I think if you dip and ship, it makes sense to airfreight it to the U.S. otherwise I would oceanship it if you have the heads mounted. As far as time goes. I have seen people wait 1.5 to 2 years to get there animals back anyway you do it....epecially if you shoot a bushpig, baboon, cat, or warthog...or something like that...because you need more permits and custom checks...a real headache the more people get involved. Plus, I should warn you about beetle damage to dip and ship skins...I know a few people that had beetles chewing on their skins when they arrived in the U.S. .... needless to say they were not happy. I think it's cheaper to have stuff mounted in Africa. The quality varies. There are some aweful talented taxidermist in the U.S. but you'll pay for it too. I think the dip and ship services are very pricey in Africa and you can read about that on the taxidermy posts. I have had my stuff mounted in Africa....because I don't have a lot of money....and was not willing to pay the crazy dip and ship prices. To each his own....it does come down to how much money you want to spend. As far as times to mount the animals and ship it back by oceanliner....depends on how much you shoot...I shoot a lot (big order)....it takes a year to 1.5 years to get home.