Namibia Windhoek Taxidermy?

Vanguard2279

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Gentlemen:

Does anybody have a favorite taxidermist in Windhoek (or anywhere else in Namibia) whom they have found to be reliable and to do good work? My outfitter for my hunt in April wouldn't recommend anyone.
Thank you for any assistance.
 
Had a bad experience with Trophaendienste. They are near the airport. Would highly recommend using someone other than them.
 
Heard Kings Taxidermy is ok. Best bet would be to ask Robert or Rosella from SSI.
 
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I've used Hunter's Pride twice. They did a good job with both head mounts and skulls on plaques. Nakara tannery in Windhoek does good flat skins. Here's some of their work.
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I went with them after a freind used them and he gave a thumbs up. Chris and Carina run a good business and communicate with the customer well.
 
Gentlemen:

Does anybody have a favorite taxidermist in Windhoek (or anywhere else in Namibia) whom they have found to be reliable and to do good work? My outfitter for my hunt in April wouldn't recommend anyone.
Thank you for any assistance.

If your outfitter doesn't recommend anyone - I might read something into that, must be a reason - for me the warning lights would be on, it would be dip and pack and back home, lots of good taxidermists in your neck of the woods
 
If your outfitter doesn't recommend anyone - I might read something into that, must be a reason - for me the warning lights would be on, it would be dip and pack and back home, lots of good taxidermists in your neck of the woods
I see teo possibilities.
One, the outfitter doesn't like anyone in country.
Two, they want nothing to do with that part. Mine didn't. They didn't want to give the wrong opinion and their job was the hunting side.
 
They aren't very close to Windhoek, but Janet van de Merwe does taxidermy out of Omaruru. Her husband runs Otjandaue hunting safaris. She is doing my taxidermy from my recent hunt. She is backlogged at the moment, so it might be a while before she can finish.
 
Paul Reiser Taxidermy is in Windhoek and I have used them personally with good results. They did a Zebra Rug, some flatskins and the European mounts for myself and a friend, very pleased with all of the work.The outfitter, Agarob Safaris, drove us to the facility, and we unloaded all the trophys and spread them out for ID and inspection. After confirming who has what, we concluded the paperwork face to face with the staff at Paul Reiser. I will use them again.
 
Gentlemen:

I appreciate the responses. I too took my outfitter's comment as not thinking anybody was worth recommending. However, I will continue to investigate given the leads that I've been given.
 
I would be leaning toward the Outfitter not wanting to stick their neck out.
They have zero control over the product or service and they will only get the complaints for any possible small commission.

Have a look at the work available and see if you find it acceptable from whatever suggestion you receive.
 
There are just as many bad taxidermists in the US as there are everywhere else in the world. Besides the few taxidermists here on AH, there are just a few that I would trust in the US to taxidermy animals from outside of North America. Even my taxidermist, who is great at North American game, has not done as well with animals outside North America.

I believe it is unfair to blanket label all taxidermists in another country because of a few that have done a poor job. You'll need to do your research on the taxidermist as well as your PH. You didn't gamble on the validity of your PH, so don't gamble on the taxidermist.

Also, I visited Pronto Global Shipping in Windhoek and met with Peter prior to leaving Namibia. Almost half their warehouse was filled with crates full of finished taxidermy. If taxidermists in Namibia were that bad, I doubt Pronto would be shipping so many finished animals.

Good luck.
 
There are just as many bad taxidermists in the US as there are everywhere else in the world. Besides the few taxidermists here on AH, there are just a few that I would trust in the US to taxidermy animals from outside of North America. Even my taxidermist, who is great at North American game, has not done as well with animals outside North America.

I believe it is unfair to blanket label all taxidermists in another country because of a few that have done a poor job. You'll need to do your research on the taxidermist as well as your PH. You didn't gamble on the validity of your PH, so don't gamble on the taxidermist.

Also, I visited Pronto Global Shipping in Windhoek and met with Peter prior to leaving Namibia. Almost half their warehouse was filled with crates full of finished taxidermy. If taxidermists in Namibia were that bad, I doubt Pronto would be shipping so many finished animals.

Good luck.

True, but if you live in the US and use a LOCAL taxidermist after dip and pack, "SURPRISES" are cut to a minimum.
 
That's garbage. A bad job is a bad job, whether half way around the world or next door. If you plan to micro manage and bug your taxidermist every day, then maybe it will work. But they'll probably get sick of you, too.

Every taxidermy shop I've been in has built mounts in stages. Most send the hides out and have to deal with some hair loss when it comes back. Some send the skulls out for cleaning rather than do it themselves. Forms are typically purchased out of a catalog.

Unless you're planning on something outrageous, most everything is pretty standard. Do your due diligence and reduce the risk, but realize there is always a risk.
 
Garbage...nice!

You've gotta be a pretty good guy or we wouldn't share the same passion for hunting. Heck, I'd even have a beer with ya

I just won't let you choose my taxidermist
 
It would be interesting to take the conversation with your outfitter a step further and find out why he doesn't or wouldn't recommend a taxidermist, like someone mentioned, could be a lot of different reasons. Might eliminate a few question marks.

When we hunted in Namibia, our outfitter included a tour to a couple of Taxidermy shops. It was very interesting, not really any extra pressure to use their services, but the opportunity was definetly there. Both places were very large with a ton of workers. Lots of mounts at all stages - the interesting part was the huge variation in the quality of work - there would be a mount that most any one would have been proud to own - real good work, and hanging on either side of it would be a shipwreck. The stuff they had upfront in the showroom was definetly better than average - but didn't really give an accurate example of most of their work.

Two of my buddies had work done in RSA. The first guy did his homework, checked around, found what he thought was a good place and he got a shipment of real nice stuff at really reasonable cost. Second buddy hunted the same outfitter, naturally he used the same taxidermist and his stuff is nothing short of horrible. Hard to critique some of the big shops with a lot of workers, smaller shops with hands on owner/operator may be more predictable
 
I wasn't choosing his taxidermist. He asked for information about taxidermists in Namibia. So that's what a few of us did.

I even said if he wanted someone in the states, he should choose a taxidermist familiar with game outside of North America.

What I was not willing to do is bash taxidermists outside the US without some statistical evidence showing they are worse than what we have here. That's what liberals do and I will take no part in it.

Yes, and I would have a few beers with you and we can discuss at the bar. As long as the first round is on you! Ha!
 
Take your time and research properly, there's good and bad everywhere. I have a taxidermist I like a lot in Anchorage but he's backed up, my javelina took 2 years. I trust no other around since a friend got the wrong chamois back from a taxidermist in Anchorage (hint- they had a reality show) and another friend that had his muskox disappear from another one here, so....

You know who I used and they did me right. I also l checked out the Facebook page of one in Outjitwarongo that looked promising not too long back. I can say I walked through Retoma taxidermy in Outjo while I was there the first time and was NOT impressed with their work being done. My taxidermist had them take my giraffe in to have it fleshed immediately since they are so thick skinned. They did that right for Hunter Pride but I wouldn't have gone farther than that. Don't even know if they still exist.
 
Gentlemen:

I'll delve deeper into my outfitter's desire not to recommend anyone in Namibia. I did reach out to Hunters Pride and received a prompt response from Carina. I prefer to have my taxidermy done in the country where the animals were taken. I'm not looking at anything more than shoulder mounts and some backskins.
 
SON AND I ARE HEADED TO NAMIBIA IN MARCH AND I JUST ASKED THE SAME QUESTION OF OUR OUTFITTER, THORMAHLEN & CHOCHRAN, AND ANSO SAID THEY USE CASPERS TAXIDERMY IN GROOTFONTAIN (GOOGLE WILL PULL UP A SMALL WESITE). THEY SEEM TO BE SMALLER AND HANDS ON. I WILL PROBABLY JUST USE THEM FOR DIP/PACK BUT STILL WANT A RELIABLE COMPANY FOR THAT TOO.
 

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