Delayed Taxidermy

I am in the process of booking my first safari for kudu, oryx, impala, and springbok.

I just had a discussion with HQ (the wife) about where to put the shoulder mounts if/when all this happens. I prefer a shoulder mount to a euro mount... It is just a personal opinion.

Of concern is the size of the kudu and the oryx (hopefully a good problem to have) and where to put them. We will most likely be purchasing a larger house with a "man cave" as my wife terms it in the future where everything can go without looking too cluttered.

My question is this: if I get all the animals dipped and packed in Africa and shipped to the US, how long can I wait to have the taxidermy done? Is there a time limit? I'm thinking go ahead and mount the impala, the springbok, and the kudu and wait on the oryx until we have more space. I know there is quite a lag time with the whole process but I may want to wait a while do to everything.

Thanks for the info.

welcome and enjoy the site timeoff2fish, when i was in africa the bloke who owned the dip and pack company (swiftdip ) told me that 2 years was no worries
and if space is the problem (same one ive got and nearly all AHers) id get the kudu done last as the 2 on our walls do take up more space and come off the wall further than any of the rest .
hope the c.o at hq lets go soon bloke

Welcome to AH Timeoff2fish! If your going to have them done here in the States then get them all done if time is all the problem is. You figure dip, Pack & ship 4-6 months then drop them off to a good Taxidermist return time runs 1-2 years so your looking at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years from start to finish. Good luck on the hunt. and as for the Kudu and Gemsbok think of doing a floor pedestal mount you can move them where ever you want.

I'll let you know the limit when I send my Eland to be mounted.
Been D&P'd for 15 months so far.

Keep them in a cool dry place without bugs they should last.

I would never store salted skins from Africa for 2 years ! If you do store them, remove them from any plastic and store them on an open shelf where the climate is controlled. Humidity is your enemy here. They must stay dry free from bugs etc. If they get to hot for an extended time like a month or so they will become difficult to tan and mount later. Your best bet is to have your taxidermist here send them to a tanner and have them WET tanned. They must be stored in a freezer from that point on. Triple bag them and your good to go. They take up very little space and can be mounted years and I mean years down the road. But taxidermy isnt going to get cheaper any time soon either.

Originally Posted by Wildcat

I would never store salted skins from Africa for 2 years ! If you do store them, remove them from any plastic and store them on an open shelf where the climate is controlled. Humidity is your enemy here. They must stay dry free from bugs etc. If they get to hot for an extended time like a month or so they will become difficult to tan and mount later. Your best bet is to have your taxidermist here send them to a tanner and have them WET tanned. They must be stored in a freezer from that point on. Triple bag them and your good to go. They take up very little space and can be mounted years and I mean years down the road. But taxidermy isnt going to get cheaper any time soon either.

Getting them out of the plastic and a climate controlled area is needed for sure.

Have them wet tanned as mentioned and then store them. Wildlife fur tannery is very well respected for african skins and their prices are very reasonable. They can also take care of importation. Wildlife Fur Dressing, Inc. - Home

Originally Posted by Wildcat

I would never store salted skins from Africa for 2 years ! If you do store them, remove them from any plastic and store them on an open shelf where the climate is controlled. Humidity is your enemy here. They must stay dry free from bugs etc. If they get to hot for an extended time like a month or so they will become difficult to tan and mount later. Your best bet is to have your taxidermist here send them to a tanner and have them WET tanned. They must be stored in a freezer from that point on. Triple bag them and your good to go. They take up very little space and can be mounted years and I mean years down the road. But taxidermy isnt going to get cheaper any time soon either.

Welcome to the Forum hope you enjoy it here, agree with Brickburn and Wildcat, humidity is the enemy if you store them in a cool, dry place you'd be surprised how long you could store it,.... it can also lighten the financial burden of having all trophies mounted at once, you have a reliable taxidermist stateside you can have it done piece by piece, have had some guys do the same in the past you should be good.

My best always.

I agree with Diamondhitch.....Have the hides tanned, then you can store them indifinately. This will also reduce your taxidermy bill in the long run as the taxidermist will not have to have it done.

The longer they are left without tanning the greater the chances of damage by insects, rodents or bacteria. The latter of which WILL be working away at your hides until you get them tanned, salted or not. The damage to the hides will be anywhere from undetectable to unsalvageable with no way to predict just when the tides will turn for them. Its just not worth the risk to me to leave them untanned.

Also very true, a question though Do we have a taxidermist online to possibly explain the risk of "shringkage" on such capes, I heard a birdie a couple of years ago, when the capes are then ready to be mounted they have to be re wet (to fit over the form)?? It was indicated that this process could cause shrinkage as I say I am unsure and asking.

I had a client wanting to tan in SA (due to the same issues as Diamond mentioned) and then mount in the US and was adivsed against this, due to the above mentioned, if anyone could shed some light on this it would help me as well..

My best always.

Jaco I have been a taxidermist for 28 years.

Regardless of where they are tanned all hides must be rehydrated prior to mounting. These "wet" capes do suffer from some shrinkage after mounting. The amount of shrinkage depends on several factors, the most prevalent being method of preservation (type of tan), uniformity and quality of shaving, and overstretching of a cape prior to mounting. Any good taxidermist will be able to "read" a hide and select a properly sized form thereby negating the effects of shrinkage.

Raw unpreserved hides shrink the most and various preservation techniques will all have their own rate of shrinkage. A properly tanned hide will usually "let out" actually increasing in size when wet and shrink back to their original size when dry. If mounted on a too large form based on stretched out wet measurements then the shrinkage will "cause" problems such a drumming ( skin pulling away from the details of the form). Poorly tanned or preserved hides will often need to be mounted on undersized forms to compensate for shrinkage below original dimensions.

Slippage can be caused by many factors from bacterial damage to the skin (decomposition), damage to the base of the hair due to bacterial or chemical heat buildup in storage, insect damage or excessive shaving of the hide (damaging the hair root).

Rehydrating a cape is not the culprit in slippage but merely the act that releases the already damaged hair from the hide.

Tanning hides in Africa is advisable if a competent tanner using premium tan completes the work to top standards. This however is often not the case with many African tanneries. If mounted soon after tanning, inferior quality tans (sometimes not truly tanned as stated) may appear fine but over time they are likely to break down and end with hair loss at some point down the road possibly many years in the future. If tanned , then dried for shipping and mounted after period of time these hides often slip when rehydrating.

Tanning and mounting immediately is best, Tanning and proper storage is second best, Storing raw salted hides is unadvisable.

thanx Diamond, now i can also give the right info,

So...... tanning in SA or elsewhere in Africa shipping and storing and after a while... mounting,... is not desiareable, this was the info I got, I just seemd to have confused shrinkage with slip....

Thanks again for clarifying I do appreciate it allot.

MY best always.

No problem Jaco. I have some hides at a well researched SA tannery that should be arriving in the next month or so. If they are as good as reported I will make a report here so all who cannot afford to mount all their trophies at once can benefit.