SOUTH AFRICA: Beware Mkulu Safaris

Matt.M

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hello all,
This is my first post as a new member.
I want to warn anyone considering hunting with Mkulu safaris that there is is VERY high risk of never getting your trophies if you hunt with them.
I hunted with them in Nov 2018.
First they appear to have lost the cape from my Impala. As it is definitely not the same one I shot.
When it came time for the taxidermist to start work on my trophies, they contacted me to ask if I had the paperwork from Pieter at Mkulu. I didn’t so I tried multiple times to contact Pieter with no success, then he replied with constant excuses for months.
During this time, the taxidermist told me they currently had 4 other clients from Mkulu with the exact same problem. Pieter refusing to send paperwork!
PHASA could not help as Pieter is not a member!
Despite always being polite, In the end I told Pieter to cut the crap and tell me what is the real reason he is mucking me around. That was the last I heard from him, he never replied.
I then told the taxidermist to start work ASAP as I will fly over and pick up the trophies in person and bring them home as checked luggage.
If I hadn’t figured out I could bring them home that way, the trophies would have been lost to me.
My wife has ended up flying over to get them instead of me as she is from S.A, so she got to visit family for a couple of weeks at the same time for probably the same price as shipping and any import tax. which was nice for her.

As for Pieter, I was always very polite and thankful for his service. I never complained about anything. But although he seems polite and very informative, Several times I noticed him looking at me with absolute venom and hatred in his eyes. I saw him threaten to kill his cook Michael, who is black, while we were at the table for just looking at him. I was really imbarresed to eat while the chief had to stand at attention while we ate and be threatened for looking our way!
I felt disgusted like we were back in the slave days.
I think that Pieter was furious that my wife is a coloured South African and he was furious that he had to be polite and serve a coloured woman.
(My wife could see that too, but after growing up under aphartied. Although she was very polite as usual, she admitted she got great pleasure that he had to bite his tounge while her presence as made him angry)
That is why I think he tried to screw us over, which I think is cowardly, doing vindictive things like refuse to fill out paper work from the other side of the world instead of saying something to my face.
To add to the cheek of the guy he even used a photo of us with a Springbok on his home page, but I think he took it down after I left warnings on his you tube videos.
I see other members have had bad experiences with this exact same thing- politely taking your money and shafting you once you are on the other side of the world.
Anyway, my advice is despite Mkulus good you tube videos avoid them like the plague.
 
I am really disappointed to hear of your experience. I was also unaware you could bring back your, i assume dipped & salted, animals as general luggage. I try to read any "beware of" articles here, as I've only had superior experiences with RSA Professional hunters but all have been members of PHASA.

Is this a picture of you & your wife? It looks like the person in your "profile pic" is wearing the same necklace? This is from the "Contact us" page. https://huntinginafricasafaris.com/contact-us/ Either way, beautiful Black Face Impala!

get-in-touch-with-mkulu-african-hunting-safaris.jpg
 

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I am really disappointed to hear of your experience. I was also unaware you could bring back your, i assume dipped & salted, animals as general luggage. I try to read any "beware of" articles here, as I've only had superior experiences with RSA Professional hunters but all have been members of PHASA.

Is this a picture of you & your wife? It looks like the person in your "profile pic" is wearing the same necklace? This is from the "Contact us" page. https://huntinginafricasafaris.com/contact-us/ Either way, beautiful Black Face Impala!

get-in-touch-with-mkulu-african-hunting-safaris.jpg
Hi Landman,
That’s some good CSI detective work with th shark tooth necklace haha!
Yes, that’s us. I thought he took the photo down but apparently not.
The heads are fully taxidermied.
Unfortunately, being my first hunt I had no knowledge of what PHASA was until too late.
 
Sounds like a bit of a nightmare.:eek: Do you have your trophies home and if so did you actually bring skulls, horns and skins home in your luggage?o_O
 
Actually he must have changed the photo.
I’m sure it was the photo of us with the springbok last time I checked.
Yeah, it is a nice black face Impala. But the one that is coming has a different cape I think.

E0447F2F-E09C-4B62-BC64-711516CBCEFD.jpeg
 
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Yeah. The taxydermied heads and skins are coming as checked luggage.
That’s the other reason I made this post. So people know they can do this as a last resort if they have the same paperwork problems.
I’ll update when they get on my wall God willing.
 
I didn't know such was even legal. Learn sumpin' new almost every day!:eek:
 
I didn't know such was even legal. Learn sumpin' new almost every day!:eek:
Yeah . It’s ok, they just don’t tell you this unless you are very persistent.
I guess that’s why people can buy Zebra skins and lots of other animal stuff at the airport when they leave and travel with it no problem.
 
Actually he must have changed the photo.
I’m sure it was the photo of us with the springbok last time I checked.
Yeah, it is a nice black face Impala. But the one that is coming has a different cape I think.
If that is in fact a black faced Impala and you are Stateside, I don't believe I would advertise to0 loudly that you brought it into the country by whatever means.
 
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If that is in fact a black faced Impala and you are Stateside, I don't believe I would advertise to0 loudly that you brought it into the country by whatever means.
I don’t live in America, but why do you say that?
 
I don’t live in America, but why do you say that?
Well that might make a difference. However I think there is a distinction between buying gifts at the airport than from bringing ones own collected trophies home in their luggage. But from wherever it is you are, I wouldn't know.
 
I don’t live in America, but why do you say that?
They can not be imported into this country under any conditions (same rule, for instance, for cheetah). More than a little silly for an animal typically taken off a game ranch. I am also pretty sure US customs would have a field day with anyone trying to bring in their trophy shipment in their baggage.
 
They can not be imported into this country under any conditions (same rule, for instance, for cheetah). More than a little silly for an animal typically taken off a game ranch. I am also pretty sure US customs would have a field day with anyone trying to bring in their trophy shipment in their baggage.
I don’t think there are any problems bring trophies into our country in our baggage as long as we have paperwork to show they are correctly treated and are not on CITES list.
So should be fine. I asked that question in person at the airport before I left. Different laws here I guess.
 
Its interesting that Mkulu does not list black faced impala on his trophy list. Perhaps you might tell us where exactly you are which might help explain things a bit.
 
I don’t think there are any problems bring trophies into our country in our baggage as long as we have paperwork to show they are correctly treated and are not on CITES list.
So should be fine. I asked that question in person at the airport before I left. Different laws here I guess.
So what happens to all the black Impala that American hunters pay extra to hunt? Are they left behind in Africa?
I was told it was carrying a recessive black gene.
 
So what happens to all the black Impala that American hunters pay extra to hunt? Are they left behind in Africa?
I was told it was carrying a recessive black gene.

Black impala are a color phase of the common impala.

Black faced impala are a different species endemic to Angola and Namibia. I would bet that your is a common impala with similar markings. I highly doubt its actually a black faced impala.

You're correct though, a black faced impala can't be imported into the US.
 
I wrote this post to warn others of the risk of hunting with Mkulu.
To save others the problems I have had, but people want to focus on where I live, and miss the point of my post.
I shot the Impala that the PH told me to shoot.
 
I wrote this post to warn others of the risk of hunting with Mkulu.
To save others the problems I have had, but people want to focus on where I live, and miss the point of my post.
I shot the Impala that the PH told me to shoot.
I never heard
Black impala are a color phase of the common impala.

Black faced impala are a different species endemic to Angola and Namibia. I would bet that your is a common impala with similar markings. I highly doubt its actually a black faced impala.

You're correct though, a black faced impala can't be imported into the US.
Aaahhh thank you for clearing that up Royal 27.
I never heard the term black faced Impala before Silverman said that’s what it was in the first reply.
I was told it was carrying the black gene but it was reccesive.
I joined last night because I’m just trying to warn others, so they don’t go through all the cost and worry that myself and many others have been through, and next thing I know I’m getting accused of shooting endangered species.
 

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