After the shot?

Countrylife · Jun 1, 2017

After the animal is shot, what actually happens until it is shipped home? My understanding is the following:
- if it's small enough (e.g. antelope), it's taken back to camp to be skinned and salted. If to big (e.g. elephant), it's skinned in the field, taken back to camp and salted. Some of the meat is used for the meal that night, the rest is given to the camp workers and/or some of the local tribes.
- This repeats until the end of the hunt
- At the end of the hunt all the trophy parts are gathered up and taken to be dipped and packed
- Once the hides, skulls, horns, etc have been treated they are then boxed up for shipment to the hunter's customs agency in their country. (in my case the USA).

I'm under the impression that everything up to the delivery to the dip & pack provider will happen while I'm still there (or at least no later than on my way to the airport). After that it will probably take a few months before they arrive here.

I saw something that led me to believe that I don't have a complete understanding - is there a quarantine where they have to be held by the outfitter for a period before being delivered to the dip & pack. Is there something else that will happen that I missed?

I'm especially interested in Namibia since I will be there next year. (This will be my first time to Africa)

Scott Slough · Jun 1, 2017

There are certain to be more models for the meat than the "eat all we can and then give away the rest".

I know that the outfitter that I hunted with in the Eastern Cape, SA (Blaauwkrantz Safaris), had a thriving butcher/meat business that was based on goat and sheep meat that preceded the family safari business. As part of their land management/conservation practices, they reduced the number of goats and sheep as they added international hunting. As part of a multi-pronged business model, the wild game meet is part of their butcher/meat business. A sampling of best cuts were served in camp and were beyond excellent. The rest of the better cuts were sold (not entirely sure of the entire market) the rest of the meat went to a significant biltong production (included both SA and European markets). Unsold table cuts and biltong went to supplementing the pots and bellies of employees and extended locals (on-site school etc.).

sheephunterab · Jun 1, 2017

Your thoughts are pretty spot on but could vary a bit from region to region. Certain areas in Africa do have additional quarantine. The NW corner of Namibia is one example where animals may not leave for 60 days.

BRICKBURN · Jun 1, 2017

The route of transport (internationally) and the final destination will also determine the disinfection and packing process required.

BRICKBURN · Jun 1, 2017

Countrylife said:
.........
I'm under the impression that everything up to the delivery to the dip & pack provider will happen while I'm still there (or at least no later than on my way to the airport). After that it will probably take a few months before they arrive here.

Most of the initial prep will be done/started while you are there. Skinning, Salting and drying will certainly be started at the Outfitters.

"Few months" is being pretty positive thinking.

Countrylife said:
I saw something that led me to believe that I don't have a complete understanding - is there a quarantine where they have to be held by the outfitter for a period before being delivered to the dip & pack. .........

Depending on the location of the Outfitter the trophies may wait a period for pick up. Much like a delivery route, they will wait until there is a full truck load from one Outfitter or a series. Reduces costs.

As Sheep noted there can be disease control areas that require treatment and disinfection within the countries themselves.

jeff · Jun 1, 2017

In SA and Namibia much of the meat is sold to commercial butcheries

akeate · Jun 1, 2017

My outfitter trades a local grocer for credit. He then distributes the credit to staff and family. This way they are able to literally feed lots of family from the animals taken. And they are limited to meat. Vegetables and other food stuffs as well.

And a few months is really really optimist. I second @BRICKBURN

Ryan · Jun 2, 2017

I've hunted twice with the same outfitter just south of Etosha NP, Namibia. They are a smaller operation, handling one party (typically one hunter and one non-hunter) at a time. The first night or two I ate meat from previously hunted game. Once I had taken something it's on our plates the day after on through the hunt with the species taken through the hunt. What you don't eat is either kept on the farm as needed, given to the help or sold to local game meat processors to be made into biltong, etc. My first trip some of my animals were sold to a local restaurant in Outjo too. The few random bits and pieces were left for scavengers disappeared rapidly. Skins are dried and salted as soon as they come into the skinning shack and skulls into a macerating tub to rot the flesh off. The macerating part takes days so your last animals probably won't be done for a few days after you left, at least mine weren't. Once skulls are cleaned and hides are dried they head to whereever is requested by you the next time they can get them there. The first time mine went to a local tannery who was a courier for my taxidermist there. The second my outfitters dropped them off with my shipper in Windhoek when they picked up the next client who held them for my taxidermist as the did a weekly run into Windhoek.

cls · Jun 2, 2017

BRICKBURN said:
Few months" is being pretty positive thinking.

wapiti · Jun 2, 2017

My safari was last Aug. 2016. My trophies were shipped to the US in Feb.17. It took 2 weeks for them to get to my taxidermist for some reason. I think because they landed in NY (by SAA airlines) and then were shipped to Chicago for clearing (by truck) and then back to Ohio. My taxidermist then had to send the hides to a tannery. They aren't back from there yet. So I'm looking at getting my mounts sometime next fall. A few months is very optimistic.

sheephunterab · Jun 2, 2017

The fastest we have ever gotten trophies back from Africa is 6 months and the longest is 2 1/2 years. I'd say 10-14 months is pretty average.

Lrntolive · Jun 3, 2017

Countrylife said:
After the animal is shot, what actually happens until it is shipped home? My understanding is the following:
- if it's small enough (e.g. antelope), it's taken back to camp to be skinned and salted. If to big (e.g. elephant), it's skinned in the field, taken back to camp and salted. Some of the meat is used for the meal that night, the rest is given to the camp workers and/or some of the local tribes.
- This repeats until the end of the hunt
- At the end of the hunt all the trophy parts are gathered up and taken to be dipped and packed
- Once the hides, skulls, horns, etc have been treated they are then boxed up for shipment to the hunter's customs agency in their country. (in my case the USA).

I'm under the impression that everything up to the delivery to the dip & pack provider will happen while I'm still there (or at least no later than on my way to the airport). After that it will probably take a few months before they arrive here.

I saw something that led me to believe that I don't have a complete understanding - is there a quarantine where they have to be held by the outfitter for a period before being delivered to the dip & pack. Is there something else that will happen that I missed?

I'm especially interested in Namibia since I will be there next year. (This will be my first time to Africa)

Hey country,

I just finished up my Namibia hunt, but from my conversations with U.S. customs, USFWS, USDA and the CDC, each of these agencies could be involved with your shipment depending on what animal(s) you take.

The CDC and USDA are only interested in animals that could carry certain diseases, like pigs, monkeys, birds and bovine. Any of these types of animals must be quarantined if not fully processed (meaning not a finished mount) for a specified amount of time at an approved taxidermist facility.

USFWS primary concern is with animal importation paperwork and any animal on the CITES listing.

Customs is customs. They want to ensure no drugs or illegal items are coming in and collect appropriate duties.

You should call them. Every one of their offices that I spoke with were nice and courteous. USDA even went through my animal list with me and told me whether or not they would need quarantine.

Good luck.

Ryan · Jun 5, 2017

Lrntolive said:
Hey country,

I just finished up my Namibia hunt, but from my conversations with U.S. customs, USFWS, USDA and the CDC, each of these agencies could be involved with your shipment depending on what animal(s) you take.

The CDC and USDA are only interested in animals that could carry certain diseases, like pigs, monkeys, birds and bovine. Any of these types of animals must be quarantined if not fully processed (meaning not a finished mount) for a specified amount of time at an approved taxidermist facility.

USFWS primary concern is with animal importation paperwork and any animal on the CITES listing.

Customs is customs. They want to ensure no drugs or illegal items are coming in and collect appropriate duties.

You should call them. Every one of their offices that I spoke with were nice and courteous. USDA even went through my animal list with me and told me whether or not they would need quarantine.

Good luck.

Ok, figure out whom in Namibia is doing your dip&pack and shipping. Your outfitter will probably have an opinion there. Check who they prefer and contact them to make sure you approve of them too, if not do some research and get it all lined up so your outfitter takes it to whomever you want. Once everything is ready they'll contact you to settle costs and line up where they go.
Where depends on species taken. All bovine (antelope) are ok to go anywhere. The two big concerns are equine (zebra) and swine(warthogs and bushpigs) which must go to an approved facility for another cleaning here first, then to whomever you want for taxidermy. Now if you get the warthog skull made into a skull mount over there and the zebra a rug, they're taxidermy finished and clear to go wherever too. This will be checked and confirmed at the first port of entry (east coast if by air) by CBP Agriculture who do the inpections for USDA. You can check out more under 'Trophies' in the USDA Animal Products Manual here https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/complete-list-of-electronic-manuals
CDC is only going to be concerned if you took a baboon, then they'll inspect along with USFWS, who will check to make sure your license goes along with species shipped. If plains game hunting the only species in Namibia of big concern is mountain zebra which needs a CITES permit. Get that covered with your outfitter early. As for Customs, they'll clear the shipment when everything above is met and you pay a whopping $9 entry.
If you're having it sent to an approved facility they'll act as agent and cover all this stuff, if that isn't needed you can take care of it pretty easy.

Countrylife · Jun 6, 2017

Thanks to all. I'm looking at strictly antelope types for this trip - but from what I've read on here I need to be prepared for what Africa provides. I knew about the swine and primate concerns, but not the equine.

I especially appreciate the heads up on my expectations as to when the animals will arrive. I got a chuckle out of CLS's comment. It sounds like you could go on a second safari before you get the animals back from the first trip. I've got the name of my PHs taxidermist, so i'll check them out.

sheephunterab · Jun 6, 2017

It's not really an equine concern but rather certain types of zebra requiring CITES permits and others don't. Even in the antelope/bovine world some require CITES. The black wildebeest for example.

Ryan · Jun 9, 2017

I looked into it further and I got the zebra part wrong. All it needs is the usual dip and pack like bovine with proof of such and it's good to go. All dip and pack has to have a certificate from a gov't vet stating how it was done with a salt and acid mix. I believe most countries won't even let an animal hide leave without it so don't sweat that. It's other products from zebra like the actual skull that require more. Kind goofy. I spoke with a USDA vet and she said that can be kind of confusing.

Black wildebeest is not CITES, I just checked again to confirm. Though I have heard South Africa requires some kind of permit to take one. Namibia didn't for mine and USFWS didn't bat an eye at it when it arrived.

After the shot?

Countrylife

Scott Slough

sheephunterab

BRICKBURN

BRICKBURN

jeff

akeate

Ryan

cls

wapiti

sheephunterab

Lrntolive

Ryan

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