Let’s be Honest!!!

[Huntforever]

$3,370 to Chicago shipping this week or next.

SHIPMENT DETAILS
Destination Port: ORD
No. of Crates: 1
Dimensions: 213x93x98cm
Actual Weight: 120kg
Vol./Chargeable Weight: 324kg
Contents: Fully processed game trophies

How many trophies did your crate contain?

 

[trperk1]

How many trophies did your crate contain?

It’s not the number but the type. Size and weight of container dictate cost. I had 5 Skull mounts and a Gemsbok shoulder pedestal with Zulu Shield and Spears on a stand

 

[coreydb]

Shipping costs are figured by tonnage; not trophies. My cost was close to Trperk1.

 

[farmer_john]

It’s not the number but the type. Size and weight of container dictate cost. I had 5 Skull mounts and a Gemsbok shoulder pedestal with Zulu Shield and Spears on a stand

Where you get the speers and shields from?

 

[trperk1]

Where you get the speers and shields from?

The Taxidermist

 

[BRICKBURN]

Shipping costs are figured by tonnage; not trophies. My cost was close to Trperk1.

Shipping is determined on Volumetric weight or actual weight. If Volumetric weight is higher you will be paying on that basis. As noted in @trperk1 post.

 

[Huntforever]

Everything so far I’ve seen tells a story that it’s more expensive to do the work in Africa. I’ve been comparing pricing here in the states to South Africa and it’s only a few hundred cheaper on average for the mounting cost.

 

[Spartan5]

We are going to for the first time next year and using AHG store taxidermy and shipping. Look at their rates and services, it is extremely competitive and reasonable IMO. They are connected with Afton Safari Lodge.

 

[Hunt anything]

We are going to for the first time next year and using AHG store taxidermy and shipping. Look at their rates and services, it is extremely competitive and reasonable IMO. They are connected with Africa Sky.

AHG is affiliated with Afton Safari Lodge, not African Sky. If we’re talking about the same place, Richard Lendrums outfit.

 

[Spartan5]

AHG is affiliated with Afton Safari Lodge, not African Sky. If we’re talking about the same place, Richard Lendrums outfit.

Thanks I was able to edit that to correct my mistake.

 

[Scott CWO]

Who were you using as a shipping agent? That is quite reasonable. Is that just the air freight (Turkish Airlines)? The freight handlers have been skinning me for their "fees."

African Outbound and it’s going on Delta. Just plains game. No dangerous game.

 

[Scott CWO]

That’s sounds like a good price. Do you know the weight and dimensions of the container? Also, who did you use for shipping?

The taxidermist charged me $980 for dip/pack/crating and transport to Africa Outbound. Freight is $825 on Delta for 93cm x 53cm x 57cm crate that weight 50kg. As I said, four shoulder capes, skulls and horns.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

View attachment 775201

The taxidermist charged me $980 for dip/pack/crating and transport to Africa Outbound. Freight is $825 on Delta for 93cm x 53cm x 57cm crate that weight 50kg. As I said, four shoulder capes, skulls and horns.

No charges for warehouse fees or vet inspections?

 

[Sabre]

"Taxidermy work in Africa used to be a no-brainer because the lower local labor costs easily offset the international shipping fees. But is that still true today? Let’s look at the raw facts, crunch the numbers, and leave the emotions and self-interest at the door. "

This is the one thing we/I missed going our first time and I guess most first timers do as well. For example, we didn't even know we needed an importer until we were squaring up the last day of the safari with our payments. Another hunter told us about it and the outfitter confirmed.

If it's a buffalo hunt that's $15,000 for 5 days it really is:

$15,000 for the hunt and buffalo
$1000-$2000 for the shoulder mount if done there
$2000-$3000 in air freight
$1500-$3000 in importing, warehousing, misc fees, and inland transpo.

So yeah, on the high side of those figures that's an additional $8,000 on top of the $15,000 for the actual hunt, or 50-60%.

Good rule of thumb you pointed out. Depending what you end up taking, how many animals, and type of mounts...figure another 60-70% on top of the hunt cost for your trophies to get to your door.

A lot of people are probably like us their first time. Didn't know they needed an importer, didn't know shipping was that expensive, didn't know there was that much involved getting it back.

If it's worth it to the person, go for it. I think a lot of people just don't realize the after-hunt work and cost to get your trophies home.

I have had hunts where I easily spent more on Dip&Pack, crating, export, shipping, import, and taxidermy, than I spent on the hunt itself.

The prices only seem to be going up. I might always feel the need to bring some part of the animal back. So I will likely do Euro and interesting flat skins from here on out. Like many others on here, I am running out of room anyway. But, by doing euros and skins you can cut your costs in half or more a lot of times.

The urge for interesting mounts is still there, but hopefully logic wins out in the future for me.

 

[migrabill]

I had to decide all this for myself and here is the conclusion I came to. Shoulder mounts, euros, and the such - use a high quality African taxidermist. Floor Pedestals (involving furniture), wall pedestals (involving heavy adornments), Full size involving bases etc - have the work done stateside. It's just too much money to ship the heavy furniture.

 

[Huntforever]

We are going to for the first time next year and using AHG store taxidermy and shipping. Look at their rates and services, it is extremely competitive and reasonable IMO. They are connected with Afton Safari Lodge.

AHG Store and Taxidermy website?

 

[Spartan5]

AHG Store and Taxidermy website?

Home - AHG Shipping

SHIPPING SERVICES We started the shipping business for one reason, to save you money. Save more money, means you can hunt more. WELCOME TO TTS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNXbcgHf7iI&t=1s TAXIDERMY SERVICES We started this taxidermy brokerage and agent service, guaranteeing you the best...

www.ahgshipping.com

 

[Scott CWO]

No charges for warehouse fees or vet inspections?

All included.

 

[HookMeUpII]

No charges for warehouse fees or vet inspections?

To add onto what @Scott CWO said, you'd be insane not to work with an importer who has a bonded warehouse. Rolling the dice on storage in an airline warehouse is a huge gamble in this day and age. Especially with swine/primates and other more involved species.

If I recall correctly, there was a gentleman on here a while ago who got nailed for like 10 days of storage in an airline warehouse at like $350 a day.

My importer charged $360 for the bonded warehouse, single flat fee, whether it's in there 2 days or 2 weeks. Money well spent.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

To add onto what @Red Leg said, you'd be insane not to work with an importer who has a bonded warehouse. Rolling the dice on storage in an airline warehouse is a huge gamble in this day and age. Especially with swine/primates and other more involved species.

If I recall correctly, there was a gentleman on here a while ago who got nailed for like 10 days of storage in an airline warehouse at like $350 a day.

My importer charged $360 for the bonded warehouse, single flat fee, whether it's in there 2 days or 2 weeks. Money well spent.

It would be nice if I could find a brokerage to do the job that 1) wasn't totally incompetent and/or crooked and/or gave a shit about client service and 2) had a bonded warehouse that can take biological stuff. I am in Canada and Pearson Airport is run top to bottom end to end by incompetent crooked impersonal don't give a shit East Indians (travel through Pearson and you will see what I mean). The freight companies are worse! Same ethnicity douche bags with same work ethic or rather lack thereof. Maybe they pick up the shipment, maybe they don't. No one knows. Crate winds up a day further down the road in warehouse in Winnipeg where it's lost for weeks. How? Why? All I get is the foreman salute (shoulder shrug). The girl running the freight office here doesn't have the mental capacity to tie her own shoes. But she's sure good looking. You can do the math. It is a bloody nightmare. Been through it four times and figured it's time to try alternatives. Nothing to lose except three marginal trophies that are already duplicated several times. If it works maybe I can help others navigate this jungle. If it doesn't ... oh well.