Obscene Trophy Shipping Costs

[VertigoBE]

The problem is the port fees eat you up and it winds up costing more in some cases. I always check to see if ocean freight will work but it has only one time I can remember.

Hello Philip, I was not aware of exorbitant port fees or such for ocean freight (in containers) could this perhaps be specific to the US, with Europe having less of this?

To my understanding, my outfitter ships each year one container with trophies to Europe and he was not quoting very high for this service...

V.

 

[Dudders]

Hello Philip, I was not aware of exorbitant port fees or such for ocean freight (in containers) could this perhaps be specific to the US, with Europe having less of this?

To my understanding, my outfitter ships each year one container with trophies to Europe and he was not quoting very high for this service...

V.

Perhaps the costs are not to bad as they will be spread over all the customers trophys rather than just one peron footing the bill

 

[C.W. Richter]

Ocean freight was cheaper in every case here (and yes, the shipper and/or taxidermists wait until a container is full of many clients' packages to further reduce costs). The issue raised seems to indicate yet another reason to have hides/horns/skulls shipped to your home country. I'm currently working a deal with somali pirates to behave and become legitimate shippers....

 

[yhc]

I recently got quotes for AIR freight costs for shipping dip and pack vs finished taxidermy for same amount of animals. The cost for dip & pack was ~$2000 vs $5000 for finished taxidermy products. I thought shipping dip & pack a whole lot less given it’s smaller volume but that’s not the case.

 

[C.W. Richter]

I recently got quotes for AIR freight costs for shipping dip and pack vs finished taxidermy for same amount of animals. The cost for dip & pack was ~$2000 vs $5000 for finished taxidermy products. I thought shipping dip & pack a whole lot less given it’s smaller volume but that’s not the case.

That's 250% more. (Significantly more costly!)

 

[yhc]

That's 250% more. (Significantly more costly!)

Yes indeed. However I was expecting dip and pack would take up less than 20~25% of finished products in volume. But the shipping cost is almost 40% of finished products. Perhaps I am underestimating the volume of dip and pack hides. But regardless my point is that shipping dip and pack will cost a pretty penny as well.

Regards,

 

[jpomazi]

Yes, I feel your pain. I just received my shipment from a hunt I did in August 2019 with Pawprint and Dries Visser Safaris. First off it got locked down at the J-burg airport for 8-9 months. When it did ship my bill was right around $3,000 which seemed kind of high. After looking at past amounts though it might not have been terrible. My crate was 3 1/2' x 4' and weighed about 450 pounds. I had 12 animals, including giraffe (very heavy), cape buffalo, sable, etc.

My first trip in 2008 my crate was slightly larger but not as heavy. I had a full body Nyala and shoulder mounts of Kudu, impala and blesbuck. The shipping price on that was around $2,500. So if you compare one to the other and consider that was 12 years ago maybe not as bad as I initially thought. As a side note I would not do my taxidermy there for most of the reasons already mentioned.

In 2009 and 2011 I had small crates, maybe 2'x3' and they were about $900 both times. Eight animals. Skulls and hides.

Just to cheer you up some more wait until your shipment gets a hold placed on it and they make you ship it to a certified USDA taxidermist. You'll enjoy that. I have always cleared my own trophies and it eventually worked out but was just another irritant to deal with. Checks out my thread USDA clearing issues. Anyway, have a great day!

 

[C.W. Richter]

Yes indeed. However I was expecting dip and pack would take up less than 20~25% of finished products in volume. But the shipping cost is almost 40% of finished products. Perhaps I am underestimating the volume of dip and pack hides. But regardless my point is that shipping dip and pack will cost a pretty penny as well.

Regards,

Yes-shipment of most hides/heads/horns ran in the $1K-$2.3K range depending upon qty and size. The larger one included a giraffe/eland and buff/eland in another shipment (ocean). Air is like buying a seat ticket and then paying a huge excess baggage fee. But, then there's customs brokerage fees when it gets home. The love never end$.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I am dreading this years Safari dip pack and shipping costs. In 2019 I was lucky I got my June Safari shipped before Covid hit. Dip and pack on Buffalo, Sable, Nyala, and Spingbuck was $750. Shipping and clearance from Koster SA to Gizmo in Amarillo TX was $1100 with Trophy Shippers handling. I hate to think what shipping will be this year.

 

[C.W. Richter]

I am dreading this years Safari dip pack and shipping costs. In 2019 I was lucky I got my June Safari shipped before Covid hit. Dip and pack on Buffalo, Sable, Nyala, and Spingbuck was $750. Shipping and clearance from Koster SA to Gizmo in Amarillo TX was $1100 with Trophy Shippers handling. I hate to think what shipping will be this year.

the above is not bad at all, and what it should be! ('guessing from the springbuck you were in SA-if crossing numerous borders...i.e. Namib, Zim, SA, it'll be more!)

 

[C.W. Richter]

a great point is made above: If primates or pigs are included in the shipment, it MUST go to a USDA-certified taxidermist (you can pick up IF a letter is written by the taxidermist or tannery that you are functioning as their courier.) They were sometimes touchy about buffalo from certain areas, too.

 

[rookhawk]

Sorry but this is incorrect. There ARE fewer flights right now especially to Namibia. This is what is driving up the costs of air freight plain and simple. I’ve never paid over $3000 even for two big crates in the past.
From what I understand, and I do keep up with these things, there are a few airlines who don’t carry the big 5 hunting trophies. I’ve not heard of any airline that accepts no hunting trophies of any kind. Do you have an actual news story on this? If so I’d like to see it.

@Philip Glass here’s the list of airlines that ban trophy transport and what types. Source is Humane Society who sadly has been actively working to ban them everywhere.

https://www.hsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Airlines-prohibiting-hunting-trophies-Jan-2020.pdf

 

[Neil Molendyk]

So which companies are left that transport trophies?

 

[Bhfs300]

I have a question and I scanned the thread but didn’t see it anywhere.
Your crate is 5’ 4” by 3’ 6” what is the other dimension?
That seems to be a large crate?

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I have a question and I scanned the thread but didn’t see it anywhere.
Your crate is 5’ 4” by 3’ 6” what is the other dimension?
That seems to be a large crate?

Knowing the volumetric weight is 367 kg, it's easy to solve for the other dimension. It's 3'6" or 106.67 cm

Volumetric Weight Calculations

Volumetric weight = 367 kg
Length = 5'4" = 64" = 162.56 cm
Width = 3'6" = 42" = 106.68 cm
Find Height

 

[JimP]

For the metric challenged folks that is

L=63" x W=41" x H=41" and the weight is 813.5 lbs.

Pretty good size crate.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

For the metric challenged folks that is

L=63" x W=41" x H=41" and the weight is 813.5 lbs.

Pretty good size crate.

The weight is not 813.5 lbs. That is the volumetric weight. I bet the OP's crate might weigh around 250 lbs, 300 tops.

 

[Philip Glass]

@Philip Glass here’s the list of airlines that ban trophy transport and what types. Source is Humane Society who sadly has been actively working to ban them everywhere.

https://www.hsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Airlines-prohibiting-hunting-trophies-Jan-2020.pdf

Maybe Tom at @TROPHY SHIPPERS can shed some light here. I am not sure this list is correct. Plus the source is suspect of course!

 

[KWALATA SAFARIS]

Cant go wrong with Taxidermy America, Splitting image quality. Great work.


So,....this morning I receive an email from Oxi Logistics advising me that my crate from Highveld Taxidermy is ready to ship. This would be the Cape Buffalo and Sable shoulder mounts along with two backskins from my May 2019 hunt with Pawprint Safaris. I anxiously scroll down the page to the price.

So,....this morning I receive an email from Oxi Logistics advising me that my crate from Highveld Taxidermy is ready to ship. This would be the Cape Buffalo and Sable shoulder mounts along with two backskins from my May 2019 hunt with Pawprint Safaris. I anxiously scroll down the page to the price.

$4,161.02

I dropped my wine and fell to my knees. My anguished screams could be heard all over the cul-de-sac. The Goldens took a break from watching "The Dog Whisperer" to check on me, but they really were interested in a snack and not my wellbeing.

Okay, none of the above happened. I don't drink before work, but I seriously wanted to have a Gin & Tonic after seeing the invoice. I did curse a little.
The crate is listed as a volumetric weight of 367 KG and measures 162 cm(L) x 107 cm(W).

Paula of Oxi Logistics was kind enough to put the following in the email:
"Kindly note that storage and handling fees of $250 per month become applicable after your crates have been in our warehouse for 3 months if the delay is caused by the customer".

I'm tempted to ride out the three months to see if shipping goes down. I haven't responded yet. I'm going to give it the weekend. This pretty much ensures that I will never have taxidermy done in Africa again. I've been happy with the work that they've done in the past, but have started to appreciate the quality of materials that American taxidermists use after receiving my 2018 Namibia trophies from Taxidermy America. On a side note, a Gemsbok that Taxidermy America did for me fell off the wall, dropped nine feet on to tile and was not damaged other than the horns being a little loose.

I'm now dreading the cost of shipping the dipped & packed horns and hides from Zambia this last October. I'm definitely not getting the mounts in SA.

Anybody have

 

[KWALATA SAFARIS]

Would

@Vanguard2279 regardless of opinions, just remember that freight rates do rise and fall similar to any market pricing due to various conditions. Rates will fall, hopefully enough in your 90 day window.

You save in excess of $750? As I understand it they will charge him $250 a month for storage from here on out?
I guess only time will tell, that’s a bit of a risk i.m.o
My best always!