Crate is home! Wins and losses along the way

[Firebird]

One of the “hidden” costs of a safari is at the tail end getting those trophies home. This is my third crate coming home and was really a struggle. I included some pix so you get an idea of the size and will discuss costs.
My hunt was in the east cape and Lauriston did the dip and pack. I shipped home skulls with horns and salted capes for 6 animals and skulls with horns only for 4 animals, one of which was a buffalo bull. Also included was one Egyptian goose skin. The total cost paid to the taxidermist was $1480.00 USD. They provided a price sheet ahead of time and were very professional-a tour of their facility was time well spent! My hunt was end of July and they handed off the crate on Dec.2 the same year.
Export from the east cape was not in my hands. Turkish air provided the air transport. The exporter was professional and warned up front that nothing would ship in December but to be ready in January and the expected back log. I expected this and was ready in January. My importer requested some extra paperwork which was duly provided. One thing here, we were using group email and I was the one lighting fires and providing follow up with all those involved. No serious issues so far. Crate shipping was paid for and ready to ship last week of January. Cost for air fare to San Francisco was $1457.87 USD. The weight marked on the side of the crate is 74kg and I was charged weight plus size.

Here is the crate and you can see that it fits easily in my truck bed.

 

[Firebird]

This is where things got sticky. I used Hunter International Brokerage Services and have used them all three of my trips. This time there seemed to be an inordinate amount of stalling and unknown futures. US fish and game cleared it immediately. Then it was a weekend and then it was a holiday and then there were short of staff and government shutdowns and a lunar eclipse and I don’t know what else. Customs seemed to be the main hemorrhoid on the moon. To be very fair to my importer-she was literally calling me twice a day or more to provide updates or lack thereof. USDA dragged their feet but even they provided clearance before customs. The importer had no explanation for the delay.

Finally after just over 5 days at over $200 per day out of my pocket, the crate was released and could be moved along. My importer paid the customs storage fee and loaded the crate on a truck which would then drive to Utah. Total fee incurred was $2377.87! That’s a full fist prostate exam of over $1000.00 by customs. Thankfully they put a sticker on my crate that they had searched it and also that a k-9 had also searched it. I am heavily in favor of careful searches of crates. But not on my dime!

 

[Firebird]

Finally I picked up my crate. An old taxidermist friend has his usda/import license and he treated my goose skin, warthog skull and buffalo skull then helped me load it up to take it away. We did notice some damage at the bottom of the box-2 holes one of which was covered after it was made by a shipping label! My nyala skull was the casualty but the horn plate did not fracture so it is easily mountable. It would not be repairable as a euro mount!
No other damage was visible. We were impressed by the cleanliness of the skulls and how well the space in the crate was utilized- very tight!
I left a couple animals to be mounted and took the rest home to be done later or by other taxidermists.
So doing the math, after my hunt and before anything is mounted I have spent $5315.74.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Sorry for the very very expensive exam.
That starts to look like more photographs and less taxidermy are in your future.

Hope they all turn out well.

 

[BryceM]

Yep, it’s getting pretty ridiculous. I’m glad to have imported a bunch of stuff 10-15 years ago when it was still pretty reasonable. In the future I will probably only bring in trophies that are exceptional or that carry special significance. Every little step along the way is lubricated by dollars and it really adds up.

These days I’m more likely to have the finished work done in Africa. It’s even more expensive to ship, but at least when I finally get it, it’s done and ready to display. Another 1-2 year wait and even more fees to have it done in the US is pretty intolerable.

I hunted a Buffalo in 2022, got the crate in early 2025, sent the cape to be tanned, and still don’t have it back. After that, I’m still at the mercy of the local taxidermist’s schedule.

First world problems.

 

[Arctic97]

Yeah the taxidermy, shipping, customs, etc has gotten kind of spendy for mere mortals.
I am head over next week and this will be the first time (out of 7 on hunts) that I do NOT plan to do any taxidermy. Just pictures. Getting to that point in life where I have enough taxidermy around and I can remember a good hunt/stalk from a nicely framed photo just as easily....

 

[Sabre]

Finally I picked up my crate. An old taxidermist friend has his usda/import license and he treated my goose skin, warthog skull and buffalo skull then helped me load it up to take it away. We did notice some damage at the bottom of the box-2 holes one of which was covered after it was made by a shipping label! My nyala skull was the casualty but the horn plate did not fracture so it is easily mountable. It would not be repairable as a euro mount!
No other damage was visible. We were impressed by the cleanliness of the skulls and how well the space in the crate was utilized- very tight!
I left a couple animals to be mounted and took the rest home to be done later or by other taxidermists.
So doing the math, after my hunt and before anything is mounted I have spent $5315.74.

What was your port of entry where it was being held to be inspected by Customs/USDA?

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Firebird]

San Francisco-sorry I got sidetracked by my job I do love taxidermy and will do more in the future. I spread mine out so I can spread out the money part and keep my contacts in good standing.
I also love the pictures and think that is a good way to go-I make mine into books and they are a good way to preserve these adventures. My last trip I paid $2600 to have a professional film my hunting trip. This was money well spent! My kids get to see a different side of me and better appreciate my stories.
Bottom line is that I could have used all that
Money to jump start my next safari or hire a camera man or replace the couches in th living room that ive been promising my wife for the last ten years.
I’m glad my crate is here and i love my animals but there was some extra stress and unforeseen cost associates with my shipment this year-

 

[absales]

Just curious, why not have lauriston do the whole mounts and ship them? At threads tour of the facility, was the work not up to your standards?

 

[Firebird]

COST-if they do all the work you have to pay all at once them ship it home and the large crate is extra shipping cost.
Also I have done bird taxidermy for over 30 years and have many friends and contacts around home that do big game. So I do some trade and that sort of thing on my own timeframe. My father in law for example does some of mine but I have other friends that do some fo me as well.
I also get to help alter forms and build bases/ habitat etc so I get to be part of the final process.
I really liked Lauriston and would have them do my work, I just can’t afford it all at one time.
I have nothing against having taxidermy done and then shipped home. The cards I am dealt are just different than those other people get to play with-

 

[absales]

Gotcha. I am planning on having them do the work for me, I was afraid you perhaps didn't like what you saw there. Thanks for reply

 

[Firebird]

I actually have some videos on my phone I took in their facility if you want to pm me a phone number I can text them to you-

 

[Miletic]

Finally I picked up my crate. An old taxidermist friend has his usda/import license and he treated my goose skin, warthog skull and buffalo skull then helped me load it up to take it away. We did notice some damage at the bottom of the box-2 holes one of which was covered after it was made by a shipping label! My nyala skull was the casualty but the horn plate did not fracture so it is easily mountable. It would not be repairable as a euro mount!
No other damage was visible. We were impressed by the cleanliness of the skulls and how well the space in the crate was utilized- very tight!
I left a couple animals to be mounted and took the rest home to be done later or by other taxidermists.
So doing the math, after my hunt and before anything is mounted I have spent $5315.74.

That is a abnormal expenses

 

[Muntjacer23]

9 months or so sounds quite quick. I hope their work turned out well.
I will also be having Lauriston do a buff skull and warthog skull for me. I’d be interested to see the photos of how those skulls turned out for you

 

[Firebird]

 

[Muntjacer23]

Thanks for sharing! They look great!
Makes me even more excited to get my stuff back from Lauriston later this year