Trophies from RSA to Alaska by Fedex

Ryan

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My trophies (1 buffalo and six antelope) have been in a box at the shipper since the 1st of December. My shipper, AHG, was having difficulties getting it to me since Delta Air Cargo won't touch the box with a buffalo in it after the whole Cecil debacle. My first suggestion was do what had to be done in 2020 when I had a shipment but Delta shut down it's Joburg flights. That box went via Turkish Air to Seattle and the Coppersmith cleared it and put it on a barge up to Anchorage. That wasn't cheap. $3K to Seattle and over a grand for the rest as I recall. That wasn't going anywhere this time either and my box was waiting some more while they looked around. Then I got an idea. Anchorage has a major Fedex hub here, so I asked what FedEx would cost. No harm to ask. AHG did some asking and a few days later I got a reply. $3136.64 all the way here for a 101 kg, 124x102x97cm box. Recall, that was around what it cost me last time to Seattle for a box approximately the same size. I said YES.

So on 11 February things began with shipment info getting loaded. It got accepted by FedEx on the 17th in JoBurg waiting around until the 23rd when it went ot Dubai. Honestly I thought it would go to HongKong from there and hen straight here. Nope, it took a left turn to Paris, then hit Memphis on the 24th. It waited there until early this Tuesday 1 March when it took off from Memphis and arrived here. I got a call that morning. Now lately we've heard of long waits for inspections and warehouse fees. That is not the case for FedEx here. Things move through here pretty snappy and there isn't a lot coming in to get picked up here so unlike other places a trophy shipment is almost a novelty. So at this moment, Thursday the 3rd of March, I have my trophies.

Here's how:
The great thing is if it I can get it here in bond I can do all the clearances and save all that time an money it took last time getting cleared elsewhere like my last in Seattle. Yep, you read that right. It is actually done a lot up here in Anchorage when Delta Air Cargo was the norm. We have USFWS and Customs right here. I did it for my 2016 shipment, it was easy.

Here's the gist. When the shipper calls and confirms the shipment is in I fill out and submit a USFWS EDec. It's easier than that gun permit for South Africa, though you do have to track down some instructions to know the codes in some boxes. Or call their office. Download your paperwork (licenses, etc.) into it, which my shipper had supplied me. When they get it they review it and if everything is good they line up an inspection, usually with CBP Ag doing there's at the same time to make both their lives easier. I missed some paperwork so they sent it back and I added it, easy. Review and pass. Now typically inspection is a couple days out. In this case I got lucky and it was a day. Things were slow around the office I guess. At Delta Air Cargo I was there at their counter while inspections took place but at Fedex you can't come into the warehouse so USFWS let me know when it was done. I called and confirmed where I get the paperwork from FedEx after that. This morning (Thursday the 3rd of March) I got that stamped paperwork and took it over to the CBP entry office in the North Terminal of the airport just down the road. They did an informal entry since it's not a commercial shipment for something like $10 plus another $3 for parking. Back to FedEx, gave them the completed stamped paperwork and had the box loaded in the truck for the 20 minute drive across town. Done.

So, for those still waiting, you may want to have your shipper look into the express carriers. Fedex, UPS, DHL. If you're near a major hub of one of them you may be able to do exactly what I did.

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Glad that worked out for you and thanks for the information!
 
Thanks for the info Ryan. My buddies and I are in a similar situation. We will ask our shipper to look into FedEx option for us to compare.
 
Very cool. Good work Ryan
 
Thanks for the info Ryan. My buddies and I are in a similar situation. We will ask our shipper to look into FedEx option for us to compare.
Just a heads up. My trophies were fully finished over there. If you are getting yours brought in unfinished (dip and pack) and you have a pig or zebra they have to go to an approved facility. Alaska doesn't have any anymore. Knight's was, but he let that go apparently. Antelope hides and such are fine dip and pack. And CITES paperwork is something I've never done.
 
Just a heads up. My trophies were fully finished over there. If you are getting yours brought in unfinished (dip and pack) and you have a pig or zebra they have to go to an approved facility. Alaska doesn't have any anymore. Knight's was, but he let that go apparently. Antelope hides and such are fine dip and pack. And CITES paperwork is something I've never done.
Might we get to see inside the box?
 
Just a heads up. My trophies were fully finished over there. If you are getting yours brought in unfinished (dip and pack) and you have a pig or zebra they have to go to an approved facility. Alaska doesn't have any anymore. Knight's was, but he let that go apparently. Antelope hides and such are fine dip and pack. And CITES paperwork is something I've never done.
Our trophies are completely finished by Lifeform. But alas my buddies have a zebra each and one has a warthog. Oh wells...I guess it will be to Seattle then barge up to Los Anchorage.
 
Our trophies are completely finished by Lifeform. But alas my buddies have a zebra each and one has a warthog. Oh wells...I guess it will be to Seattle then barge up to Los Anchorage.
Your buddies are fine if they're fully finished warthogs and zebra. I had one of each in the past. Fully finished zebra head, fine. Warthog skull cleaned and on a plaque, also good.

It's only if they aren't that they'll need to get it taken care of down south somewhere first.
 
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Thanks for the clarification @Ryan
 
Might we get to see inside the box?
You can get a look of them on the walls now. Well, except the buffalo, I'm not quite sure if or where I want it hung. The steenbok is from this hunt, the other two are from a previous one. All others you see are from this hunt from last January.

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Somehow a wildebeest shot got added and this removed. Now we have all seven
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And....someone removed the buffalo. One more time.
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I cleared trophies in Anchorage from New Zealand myself in 2016 and it was not a big deal. Since then I've dealt with the same shipping issues as you with Africa trophies. This last one was brutal,
I will be going to Australia in July so hopefully I can clear those here and will definitely look into Fed Ex or UPS. Sure helps living at a port of entry
 
I cleared trophies in Anchorage from New Zealand myself in 2016 and it was not a big deal. Since then I've dealt with the same shipping issues as you with Africa trophies. This last one was brutal,
I will be going to Australia in July so hopefully I can clear those here and will definitely look into Fed Ex or UPS. Sure helps living at a port of entry
I should say shipping costs from Africa and the issue with cape buffalo to Alaska.
 
Very good trophies. Trips to remember for sure!!
 

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