Argentina trophies are in process

[Mekaniks]

Axis and Blackbuck are HOME!!

I drove to Spanaway, Wa yesterday and picked them up from Nature's Way Taxidermy.

Nature's Way cleaned out the inside of one of the Blackbuck horns and reset both of them.
They repaired a broken nose piece on the Axis.
They also put D-ring hangers on both of them for me.
The Blackbuck lost all its teeth on the right side.

Cost to Nature's Way $200.00.....

TOTAL COST for everything after the hunt- $4435.50 (+ 8 hrs driving)

Now the real work starts...Negotiating with Mrs Mekaniks about where to hang them....

 

[DieJager]

Axis and Blackbuck are HOME!!

I drove to Spanaway, Wa yesterday and picked them up from Nature's Way Taxidermy.

Nature's Way cleaned out the inside of one of the Blackbuck horns and reset both of them.
They repaired a broken nose piece on the Axis.
They also put D-ring hangers on both of them for me.
The Blackbuck lost all its teeth on the right side.

Cost to Nature's Way $200.00.....

TOTAL COST for everything after the hunt- $4435.50 (+ 8 hrs driving)

Now the real work starts...Negotiating with Mrs Mekaniks about where to hang them....

View attachment 735866

Over 4k for two euros?

 

[Mekaniks]

Over 4k for two euros?

Yes sir....

More $$ in taxidermy, shipping and import than the trophy fees....

As much as I had in 6 euros from Namibia.....

 

[Muskox]

Yes sir....

More $$ in taxidermy, shipping and import than the trophy fees....

As much as I had in 6 euros from Namibia.....

That is too bad it turns a cheap hunt into a bloody expensive one.

 

[Mekaniks]

That is too bad it turns a cheap hunt into a bloody expensive one.

Yeah.

Argentina a ALOT going for it. Unfortunately, trophy export is currently not one of them.

I had been setting money aside to go back to Argentina Red Stag hunting. I used that money to get the Axis and Blackbuck euros home.....

I would love to go to Argentina wing shooting with a group hunt some day....

But, I will not be trophy hunting in Argentina again any time soon....

 

[Muskox]

For most guys the idea of paying a $5000 or more trophy fee and then another $5000 to get it home is pretty rough.

I live in Europe and drove home with a couple reds and a fallow a few months ago. I am hunting mouflon rams and wild boar on Tuesday 50 miles from the house.

Coming back here and paying a trophy fee and then getting pounded on export when I move home in 2026 is pretty daunting.

$4500 for 6 animals in Namibia is pretty rough as well.

I might just do a cull and never bring anything back.

 

[DieJager]

Yeah, for Namibia I payed more in taxidermy fees and shipping than the trophy fees. Just north of 5 k in Euro but that was 4 shoulder mounts and two euros. Still a lot of money. But I'm really surprised that amount for two euros.

That said they are really nice and in a short time you forget the costs and will cherish the memories. Congrats for getting them home.

 

[TXhunter65]

I wouldn't mind visiting for the food and culture, but I'm out on hunting, I've spent less to get 14 euro trophies home from Africa.
A trip to Texas for some BBQ an axis and blackbuck would be the ticket for this hunt!

 

[MontanaPat]

Wow, that is an outrageous amount to ship two euros home from Argentina, maybe the rates have skyrocketed from the trophy export fiasco in 2024. I shipped home a trophy reg stag, two cull stags and a finished boar tusk plaque in Nov 2023 from my March 2023 hunt and the total cost of dip and pack plus shipping and import into the US was less than $2K shipping from BA to Seattle and on to MT via American Airlines and Coppersmith

 

[downunder]

Well at the least you have got them home Mekaniks, well done.

 

[Mekaniks]

Well at the least you have got them home Mekaniks, well done.

Thank You

 

[Ultraheight]

Hi, I was planning on shooting a red stag or two on a friend’s ranch in Argentina in March. Basically a free hunt, with an attached family vacation that is very much not-free. That being said, I’m not going with an outfitter, no connection to a brokerage, and frankly had no idea that the export of red stag was so complicated or costly. I have shot stags in New Zealand DIY and the permitting for carrying the euro (split) in checked baggage was a breeze. Sounds like not-so in Argentina.

Is the bulk of the expense here permits or brokerage fees? Like New Zealand, I was assuming I could boil the skull until clean, detached the antlers and shove it in a very oblong box as luggage…considering stags down there are introduced. With export/import documents that I assumed you could print off and fill out.

These are not giant freak stags, think solid Colorado OTC elk antlers 5x5. Sounds like I’m just very naive about these things. Would it change if I only took the antlers? No skull? Any help appreciated. Only planning on hunting bc it was no cost. Not ready to spend $3k to ship antlers.