What paper work did you fill out? Would be nice to bring it back and save on shipping.
Did this in 2015 and had no issues.
Was told I needed to fly via LAX as flights from San Francisco couldn't do import; so check on that.
Filled out form USF&W 3-177. Made a appointment for my return flight time by calling before trip, and then had a friend reconfirm that 24 hrs before my departure back to US by calling USF&W at LAX. (310) 328- 6307 and getting name of officer who answered.
Got a simple New Zealand DOC form and a letter from Christchurch office emailed to hotel for export certificate with a permit number.(2 pages)
I claimed all my bags at LAX and went to special line where folks had stuff to declare and that added about an hour to my arrival time. No issues and a USF&W officer was waiting for me, he did his paperwork and then I cleared Customs and gun serial numbers. Re checked all of it for my flight home to JFK.
I did let cape dry a bit by hanging on balcony in hotel with some extra salt just to make sure it was as dry as possible. Had skull and horns in a box as carry on in case things got derailed with multiple flights so I'd have something from trip, but it all went OK.
6 months later mount was on wall thanks to Dennis on here; pics are floating on a thread somewhere here.
I'm on almost 9 months from a SA trip this past April and the trophies were handed to taxidermist last day of hunt......
They just hit NY last week and I'm waiting on clearance on raw trophies after a chunk of change; it'll be over 2 grand.
Sure takes the fun out of this and has me re thinking where I'm spending my money on future hunting trips. Almost bought a hunt on here and deleted the email after a sobering moment had me really adding up hunt cost.