How long should it take to get your capes

Hello Everyone,

I hunted last May 2011 with Eagle Safaris own by Simon Leach in Zululand SA, he also has an Concession in Mozambique, I hunted Nyala and Kudu which I harvested the last day of a 7 day hunt. I wanted the capes shipped to the states dip & ship, its been almost a year and still no capes, my taxidermist told me no more the 6 months for dip/ship, when I ask Simon he keeps telling me a couple of weeks and he will have the permits, well he has told me this since Jan. Is there something wrong going on here?

The taxidermist should take about three months. Permits are currently about 2 weeks from the Parks. A permit is needed, about 2 weeks concurrent with the export permit. You have no restricted critters so there are no issues.

PA Hunter.
Did you hunt them in Mozambique? Not sure why you note that detail.

If you hunted them in KZN as Saeng says the permits are not the issue from the government.


For comparison, My group hunted KZN last AUGUST and ALL the MOUNTED trophies are enroute right now.
Multiples: Kudu, Nyala, Bushbuck, Reedbuck (TOPS Species), Impala, Bushpig, Warthog, Buffalo, Gemsbok, Springbok...

Sadly, I think that this answers your question.

This is a loaded question, you will get many and various answers. How big is the taxidermist who is doing the dip-n-pack?
This will play a role. Are they well established or new? Dip-n-pack doesn't take that long, they have to wait for the paper work before they can send the trophies to the shipper.

Of my 3 safaris it ranged from 8-15 months. The reason for delays was always the gov't with the paper work. According to Highveld Taxidmists who did my dip-n-pack this is supposed to be cleared up since my August 2010 safari which I did not get my capes until November 2011. I have been to 3 different taxidermist and the big ones scare me. They are so ovewhelmed with work I can see why there are delays.

Contact your safari outfitter too, they can put some heat on the dip-n-ship if this is the hold up for they choose this company for their clients and they don't want unhappy clients.

I hope you get satifaction soon.

There is no reason for a shop to have a problem getting a dip and pack out. The head guys don't do the work it is left to the staff. If it is taking longer than what I put above, and that was generous, then they are not applying themselves to the job. This was in Natal. I pulled over 30 export permits last year and the head office never took longer than 2 weeks. Even when one of our members had a problem that the ToPS permit was not applied for prior to the shot it was less than two weeks. I have no clue how the other Parks Boards work but KZN has their act together.

In the case of Brickburn's he had a lot of shoulder mounts, certainly more time consuming than boiling a head out and drum treatment of the cape in formic acid.

I am at the Parks next week to get my license for a 10 May buff hunt. If the permits are a problem I will be happy to do it while I am there.

I hunted KZN last June and mine were ready for shipment by Sept and actually arrived in Nov. There are many who have waited much longer and still are with paperwork being the #1 excuse.

I hunted KZN last June and mine were ready for shipment by Sept and actually arrived in Nov. There are many who have waited much longer and still are with paperwork being the #1 excuse.

Hate to keep beating this. There are a ton of KZN branch offices, even have one in my little town of Meerensee. You walk in with R50, fill out the form, and two weeks later it is at the Post. Any BS on paper problems is strictly a failure to submit the application. One app does all animals in a category. The export permits are dealt with by hard workers in PMB. In my case if they have ever had a problem, usually my poor hand writing, they email very few days after the form is sent to them for clarification. I can think of NO other RSA government office that is attuned to customer service as they are.

Something is up even with Holiday delays I got all of my dip and pack from RSA back in 7 months.

I agree with saeng101,
My taxidermist, who has two studios, so by no means a small operation, turns out his dip and pack in 3-5 months. 8-12 months on the finished product. So, I guess that something is up.

Best Regards
Marius Goosen

I certainly think some funny business goes on far too often in this regard. My boss is still waiting for his trophies from last March. Lots of excuses about paper and then a way bill indicating that they had been sent more than a month ago but still no trophies. He has almost given up.

What sucks is that no matter how great the hunt was that this kind of BS is the last thing being remembered. If there is a waybill it can be tracked through the carrier by the number on it. 12 months for trophies is not out of reason, for dip and pack it is.

Originally Posted by Diamondhitch

I certainly think some funny business goes on far too often in this regard. My boss is still waiting for his trophies from last March. Lots of excuses about paper and then a way bill indicating that they had been sent more than a month ago but still no trophies. He has almost given up.

Originally Posted by Diamondhitch

I certainly think some funny business goes on far too often in this regard. My boss is still waiting for his trophies from last March. Lots of excuses about paper and then a way bill indicating that they had been sent more than a month ago but still no trophies. He has almost given up.

Tell your boss to drop the AWB number into this web site and you will know if it is BS. Most airlines are connected to this one.
Every airline has its own designated prefix, etc etc.

Air cargo tracking - track-trace

Originally Posted by KMG Hunting Safaris

I agree with saeng101,
My taxidermist, who has two studios, so by no means a small operation, turns out his dip and pack in 3-5 months. 8-12 months on the finished product. So, I guess that something is up.

Best Regards
Marius Goosen

One of the largest taxi's in KZN is on schedule to finish the mounted product for a friend, inside 10 months. Trophies delivered at the same time as mine were. (last August)

I want to thank you all for your inputs, I'm sort of given up hope of ever seeing my Kudu Bull and Nyala Bull.


I hunted in KZN not Mozambique and I know he's lied to me he told me three times he would have them in two weeks, my other fear was he is more interested in his Mozambique concession then with me, he makes more money with his elephant and sable hunts, he has my $4K for the hunt and the trophy fees and now I'm forgotten. I originally was going to hunt with him in Mozambique for a sable but after this i will never hunt with him again.

I had an Alaskan Moose hunt last fall and was the only one that did not get a bull out of 23 men, due to the guided did not want to butcher and carry out an Alaskan Moose, he had a bum leg and the outfitter pulled the young man out of the camp for another location, this is what the outfitter told me, the outfitter wants to give me a discounted hunt, but I'm so discourage from things like this I don't think I will hunt with him again.

You might be right PAHunter...it's a darn shame. Derek's boss might be in the same boat. I have learned things the hard way too. You have to make sure the outfitter has a PH license, being member of PHASA is good and the taxidermist should be from one of the professional organizations too.

It seems if there is any leak some days, it soons become a Titantic. Too many people don't have ethics. Sorry to say.

Originally Posted by saeng101

What sucks is that no matter how great the hunt was that this kind of BS is the last thing being remembered. If there is a waybill it can be tracked through the carrier by the number on it. 12 months for trophies is not out of reason, for dip and pack it is.

His are just dip/pack. Should have been here long ago, 3 of his party are in the same boat. The 4th guy stayed an extra 3 weeks and his trophies went through a different outfit and arrived late last year. Time will tell.

Originally Posted by BRICKBURN

Tell your boss to drop the AWB number into this web site and you will know if it is BS. Most airlines are connected to this one.
Every airline has its own designated prefix, etc etc.

Air cargo tracking - track-trace

I am not sure what the whole story is, supposedly his trophies entered the UK long ago. He met a guy from the states while in Africa who basically just hunts year round (must be nice). He has been pulling every string he can but has gotten nowhere. He thought things were fixed when they said the had shipped. I would say if they do not arrive real soon they are probably long gone.

I think this is the exact reason we'll have to create that list of miscreants!
Maybe an article that people can add the good bad and ugly to.

It is reality that if you hunt with outfitters, USA or abroad you will eventually get taken. Be it a poor guide, no game in area, shipping, etc. I've been there as has enysee. Hope things look up real soon.