Not keeping trophies on first plains game hunt?

[johnnyblues]

Strictly a personal decision. You know what you can afford. Keep in mind some taxidermist's complete work 18 months after your shipment arrives. So if you have room for one or two mounts you may want to consider that. It's no secret I m one of the members who wont hunt something I can't bring home and mount. Again just a personal choice. No matter what just go and enjoy the safari. It's something you will never forget.

 

[cagkt3]

Interesting responses. I'm also going in '18 and I will be mounting or getting skulls done on just about everything. I really want to have those memories of my first trip. After that, I will only mount something really special - otherwise it will be a skull mount (if prices are cheap enough) or more likely just lots of pictures.

 

[Michael Dean]

It's really a personal decision, only you know full well what your financial position is and what makes sense for you. As others have mentioned, if you are going to pass on the taxidermy route you may want to consider a cull hunt. If you choose that direction you're going to get twice the trigger time and opportunities.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Correct me if I'm wrong but do you not get charged the 14% VAT in South Africa for any trophies that are left behind?

Damn good question. It is a fact with wounded critters.

 

[Mark Urbanczyk]

Damn good question. It is a fact with wounded critters.

That is something I've been told. If true then 14% of a $1000 trophy fee would in most cases cover the cost of a skull bleach, or very close to it. Personally if I'm dumping that kind of money I might as well throw in the difference and keep the horns. I don't believe this applies to cull animals, just trophies.

 

[huntinlabs]

That is something I've been told. If true then 14% of a $1000 trophy fee would in most cases cover the cost of a skull bleach, or very close to it. Personally if I'm dumping that kind of money I might as well throw in the difference and keep the horns. I don't believe this applies to cull animals, just trophies.

see if your outfitter included the tax in your quote. I am going with Pawprint and the quote @billc gave me included the 14% tax. So if I was you I would ask if the price he gave you included the tax or not.

 

[Mark Urbanczyk]

see if your outfitter included the tax in your quote. I am going with Pawprint and the quote @billc gave me included the 14% tax. So if I was you I would ask if the price he gave you included the tax or not.

My VAT was included I was under the impression that extra was charged if you did not export your trophies.

 

[cls]

Some really good suggestions here, it comes down to personal preference. I had a skinner custom made from my warthog tusks, 100 bucks and mailed to me. I would suggest though that you put a lot of thought into this before you make that decision.

 

[sierraone]

Damn good question. It is a fact with wounded critters.

My understanding is that is correct. Any animal you do not export, you pay a 14% tax on, in addition to a wounded animal!

But as one posted mentioned, Paw Print and other outfitters I am sure, include the 14% on the daily fees in their price list. But the 14% on non exported animals is not normally included in the advertised price. That would be additional. For me I am hunting 4 animals, so the 14 percent on not exporting is still very small when compared to the total price of prep, exporting, government fees and taxidermy costs. And you still need a place to hang the mounts!

 

[MartyJ]

Well, the hard truth is that the trophy (A relative term) only have value to the hunter. Lots of times, when a hunter passes, the first thing the wife gets rid of is the trophy mounts.
You did list a warthog. If I were you, I'd look to shoot a couple of those and you can bring the tusks home in your luggage. You can mount the tusks on a board yourself like the Germans do it.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I am taking my first trip to Africa in April '18. I have chosen an outfitter.

This is the bag included with my hunt:
Kudu
Blesbok
Springbok
Impala
duiker
warthog

I am planning out all the finances and I got a quote for a shoulder mount on the Kudu and euro mounts on everything else. I will do without at the price I was quoted. The skull mounts averaged about $300 each (minus the warthog) and the kudu shoulder mount was $1600 and I got a shipping estimate of $1000 give or take.

I simply can not afford to spend that amount on taxidermy.

The level of experience on africahunting is mind blowing. I would like to know some thoughts on forgoing the taxidermy altogether. My house is too small for a Trophy room and my man cave is my new pick up so I don't really have the room for them either but I must say a $2500 or so tab for 4/5 skull mounts shipped is my first reason for asking this question AND that is skipping the shoulder mount on the kudu.

Any tips on memorable pictures in lieu of mounts? Can I ship the horns only? Trophies are way down my list of "wants" for this hunt if that matters.

It really seems there is a "new" added cost around every corner hunting in Africa and these costs are in the hundreds to thousands of dollars. Gun permits, flights, secondary flights, taxidermy, shipping, weight restrictions, baggage fees, tipping, insurance, layovers etc etc. The hunt is the cheapest part of the trip it seems.

The taxidermy part of planning and costing out a safari is definitely the most challenging/frustrating part. If you're not sure you can afford it, don't have the room for it anyway, then can it. Whatever you do, I wouldn't let that stop you. I like @TOM's suggestion to invest in a good digital SLR and take a crap load of pictures. You can then work these over yourself and have picture books made for a very reasonable cost.

Another alternative to taxidermy is to have your hunted filmed by a professional videographer. I know one guy who charges $375 / day which includes everything including delivery of the finished product. You may want to have have him or another for 4-5 days to keep costs down, but still have a great memory that will last forever and takes up virtually no space in your home.

 

[Nyati]

I don´t have that much room either, so I only do skull mounts.
Remember it will take some time before you receive your trophies, an average of 6 months, dip and pack in SA is around 60/70 USD per animal, can´t help you on shipping to the US and customs. Then you can wait for as much as you like for the final taxidermy.

 

[Aaron N]

once it's left behind, it's left behind. It would be a shame to look back in two years time wishing you had done It differently. Even if you just dipped and packed everything and did one critter at a time as finances allowed!

 

[ArmyGrunt]

until standing over my Kudu it dawned on me just how incredible these animals are.

I think of all the plains game animals you could take the kudu looks the most impressive as a shoulder mount. If I ever decide to bag one it'll be shoulder mount without a doubt. Euro works for many others, but not as complimenting for the grey ghost

 

[LivingTheDream]

Yeah I'm kind of with Army Grunt on that Kudu are way to beautiful to leave behind. Butttt you could do some Kudu culling and that you give you the experience and no pressure to save the trophies.

 

[Dr Ray]

I am taking my first trip to Africa in April '18. I have chosen an outfitter.

This is the bag included with my hunt:
Kudu
Blesbok
Springbok
Impala
duiker
warthog

I am planning out all the finances and I got a quote for a shoulder mount on the Kudu and euro mounts on everything else. I will do without at the price I was quoted. The skull mounts averaged about $300 each (minus the warthog) and the kudu shoulder mount was $1600 and I got a shipping estimate of $1000 give or take.

I simply can not afford to spend that amount on taxidermy.

The level of experience on africahunting is mind blowing. I would like to know some thoughts on forgoing the taxidermy altogether. My house is too small for a Trophy room and my man cave is my new pick up so I don't really have the room for them either but I must say a $2500 or so tab for 4/5 skull mounts shipped is my first reason for asking this question AND that is skipping the shoulder mount on the kudu.

Any tips on memorable pictures in lieu of mounts? Can I ship the horns only? Trophies are way down my list of "wants" for this hunt if that matters.

It really seems there is a "new" added cost around every corner hunting in Africa and these costs are in the hundreds to thousands of dollars. Gun permits, flights, secondary flights, taxidermy, shipping, weight restrictions, baggage fees, tipping, insurance, layovers etc etc. The hunt is the cheapest part of the trip it seems.

Just get skins tanned. That's very inexpensive but still looks great.

 

[Catahoula]

You did list a warthog. If I were you, I'd look to shoot a couple of those and you can bring the tusks home in your luggage. You can mount the tusks on a board yourself like the Germans do it.

I thought everything had to go through an import process. Is this something you can just declare on arrival?

 

[MartyJ]

Cleaned warthog tusks take up little room. Rules change all the time, for the latest, the man will have to check.
Long, long time ago when I was skinny and had hair, just put them in luggage and brought it home. Didn't think anything of it as warthog corkscrew, warthog bottle opener sold right at the airport.

 

[Upton O. Good]

I've taken in excess of 20 animals on three trips to Africa. I've only had four heads mounted: Cape buff, bushbuck, common duiker and a steenbok. The rest, including a monster eland, are skulls and flat skins in my trophy room. I wouldn't do anything different if given the chance to do over.

I had all of my taxidermy done Natural Instincts in Oregon, the skulls and hides were dipped and packed in Africa and air freighted home. I've read far too many complaints about taxidermy done in Africa.

What you decide to do all depends on what you want to see back home.

 

[VonJager]

$1600 for kudu shoulder is rather high. Look for other taxidermists with comparable quality? $300 for Euros is about right, maybe slightly high but not out of the range. I think $900 to $1200 is about right for kudu shoulder. But if that is still too much, and taxidermy has no value to you, then take pictures and skip bringing it home. I bring at least horns home, and some skins, but can understand those that choose otherwise.