Taxidermy Overview

[JCHunter62]

If a there is a thread out there somewhere that covers this please point me as I didn't find it in my search.

BUT I want to know the basics of Taxidermy for South Africa, what are your options? I am not referring the specifics of taxidermy and how it is done, but what are ones options for getting their trophies preserved?

If you want to have your taxidermy done in country what are the do's and don'ts most first timers aren't thinking about? Our Safari vendor uses LifeForm taxidermy for all its work, so can we even ask to have our trophies taken else if we decide we wanted too? We are mainly looking for "American" style European mounts on the following: Cape Buffalo, Kudu, Eland, Gemsbok, Black Wildebeest, Warthog, and Impala and maybe making rugs out of a Zebra or two. I am still undecided on doing a shoulder mount on my Cape Buff and Kudu (if harvested), so that may become a requirement as well.

If you want to bring your trophies back home and have a US based taxidermist complete them, what is required for that? I have heard the term salt dipped and packed, is that is all the is required to export them back to the US?

 

[Doug3006]

Two options.

Option one: An African taxidermist will dip, pack and ship the hides and horns. The crate will be smaller, thus less expensive to ship, than completed trophies. Once they’re received by your taxidermist here in the US, they will send the hides off to be tanned. Once that’s completed, the taxidermist will mount the trophies per your instructions.

Option two: The African taxidermist tans the hides and mounts the trophies then ships the finished work to you, Obviously. the crate will be larger and the shipping more expensive. However, the taxidermy work will be less costly than in the US.

For the longest time, the total cost was a wash for the two options. Now with shipping costs skyrocketing, it may be better to go with the first option.

 

[Elkeater]

I’ve only been over once so take my opinion with a grain of salt. We did taxidermy over there with bullseye taxidermy. I was very happy with that choice. Our mounts are nice. Not competition quality but nicely done. From the time of our hunt to the time they were on the wall was 16 months. Not a bad turn around time if you ask me.

Total charges for finished taxidermy work for shipping a 145x123x102cm crate weighing 135kg with a chargeable weight of 303kg containing:

Kudu shoulder mount x1
Impala shoulder mount x2
Blesbok shoulder mount x1
Blue wildebeest shoulder mount x1
Nyala wall pedestal mount x1
Steenbok full body plus base x1
Zebra rug x 1
Springbok skull x1
Warthog skull x 2
Porcupine skull x 1
Springbok flat skin x1
Porcupine flat skin x1
Warthog leather tan x1
Backskins for all shoulder mounts
Kudu horn core x2

Charge for Bullseye Taxidermy to DFW airfreight $3450.24

Coppersmith clearing fees plus domestic shipping from DFW to Globe Arizona $2258.53

Total from vaalwater South Africa to my door $5708.77

Expensive but there’s a bunch of stuff in there. And we mounted more than I intended because my kids shot more than half those and wanted mounts.

The taxidermy work itself was right about $6700 in 2024. Which was about $10,000 less than the same exact work would have cost here in the states. For me it worked out but others will have other experiences and opinions. If I went back to Limpopo I would probably use bullseye again.