Planning for my Trip

[Ajramos05]

I will be hunting in Sichen, South Africa in June 2026. I'm really looking forward to it as I'll be hunting with my son. I am starting to plan for my trip and set aside my budget. I've been able to get most information except the estimated cost to ship my harvest from South Africa to Houston, Texas. Every site I find states that it depends on size and weight and the range they provide is 2200 to 2500 for 550 pounds.

Some questions I have are: 1. Can multiple harvest be packed together or must they be separate; 2. Is air shipping better than ocean (regardless of duration); 3. Is there an option for me to do everything myself, minus the packing, that is simple?

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Jerry

 

[Safari Dave]

For me, planning and anticipation is a wonderful part of the African hunting experience.


IME:
1. Multiple harvests can be packed together, just don't complicate things by putting more than one name on anything.
2. Air is the only thing I've ever done, but its always worked out well.
3. I doubt that you will be afforded the opportunity to do much yourself until the trophies get back to America.

On two occasions, I've picked up my trophies near the Atlanta airport at Coppersmith's warehouse.

The first time, all trophies were mounted in South Africa and the cost was surprisingly inexpensive. ($1,200 got me 8 trophies and shipping (in 2007)).


In 2021, the cost of taxidermy in South Africa had gone up to the point where it was better to have the trophies dipped and packed and shipped back to America for mounting.



Beware... things seem VERY slow now.



My buffalo was taken in August of 2021.

I hung it on the wall in July 2025!

 

[Scott4030]

I hunted South Africa in May 2024, just picked up my mounts at SFO at the end of August. I had a Sable, Lechwe, Tsessebe and an Eland mounted, all shoulder mounts. The taxidermist charged me $4070 USD, the shipping via Delta cost me $4056 USD all in. That includes shipping, USDA fees, US FWS fees, APHIS fees and customs broker fees. $8126 total. I’ve hunted in Africa 7 times, it gets more expensive every time. I’ve only ever used air so don’t know about ocean transport. Everything came in one crate, super nicely packed. The main things you can do to hold costs down is to: 1. Pick up your trophies at the airport and 2. Pick up your trophies on the first day they are available. Most airlines give you one or two “free” days and then charge around $200/day to hold your shipment and the cost of getting a ground shipment to your home from whatever international airport you shipped to can add quite a lot of expense. I live about 1.5 hours from SFO and it is well worth the drive to save the money I would have to pay to a trucking company. So make sure you customs broker knows that you plan on picking up and make sure to email or call them everyday once you have been notified of a shipping date. They tend to “forget” to call you before you run out of free storage days.

 

[Scott4030]

I hunted South Africa in May 2024, just picked up my mounts at SFO at the end of August. I had a Sable, Lechwe, Tsessebe and an Eland mounted, all shoulder mounts. The taxidermist charged me $4070 USD, the shipping via Delta cost me $4056 USD all in. That includes shipping, USDA fees, US FWS fees, APHIS fees and customs broker fees. $8126 total. I’ve hunted in Africa 7 times, it gets more expensive every time. I’ve only ever used air so don’t know about ocean transport. Everything came in one crate, super nicely packed. The main things you can do to hold costs down is to: 1. Pick up your trophies at the airport and 2. Pick up your trophies on the first day they are available. Most airlines give you one or two “free” days and then charge around $200/day to hold your shipment and the cost of getting a ground shipment to your home from whatever international airport you shipped to can add quite a lot of expense. I live about 1.5 hours from SFO and it is well worth the drive to save the money I would have to pay to a trucking company. So make sure you customs broker knows that you plan on picking up and make sure to email or call them everyday once you have been notified of a shipping date. They tend to “forget” to call you before you run out of free storage days.

Comparing taxidermy costs RSA vs US. Costs are getting closer. My godson came on the 2024 hunt with me. He chose to have his animals dipped and packed and shipped here vs having them mounted in RSA like I did. That way he can space out the cost of having his mounts done and do them as he can afford them. He shot a Gemsbok, Impala, Kudu, Zebra, Springbok, Waterbuck and a pile of Warthogs. He had everything but the Warthogs dipped, packed and shipped. That cost him around $3500. Each mount dome here will probably cost about $1800. So if we do apples to apples and say 4 mounts at $1800 is $7200, plus shipping and dip and pack at $3500. He will end up spending about $2500 more than me but he gets to spread out the cost. He is in school so that helps him a lot.

 

[Ajramos05]

Wow! Thanks for the quick response. I’m getting excited about this trip.

Jerry

 

[JimP]

Doing your own clearing can be a lesson in frustration unless you have done it before. Not to mention extra fees for storage while the USFW and USDA get their act together.

This is where a importer comes in handy. They make sure that all the paperwork is in order along with having bonded warehouses where you shipment can sit and wait without you inuring more fees from the airline for storage.

From what I have read you will spend all the money that you saved if you use the water route over air. Between dock fees and warehouse storage it isn't worth it.

I've done taxidermy both ways. My last trip I had my mounts done at the outfitters shop. What I saved having him do the work was almost eaten up with the extra shipping. But I got my mounts a full year to a year and a half quicker than I would of if I would of had the mounts done here in the US

 

[Ajramos05]

Thanks JimP

 

[Philip Glass]

I will be hunting in Sichen, South Africa in June 2026. I'm really looking forward to it as I'll be hunting with my son. I am starting to plan for my trip and set aside my budget. I've been able to get most information except the estimated cost to ship my harvest from South Africa to Houston, Texas. Every site I find states that it depends on size and weight and the range they provide is 2200 to 2500 for 550 pounds.

Some questions I have are: 1. Can multiple harvest be packed together or must they be separate; 2. Is air shipping better than ocean (regardless of duration); 3. Is there an option for me to do everything myself, minus the packing, that is simple?

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Jerry

1. Maybe
2. Yes
3. If you want it confiscated yes. Get with Coppersmith after your Hunt.
It will all cost in the neighborhood of $5000 to get your trophies home. This is the most aggravating part of the safari business. Good for you for planning ahead!

 

[Ajramos05]

Thanks Phillip

 

[Hogpatrol]

1. Yes IF all animals are recorded in the outfitter's book as being shot by one person and the taxidermist records ONLY one person having all the taxidermy. Two names in one box, bye bye trophies.
2. Air is the easiest to track.
3. I've imported four shipments solo but it's work, time consuming and you're possibly dealing with some people in the shallow end of the gene pool. Another $1000 and some bogus fees but a lot less hassle to go with a proven importer, especially for a new to Africa hunter.

 

[375Fox]

Once you finish your hunt your outfitter will deliver your trophies to a taxidermy who will do a veterinary process called dip & pack. You need to estimate around $100-$150 per animal. You can’t do this yourself. They’ll deliver trophies to a shipper who will ship them to a port of entry in US to get cleared by a customs broker that you choose. It’s unfortunately expensive to get your trophies home. I’d estimate $2000 to ship to US (for a dip and pack shipment of skins and skulls) then another $1500-$2000 to clear and ship final destination. You can shop around for different taxidermists in South Africa to save costs and get multiple shipping quotes. I would not try and clear a trophy shipment yourself. You’d only be saving a $450 fee and adding a lot of headache, especially if you have a warthog or baboon in your shipment. It’s unfortunately expensive but the process does work. You should have all your trophies home in well under a year.

 

[jomw10]

You can certainly clear your own in the us. But savings, if any won’t be much. Specially if the crate stays in storage longer due to paper work issues.
As for combined shipping, this is US restriction. I believe US allow combined shipping for immediate relatives in the same house but I may be wrong.

 

[Throwback]

FWIW, a lot of us have it dip and packed in Africa and ultimately sent to a taxidermist in the US directly to finish the trophy. That is a 4 step process basically that will need money paid at each juncture.

- Taxidermist in Africa to dip and pack - pay some money
- Shipper / Customs Agent in S. Africa to ship out of S. Africa - pay some money
- Shipper / Customs Agent in US to clear the shipment into US and ship to taxidermist or wherever it is going, possibly your house. There is the option to pick it up yourself as well. - pay some money
- Taxidermist in the US to finish the trophy - pay some money

If you live in the Houston area you can have the shipment cleared into the US by a customs agent / shipper and sent directly to a taxidermist in this area. That is what I do and many others too. If you live close enough you can then pick up your finished trophy from the taxidermist, eventually. That means you wont touch the trophies at any point in the process until ready to hang on the wall.

As others have said, be patient. Personally, I would air freight and probably have taxidermy done in the US, unless just euro mounts. That said, S. Africa does have reputable taxidermists but do your homework. Visit them there if at all possible.

Lastly, once you get multiple hunts under your belt you can see how a "pipeline" develops where animals from different hunts are constantly at different points in this process. It makes it fun, just keep the money rolling out and the animals will keep rolling in, lol. Cheers