REPORT: Disappointed with Taxidermy by Wild Africa Taxidermy

Yes Royal. It has for information, But go look MANY dip packs at taxidermy studios still do not post pricing. I look a lot at it.
I scan MANY MANY of the sites to keep up in it. It's my part of my job for al my clients. read above about the bears. The Spanish PH had no idea when he came to the US and felt all the people he was going to deal with would be about the same price, Turned out not so....He thought his guide would take care of him and watch his back...Sound familiar....The PH just told him he takes the bears where he always takes them, Then the Kicker is THE PH lives in same town place where my people are that do the same thing for 1/3 the costs. Do your RESEARCH. I've bene around this business for over 40 years. I will help my clients in any way I can, I spent hours on the phone, here to spain to Ak back to spain back and forth till I worked this out.
But back to your question ...It has given people more options and a better way to compare and know.
In the 80's 90's you didn't know much about it.

Guess you could say that Brick, you are so Subtle....Talk to the guy that deals with this crap all day everyday...me as your taxidermist or your taxidermist....sometime, yes the PH doesn't even have a clue !

well dennis great job helping them out and your one of the good guys I would say. With that said there is a few of us trying to do the same for others. Many guys love your work and glad you have many that do.

There is more then a few studious over in Africa that mount trophies and still offer great pricing on dip/pack. The place I use is even under your prices you listed so I would say they are more then fair. The good guys will always be there if people care to look and search them out. I find it just as wrong for people to charge guys to much as guys who think an outfitter can control everything. Do your homework and hope for the best when your done because anything can change at anytime if we like to admit it or not.

Here is a sheet with pricing by a place I feel does some of the best work coming out of SA. It this place for everyone well no it is not. Has it come through for the many I have told about them yes it has. They work fits my style that I like for the price I am willing to spend.

All I can say is for anyone looking for dip/pack or finished work put as much time looking into that as you do picking your place to hunt. With just a little more work a bunch of problems can be avoided.

Oh yeah, that is exactly how I felt after paying thousands, and getting a trophy like if a five year old did it. Look at my post above, and the back of the impala. This it the quality of Highveld Taxidermist, and their solution was for me to ship my trophies back (on my dime) so

Buckdog said:

BUT WHY THE HELL DO YOU THROW US TO THE WOLVES WHEN IT COME TO OUR TROPHIES DIP PACK AND TAXIDERMY THEN SAY IT ISNT ON YOU IT IS ON YOU WE ARE IN A STRANGE COUNTRY RELYING ON YOU FOR ADVICE ETC YOU SHOULD TEND TO IT PERIOD!! YOUR REPUTATION IS AT STAKE IF WE GET OUR STUFF MESSED UP OUR HUNT IS RUINED!
if my trophies get messed up I will def put it on the PH TOP NOTCH SERVICE IS BEFORE DURING AND AFTER THE HUNT.

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Buckdog said:

what does it say about the place Marius is using when he has to go and personally check on the crates this year? It screams he cant trust them to do the job so why is he letting them near any clients stuff?

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Huh???? I thought your expectation was that they take care of you matter what? That they also take care of things AFTER the hunt. Marius goes an extra mile and that means there is fault now for that? How is he supposed to know if he isn't involved? Wait for client feedback on poor work?

I had an old boss that always said "inspect what you expect." Sure sounds like that is what Marius is doing. It makes him one of the good ones.

Wow I knew this would open the can of worms and it seems we have all had a bad experience one time or another that left a nasty taste in our mouth! Billc i love ya guy and you helped me alot but you are def on the outfitter PH side of this and it means you must not have been burned yet, your time will come. Bill the people you recommend use are they the ones pieter owns or is/was part owner of? It isnt that easy Bill to check out dip pack operations and you know as well as I do that many of the outfitters have favored ones. Just a thought that maybe outfitters could do themselfs and there clients a huge favor by taking more interest in the trophies after the hunt because if it goes south it will ALWAYS come back to bite them in the butt whether they like it or not.
I pray Andri is on his game for all of my stuff and i am confident he is as he says he is running the show himself and its already done just waiting on the permits, now thats fast service!
Dennis is one of the good guys so keep up the good work all of you and thanks.

That is exactly what I went through. I was shown the "nice" stuff, then my trophies were handed to someone without any experience, and since I am already in the States, no fat chance of filing a claim with the Taxidermist who is in South Africa. We trust the outfitters, and we trust their recommendation, that is why some of us made these mistakes. My next trip, I'll get my animals done in the US by someone I know, or I'll use The Artistry of Wildlife. And I will continue to tell hunters not to use Highveld Taxidermist.

buckdog Pieter has no part of relive at all. It was my pick after a report here and my follow up work researching them. The outfitter no matter what will not lose a hunt over you picking your own place. There maybe a small fee for gas to get them there if they are farther away then a local drive. In my case I must pay to get them down there from Pieter as they are 10 or more hours away.

Pieter is not stopping or letting me use paul I pick the place as any other hunter is free to do. I have been burned here in the states because I did not do the homework I have done when looking at Africa.

Is it wrong most outfitters pick a place near them to try and work with or they try and build a business relationship with a place. No it is not but if you ask you can always find out the back story and with the right question and some common sense make a good choice. It is Africa and thinks can change over night but there is places out there if you look.

I am also glad I could help you out with info I shared buckdog that is what this site is all about. I don't care if it is helping anyone with any questions not just about pawprint. I do my best to be fair and help any way I can.

One of the funny parts is it is one of the few things pieter and I don't agree on is taxidermy . He like a certain type and my self another look. The first time we both liked the same work is we were at a show and seen some mount by the guy I use in the states to do my work. he thought wes goods work was as good as he ever saw.

Billc Yes, I know what Paul charges and he is very fare. I was trying to give the good average and yes Paul beats that average . I have that same sheet in my files for recommendations for dip/pack in the east cape area.

I did it so others can see not all taxidermist charge inflated fees for dip/pack so you just get your stuff mounted. Just making sure both sides are out for all to see.

To me the biggest risk I see is there is no getting any damage fixed or work your not happy with if you use a place over seas. Your either ok with taking the chance or not. I may just be lucky but what I have saved is worth it to me and I have not had any problems as of yet with shipping or service.

Billc it still boils down to you checking out the dip and pack and getting prices and it all seems good and up front, your PH recommends them and tells you that they have been using them for years and you can still get burned. I think before a Outfitter or PH takes your trophies to a dip and pack he should know if they do a good job. Just like me I don't send a clients capes to a tannery if I don't know if they do a good job! Even though I'm just doing the taxidermy not the tanning.

This is a good thread but all of this guys problems can be taken care of very simply and on how to never have this problem again

First off the skulls have grease still in them and must be degreased and whiten again.

The mount must be redone by buying a freshly tanned springbok cape and brought into a compbit taxidermist, its that’s easy.

When my African hunters go across the pond to hunt, I give them a packet which has lots of information in it , which one of it has to do with pac and dip.

It clearly outlines you must find out BEFORE YOU GO who the PH is using for pac and dip, contact them for a rate list and then compare that with the pac and dip businesses I use over there, more times than most, they will pick the businesses I use over the PH’S .

They will travel to pickup from the outfitter or pickup at the PH taxidermist, which ever is easiest for them. They then will start the permits and you are always are in communtions with them. Then most time trophies will be ready to fly within 4 to 5 months

This way you know about 90% of what it will cost you—there is always some dam hidden cost but a safari of 10 game animals cost is 800 to 1200.00, depends on what you have and then to the shippers will cost about the same.

Never listen to the taxidermist over there, they all say it will be out within 6 weeks, never have the items tanned over there because they are not really tanned, just pickled and my studio will just send them to my tannery to be retanned, always include the taxidermist here into your emails with the dip and pack and the shippers so they can help with what you don’t understand

On one of the post someone said they didn’t know which local taxidermy shop to bring their trophies to.

And the answer to that would be , you don’t.

You just don’t in trust someone that has never or very lightly ever do international taxidermy work. There are good studios all over the USA that one can have their items shipped to. Open your mind and experience great taxidermy, not just it will do. Forget the rack and look at the mount.

For example my studio, being a USDA approved establishment handles many orders per month from international hunters. About 90% of my work is all out of state, form all over north America . I have them shipped to a port closes to me and when completed I ship them out to them with a major freight discount and all are very happy with the wildlife artisty.

Just remember it’s your money, your choice.

Buckdog said:

I am with Dennis 100% we are far from home we are relying on you for advice and guidance. You are all 100% excellent PH and outfitters it just seem that no one want so take responsibility for after the hunt and that is huge and from what i see and hear a significant issue. you guys know it is potential problems thats why you wont touch it. what I am saying is good service starts before during and after the hunt. you should know who is who and i really dont care if you get a kick back if you recommend shop xyz just be damn sure xyz does the job 100%.
what does it say about the place Marius is using when he has to go and personally check on the crates this year? It screams he cant trust them to do the job so why is he letting them near any clients stuff? answer me that why do business with people you cant trust to do the job correctly? why let a cleint do business with someone who is shoddy, it just comes back on you and your business. choose wisely work with the best and hold their feet to the fire. Makes no sense to me and I run small businesses and will not tolerate or deal with shoddy suppliers, etc. I am certain no PH in africa wants any client to have issues but guys get a better grip on that end of the business model is what I am saying.
OR just use Dennis and let him take care of the details and I can assure you he will do it right and stand by his word and those he deals with. Yes dennis does all my work and I wouldnt let a african taxidermist touch my stuff it not worth trying to saving a few dollars to get messed up stuff.

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Funny you should make the comparison between Dennis and Marius on this one. I went with the dip and pack that Dennis said produced the best capes he's ever seen come out of the Eastern Cape............who would that be? The same guy Marius uses. They should be on the way to @The Artistry of Wildlife in the next couple of months.

jeff said:

Billc it still boils down to you checking out the dip and pack and getting prices and it all seems good and up front, your PH recommends them and tells you that they have been using them for years and you can still get burned. I think before a Outfitter or PH takes your trophies to a dip and pack he should know if they do a good job. Just like me I don't send a clients capes to a tannery if I don't know if they do a good job! Even though I'm just doing the taxidermy not the tanning.

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Jeff I agree they should have some idea but what you or I think is good work or fair can be different to what they think. I have found guys in Africa are much more willing to wait times we over here think is way to long. Then add any issue that comes up that here in the states we get handled in a few days could take weeks or month over there.

I think over the years I have asked and receive pricing from 8 to 10 places. From dip/pack to mounting to tanning. After a few emails and telling them what I was planning on getting for my money and that I want all cost up front. I have been happy with how all has gone.

It is always easy to say they should have known this or that but getting pricing or info is really not that hard. I just dont see it as a part that is so hard to do as a hunter. It is the same steps you take when picking an outfitter. You get pricing ask the right question and hold them to it as best you can.

The more people in the mix the longer it takes to get the right answers or stuff fixed. I have dealt with 4 outfitters and never had them do anything with the taxidermist once my stuff was handed over. Proud to say after all that no problems to report and that was because I stayed in touch with the taxidermist and had all the info I needed from them to hold them under the fire if they did wrong. Glad to say never had to deal with holding anyone under the fire yet.

I have not read through all these posts, but what I see missing in some of this discussion is that a lot of Outfitters get a kickback from the taxidermist for recommending them. I've heard 15% talked about. And then the taxidermists get a kickback from the shipping companies, etc. It is Africa!

So @billc I'm sure you would agree that under those situations, the outfitter damned well does accept some responsibility!

My first experience with an African taxidermist was not a good one. Fortunately he did what he could to fix the problems and the outfitter helps as well. I don't think the taxidermist set out to do anything wrong, they just were not proactive enough within their own business to prevent things from going wrong... My honest opinion, right or wrong... There is so much cheap labor available that the owners are not tending to business... Rather they are off attending school events with their kids, socializing in the Colonial fashion, vacationing, etc. All fine and good, more power to them. But then understand why I won't trust my stuff with you again.

Even with advance notice that I was coming to see my trophies, the owner could not find them all. A couple had not been mounted yet because they had lost track of them. They had them in the back but it was after hours and the owner had no clue where to look. Had no real handle on what the hell was going on in his own shop and no one delegated.

On the other hand I've had a big name outfitter insist I use his taxidermist... Claiming they could not trust the paperwork to get through if I didn't. I mean the guys wife put hard pressure on me to send stuff to their guy. I had learned my lesson and just said no... They even refused to build a crate. Fortunately my taxidermist of choice, yes Paul, sent someone to get the stuff as I had enough trophies for him to justify that.

Now the above certainly is not the only way things happen in Africa. On my last hunt Bossie went out of his way to inspect my trophies, build a crate, follow up on paperwork and personally ship it al lto Paul, a guy he had never met.

I think a guy needs to be leery of the outfitter/did and pack/taxidermist relationship as well. My first African hunt was to SA. Not knowing what I didn't know, we dropped off some back skins and a zebra rug to be at the outfitters taxidermist. Low and behold, a year later, I still hadn't received them, even though I paid for them in full before I left. I wound up getting my rug, which wasn't even from the same zebra I shot. Screw me once, shame on you, screw me twice, shame on me.

My opinion only. If a PH receives a commission or any other compemsation regarding the recommendation of a Taxidermist, he has injected himself into the responsibility of the finished product and condition of delivered product. He should disclose his commission to the client and accept that liability if it is not delivered as stated. Argument Aside, you are the P H we depend on you, and you get compensated, you better stand up, and take the heat if things go awry. Otherwise don't get compensated by the taxidermist. Just my opinion, if I recommend someone, I put my butt on the line......Its called credible responsibility to the client.

Areaonereal said:

My opinion only. If a PH receives a commission or any other compemsation regarding the recommendation of a Taxidermist, he has injected himself into the responsibility of the finished product and condition of delivered product. He should disclose his commission to the client and accept that liability if it is not delivered as stated.

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Totally agree, as I think most do.

I think the argument is what is the PH/Outfitter responsibility when they don't get commission. For example, if you asked who to use, they gave you three choice, you picked one, but they didn't profit.

JGRaider said:

I think a guy needs to be leery of the outfitter/did and pack/taxidermist relationship as well.

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YUP!!!!

I have been reading this and looked back at my 2014 DS the prices for my trophies were the same as above four skulls two capes raw one back skin and one hide $485.
But then $280 crate, $250 documentation, and $95 value added tax.
I got a quote after I was back in the state for the above but what do you do but pay it?
Do the last three look normal?

Yes Bob if the Ph or outfitter makes money he is now part of the taxidermy to. Because a few think this happens all the time though does not make it so. No one I hunted with did or even told me I had to use a certain place.

The places giving the kick backs will have prices that are higher then most and the ph may try harder to get someone to use a certain place. I have found most I have talked with do not care who I pick as long as I work it out. I did not pick a place in the east cape and think Pieter was taking my stuff down to them. Common sense tells me it is on me to arrange that part and handle it on my own.