Markvm
AH senior member
- Joined
- May 31, 2015
- Messages
- 55
- Reaction score
- 83
- Location
- QLD, Australia
- Media
- 6
- Member of
- SSAA, CWM
- Hunted
- Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
I have been meaning to provide an update of the completed East Cape hunt trophies from my 2016 with KMG Hunting Safaris which I was pleased to received earlier this year. It was my first African hunt and although I did some research on taxidermy options, realistically I was relying on the Safari Operators recommendations to a large degree.
My biggest fear of the trip without a doubt was to go to the effort and expense of such a hunting adventure, only to have the trophies either ruined or not received at all. I obtained some quotes before leaving on the trip, and got some welcomed feedback from forum members as well. With no option for dip and pack I decided I would go with the competed mounts option opposed to treated capes and skulls. Reasoning being I had no close by local preferred taxidermist in Australia, cost comparisons of two options I thought were negligible, and preferred the work to be done in the country of origin of the hunt, perhaps a bit naive but sounded good at the time.
Well as history has it we had a memorable hunting experience with Marius and his team. On the way to the airport we stopped in at the taxidermist workshop to view his teams work and it all looked pretty good to my novice eyes. After the long journey home the worry of how my mounts were being treated started and continued for the next 10 Months, stomach ulcers for sure..
Thankfully my regular emails on how the work was progressing, always received prompt and courteous replies, communications were excellent. When the Taxidermist advised me my trophies were ready for shipment I requested photos of the finish work so I could be confident they were my trophies before freighting to Aus. I received a prompt reply with photos of all mounts, they looked great, and clearly all my animals. Shipping from the Taxidermist to Aus went smoothly but at considerable expense. Someone wrote on the forum once, take your safari costs and times by three, this is a fairly accurate cost assumption for the complete package including travel and trophy mounting and handling.
My trophies were received about 10 months later as originally advised. They were well packed in a solid timber box with mounts and bags of horns hanging from the crate side walls, impressive packing and no signs of transit damage. The packing was so good it took me a couple of hours to dismantle the crate and free the contents. My initial thoughts were firstly of relief that everything appeared to be accounted for and intact. I was very pleased with the quality of the work even while still in pieces. I spent the next couple of weeks piecing the trophies together, hanging and arranging. My final thoughts on the quality of my trophies was complete satisfaction. I am by no means an expert and I am sure the critics could find some faults but I was very happy with the results and the representation of my trophies, which were mounted exactly as I had asked. The full mount Steenbok is the pick of them for me, just catches my eye every time I am in the cave, reminds me of my final day of hunting and my best shot for the trip.
I can’t thank Kevin Boucher and his team from Hunters and Collectors Taxidermy, Port Elizabeth, enough for their excellent service. My heart goes out to those forum members who have had less than acceptable results from their taxidermist services but I just thought it was equally important to report when things go well.
Cheers, Mark
My biggest fear of the trip without a doubt was to go to the effort and expense of such a hunting adventure, only to have the trophies either ruined or not received at all. I obtained some quotes before leaving on the trip, and got some welcomed feedback from forum members as well. With no option for dip and pack I decided I would go with the competed mounts option opposed to treated capes and skulls. Reasoning being I had no close by local preferred taxidermist in Australia, cost comparisons of two options I thought were negligible, and preferred the work to be done in the country of origin of the hunt, perhaps a bit naive but sounded good at the time.
Well as history has it we had a memorable hunting experience with Marius and his team. On the way to the airport we stopped in at the taxidermist workshop to view his teams work and it all looked pretty good to my novice eyes. After the long journey home the worry of how my mounts were being treated started and continued for the next 10 Months, stomach ulcers for sure..
Thankfully my regular emails on how the work was progressing, always received prompt and courteous replies, communications were excellent. When the Taxidermist advised me my trophies were ready for shipment I requested photos of the finish work so I could be confident they were my trophies before freighting to Aus. I received a prompt reply with photos of all mounts, they looked great, and clearly all my animals. Shipping from the Taxidermist to Aus went smoothly but at considerable expense. Someone wrote on the forum once, take your safari costs and times by three, this is a fairly accurate cost assumption for the complete package including travel and trophy mounting and handling.
My trophies were received about 10 months later as originally advised. They were well packed in a solid timber box with mounts and bags of horns hanging from the crate side walls, impressive packing and no signs of transit damage. The packing was so good it took me a couple of hours to dismantle the crate and free the contents. My initial thoughts were firstly of relief that everything appeared to be accounted for and intact. I was very pleased with the quality of the work even while still in pieces. I spent the next couple of weeks piecing the trophies together, hanging and arranging. My final thoughts on the quality of my trophies was complete satisfaction. I am by no means an expert and I am sure the critics could find some faults but I was very happy with the results and the representation of my trophies, which were mounted exactly as I had asked. The full mount Steenbok is the pick of them for me, just catches my eye every time I am in the cave, reminds me of my final day of hunting and my best shot for the trip.
I can’t thank Kevin Boucher and his team from Hunters and Collectors Taxidermy, Port Elizabeth, enough for their excellent service. My heart goes out to those forum members who have had less than acceptable results from their taxidermist services but I just thought it was equally important to report when things go well.
Cheers, Mark
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