were me I'd look at the cost of a euro on the impala and warthog and if they're under $500 (all together) get them done and then go on the vacation with your wife.

 

[buckbull]

How safe is it for USA citizens to be roaming around Cape Town? I've spent some time on an african hunting forum and seems like it can be rough. Paying off police to get thru checkpoints to get to the hunting lodge, theft ,etc.. I voted to shoot more animals. you are already there and who knows what life will through at you in the future.

 

[Bambistew]

Its been far to long since the last time I was there, but I've imported trophies myself twice. Look into the logistics of it. As long as the trophies are "finished" you can import them, but you need to go to a "port." There are 2 ports in PA I believe. Finished means European skulls, but they may need to be mounted on a cheap plaque. You can't import swine, primates or bovine unless they are finished or go to a certified importer. Again check the rules. I have no idea what has changed

You pay a lot for shipping and handling because its a pain in the ass, logistically, and the importers know they can charge you a small fortune to do it. The last two times took me literally an hour to get the crate cleared and out the door.

I wouldn't spend the money on mounts and shipping, TBH. Bring back a couple euros, which IMO are plenty cool and take up less room and the crate is smaller and shipping is less. I lost the first batch of animals due to worthless taxidermists, and just imported skulls/skins on my last trip. I missed them at first, but now look at pictures and am more than satisfied. Makes me want to go back.

My next trip will be skulls only. No more mounts for me.

Hard to say how good your deal is without knowing how many days?

I would spend/save as much as I could to stay as long as possible, if that means leaving animals/trophies there, so be it. Next time I go it will be for a 3-4 weeks. Its too far to go, to not stay longer. My previous trips were 14-8ish days and it wasn't enough. I find 10 days of hunting is just right, tack on a few days touring parks and towns on either end, plus a day of transfer on each end and it adds up. Also I'll be borrowing a gun next time too. Much less hassle and time wasted. You'll add on $ or time to get a gun there. do it yourself and you'll be into it 2-4hrs on each end, unless they made it easier since I last went.

 

[npaden]

I would be tempted to just take pictures if I were to do it over again.

We ended up shooting 2 Zebras, 2 Impalas, 2 Kudu, Gemsbok, Blue Wildebeest, and a Sable.

I'm estimating that it is going to be over $10,000 to get our stuff that we shot back and 2 shoulder mounts done.

Things don't sound that expensive until you start adding everything up and putting the fees and everything else on there. The euro's are only $78 for the "dip and pack" but somehow 7 euro's, a couple capes, and 2 zebra and wildebeest flat skins and our cost was $4,200 just to "dip and pack" and crate before any shipping cost.

Where I probably messed up was the tanning. I was told the tanning was cheap to get it done over there and even that it was better but I'm going to end up spending close to $2,000 to get 2 zebra flat skins, the wildebeest flat skin and the back skin on one of the Kudus tanned. Then all the other fees are a % of the total so "packing and crating" those 4 tanned skins is going to be $500. The conversation export permit, veterinary certificate and documentation processing fee is $510 per person.

Shipping is probably going to be pushing $3,000 and the importer on this side gets a nice cut and now they have been adding storage fees for every stop along the way as well that add up pretty good too.

Once I get everything home I'm going to have a shoulder mount done on my Kudu and my son's Gemsbok so that will be another $2,500ish for those.

Total cost of getting everything home and only 2 shoulder mounts is going to be over 50% of what the entire 10 day trip cost with airfare and everything including for my wife who came along.

Would I do it again? Probably, but I might shop around a bit more on the tanning, that's where I think I got taken a bit.

 

[2rocky]

My home is limited on space for taxidermy. It would be different if I had a place and said " an impala full body would look good there".

There was a good discussion on here about "what happens to your taxidermy when you die"

Experiences over stuff, I tell myself...

 

[TheGrayRider]

“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” James Dean.

No wrong answer, in my opinion. Just get over there and have fun. Happy hunting, TheGrayRider.

 

[seeth07]

I would be tempted to just take pictures if I were to do it over again.

We ended up shooting 2 Zebras, 2 Impalas, 2 Kudu, Gemsbok, Blue Wildebeest, and a Sable.

I'm estimating that it is going to be over $10,000 to get our stuff that we shot back and 2 shoulder mounts done.

Things don't sound that expensive until you start adding everything up and putting the fees and everything else on there. The euro's are only $78 for the "dip and pack" but somehow 7 euro's, a couple capes, and 2 zebra and wildebeest flat skins and our cost was $4,200 just to "dip and pack" and crate before any shipping cost.

Where I probably messed up was the tanning. I was told the tanning was cheap to get it done over there and even that it was better but I'm going to end up spending close to $2,000 to get 2 zebra flat skins, the wildebeest flat skin and the back skin on one of the Kudus tanned. Then all the other fees are a % of the total so "packing and crating" those 4 tanned skins is going to be $500. The conversation export permit, veterinary certificate and documentation processing fee is $510 per person.

Shipping is probably going to be pushing $3,000 and the importer on this side gets a nice cut and now they have been adding storage fees for every stop along the way as well that add up pretty good too.

Once I get everything home I'm going to have a shoulder mount done on my Kudu and my son's Gemsbok so that will be another $2,500ish for those.

Total cost of getting everything home and only 2 shoulder mounts is going to be over 50% of what the entire 10 day trip cost with airfare and everything including for my wife who came along.

Would I do it again? Probably, but I might shop around a bit more on the tanning, that's where I think I got taken a bit.

my opinion on this thread might totally change once I get to the finish line with our Argentina hunt. We just got the bill for our "extras" which I knew wasn't going to be much as I insisted on having our package be "all inclusive" up front with the outfitter and they held to their word as my bill only contains the shells (which we knew was an extra up front at $18/box) and my wife decided after seeing the beautiful hide on the axis deer that she wanted to get it tanned. The axis and blackbuck skulls were supposed to not be an extra for exportation and looks to be that way. We shall see what else comes our way...I'm expecting something just like you are dealing with npaden!

 

[WoodMoose]

I've hunted S Africa and Zimbabwe, I had the hides and horns shipped here for the taxidermy. I did a lot of photography during the hunt, but I'd still bring the critters back here and do the taxidermy. A friend of mine did the Cape Town stuff with his wife and really enjoyed it. If my wife was going with me that might sway me to do some stuff other than hunt, but not the shark stuff!

Preach it!!

 

[Salmonchaser]

We were there last year, went for the 4 spiral horns ended up with 10 critters. Did all euro mounts plus a couple of hides. The taxidermy was a fair price; Never told the wife how much shipping was. Liked Capetown but a week would be way too long. 4 days is good.

 

[jt13]

If it were me I'd look at the cost of a euro on the impala and warthog and if they're under $500 (all together) get them done and then go on the vacation with your wife.

You'd be probably looking at $300 in taxidermy and $750+ shipping for two euros. The shipping, import, export is wild.

Hard to say how good your deal is without knowing how many day?

7 days. 5 hunting, plus arrival and departure

We were there last year, went for the 4 spiral horns ended up with 10 critters. Did all euro mounts plus a couple of hides. The taxidermy was a fair price; Never told the wife how much shipping was. Liked Capetown but a week would be way too long. 4 days is good.

Thanks for the advice, if we go that route we may drop Cape Town to 4 days.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

You'd be probably looking at $300 in taxidermy

who is doing the euros over there some dude who moved over from Denver. That’s insane.

 

[seeth07]

We were there last year, went for the 4 spiral horns ended up with 10 critters. Did all euro mounts plus a couple of hides. The taxidermy was a fair price; Never told the wife how much shipping was. Liked Capetown but a week would be way too long. 4 days is good.

I second the 4 days in the city unless you truely are city folks. My wife and I just did 3 days in buenos aires and we aren't really city people and 3 days was enough for our fix and got to experience a few of the attractions. Only regret is we didn't modify our schedule to witness one of the main things to do (spend a day at the horse races) and after visiting the track we greatly regretted that. So if there is something you think you would really want to do, make sure to schedule and plan for it

 

[jt13]

who is doing the euros over there some dude who moved over from Denver. That’s insane.

Actually it's $255 + $180 crating fee, just pulled it up.