The cost of shipping Trophies

OUCH, $11,500.00 for shipping it’s a rip off.
 
Mine went to the shipper last week. Quote for air freight, S.A. to DFW for 5 Shoulder mounts (largest is Kudu), 3 Euro Shield mounts, 1 Zebra rug, 5 backskins: $3,989.

Volumetric weight: 324 Kg, Actual Weight = 132 Kg.

My hunting buddy's crate and my crate are being shipped together under one freight bill. He had 9 animals - all done as Euros + some rugs/skins - and his breakout was $2,740.
210 Kg Volumetric weight.
That's not the end of it. Don't you have to pay the domestic importer their fees and then have it shipped to your house or taxidermist?
 
That's not the end of it. Don't you have to pay the domestic importer their fees and then have it shipped to your house or taxidermist?
Correct. My import agent at DFW has their fees plus there will be ground freight to ABQ. Waiting on an estimate on the ground freight now.

The other hunter lives close enough to Dallas he can pick up his crate in person. No additional taxidermy - mine are finished.
 
OUCH, $11,500.00 for shipping it’s a rip off.
Yeah, some of these quotes are outrageous! I'm going to "dip and pack" a bunch of photos in my phone and when I get home buy a couple of custom rifles for the $11K. I'll then "display" them in a fine African wooden gun rack above a photo album of my trip under a tea light in my "sitting room" (coffee table in the living room). LOL
 
Yeah, some of these quotes are outrageous! I'm going to "dip and pack" a bunch of photos in my phone and when I get home buy a couple of custom rifles for the $11K. I'll then "display" them in a fine African wooden gun rack above a photo album of my trip under a tea light in my "sitting room" (coffee table in the living room). LOL
I’m wishing I had gone that route myself. Easily going to double my taxidermy bill with shipping. Next trip will be more along the lines you described.
 
2008 hunt and did the dip and ship on my 5 trophies and had them mounted over here. the cost was about $300 per animal to get them to my taxidermist for the dip/ship in Africa to the US and inspection and shipping over here. Shipping cost will be by volume and that can get really expensive on the large animals. the cost of the taxi work over here was less than $1000 difference for the 6 animals I had and that was going to be a lot cheaper than the freight for 6 monted animals. i talked with a gentleman on the plane coming back and he had an Eland shoulder mounted in Africa and had to pay $3000 for the shipping back to the US just for the Eland.

By the way, I am heading that direction again on Friday to begin a 10 day safari in the Limpopo on the 20th.
Good luck on your Safari! $3K shipping for an Eland? Ouch! Please let us know your shipping costs for your trophies on this trip.
 
On another thread here related to this, a member from Colorado posted that his taxidermy fee from his brother in law's "family rate" was $8,500-$9,500 for six shoulder mounts? Can that be for real? Add the dip/pack and shipping from RSA and ...... it's mind boggling to me! For someone like me, and probably many others here on a much tighter hunting budget, I would just as soon save that money for another African hunting trip with maybe a new rifle to boot!
 
I have been thinking about adding another hunt instead of canceling due to freight cost. I started researching the idea of having hides tanned and bringing it back the following year in my luggage. I read somewhere you are allowed two animals. I know I’ll need to declare to customs on entry. Has anyone ever went this route. My shipping bill was $3200 for 7 dipped &packed animals in January 2022. I would prefer not to pay that cost.
 
On another thread here related to this, a member from Colorado posted that his taxidermy fee from his brother in law's "family rate" was $8,500-$9,500 for six shoulder mounts? Can that be for real? Add the dip/pack and shipping from RSA and ...... it's mind boggling to me! For someone like me, and probably many others here on a much tighter hunting budget, I would just as soon save that money for another African hunting trip with maybe a new rifle to boot!
Yeah I can believe that. I'm having three shoulder mounts done: blue wildebeest, impala and a blesbok as well as having the backskins made into throws and my quote was $4300. I have almost $3500 into dip and ship, freight and the legal stuff.
 
I had black wildebeest, red hartebeest, warthog, blue wildebeest, kudu, and gemsbok.
 
I have my mounts at home now.
1 very lg buff shoulder
1 kudu ped/wall
1 Nyala ped/wall
1 Impala shoulder
1 eland euro
Buff backskin
6' tall zulu shield

Crate was 4x4x7 approx 500# shipped by boat into Houston.

RSA for crating, courier, paperwork and boat freight $3100

U S - inspection, clearing and the works $900

Trucking from Houston to my driveway in MO $700

Everything arrived in great shape
 
I have my mounts at home now.
1 very lg buff shoulder
1 kudu ped/wall
1 Nyala ped/wall
1 Impala shoulder
1 eland euro
Buff backskin
6' tall zulu shield

Crate was 4x4x7 approx 500# shipped by boat into Houston.

RSA for crating, courier, paperwork and boat freight $3100

U S - inspection, clearing and the works $900

Trucking from Houston to my driveway in MO $700

Everything arrived in great shape
Relatively speaking, you did very well. I don't know how they fit all that in the crate you mentioned. Mine was only two feet shorter and it had only Warthog Skull, Waterbuck Skull, Eland Skull and cape.
 
The kudu and Nyala horns are removable.
There was very little space not used
Screen Shot 2022-05-01 at 7.11.58 AM.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mine went to the shipper last week. Quote for air freight, S.A. to DFW for 5 Shoulder mounts (largest is Kudu), 3 Euro Shield mounts, 1 Zebra rug, 5 backskins: $3,989.

Volumetric weight: 324 Kg, Actual Weight = 132 Kg.

My hunting buddy's crate and my crate are being shipped together under one freight bill. He had 9 animals - all done as Euros + some rugs/skins - and his breakout was $2,740.
210 Kg Volumetric weight.
Is that total cost to get your shipment door to door or just shipping cost?
 
Is that total cost to get your shipment door to door or just shipping cost?
That's just to get it from RSA Taxidermy DFW airport. Add fees and possible storage costs from the US import agent at another $550 to $800. Then pick it up yourself or have the import agent schedule ground freight to your location of choice.

My import agent's estimate for residential ground freight - DFW to Albuquerque is $1,050. (Five shoulder mounts, three Euros, one rug & some flatskins.)
I'm guessing that's about double what it would have been a year or two back.
 
That's just to get it from RSA Taxidermy DFW airport. Add fees and possible storage costs from the US import agent at another $550 to $800. Then pick it up yourself or have the import agent schedule ground freight to your location of choice.

My import agent's estimate for residential ground freight - DFW to Albuquerque is $1,050. (Five shoulder mounts, three Euros, one rug & some flatskins.)
I'm guessing that's about double what it would have been a year or two back.
And the cost to have the taxidermy done in RSA? I'm just looking at budgeting and for ME it doesn't look promising right now.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
53,632
Messages
1,131,575
Members
92,699
Latest member
gpstracking
 

 

 

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

Early morning Impala hunt, previous link was wrong video

Headshot on jackal this morning

Mature Eland Bull taken in Tanzania, at 100 yards, with 375 H&H, 300gr, Federal Premium Expanding bullet.

20231012_145809~2.jpg
 
Top