Trophy pick up day!! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bhfs300]

Wow doing it your self you did pay a lot less than I did.
Both hunting in 2012/shipped in 2013 and this one hunt 2014/shipped in 2015 I had a company receiving my shipments. The receiving cost were about the same $300-$350 range. This time I am having the work done in the states.
We both had skulls and a hide tanned. Last time I had a shoulder mount and it only took a month longer than this time. How long did it take before yours was shipped?

Tom

 

[sestoppelman]

It was about 10 months to notification. The skulls and horns were done quickly but for some reason the tannery in SA took forever to tan my nyala hide. I was told when I left down there, "90 days, dip to ship"! Not so much.

 

[Bhfs300]

The reason I got was in SA the tanners were put on 50% production? That cost me about 5 months. Today was day 270! If I would have known that I wouldn't have had my red hartebeests hide tanned. I am not sure what I am going to do with it?

Tom

 

[robertq]

Scott,
Happy to see the smile on your son's face.......
Well we can chalk one up for the good guy......
Best
Robert

 

[robertq]

Scott,
Don't let them steal your passion !!!!!
This is there agenda....
You almost got bit by the dog...... but now you know the ropes....
Happy hunting
Robert

 

[sestoppelman]

I knew the ropes before all of this. Just didn't quite fathom the lengths that some would go to look for trouble. Things have changed.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Good thing I just mowed I guess. I like the whole jungle look thing, reminds of the swamp in Botswana!

Marlaia free and less Tsetse flies though

A yard without trees is a vacant lot IMO.

 

[huntermn15]

ses,

I'm glad you were able to get the particulars worked out that the trophies are home where they belong.

Mike

 

[Dragan N.]

Thanks Phil. Beware US members, USFWS is on the lookout for any and all minor infractions just so they F**k with you. I was literally getting the tag team method on Friday. One worked on me, the other was fishing for info on my boy, while I was preoccupied trying to make sense of the stupid import form and answering questions and trying hear the twits whispers. It worked.

I am glad to hear that you managed to get your trophies cleared and home. But at the same time its very disappointing that a country that prides itself as being the land of the free has so many stupid regulations and stiff punishments for them.

Now just my .02, for what its worth, but when dealing with any gov't agency be it customs, game wardens, cops etc... the less you say the better. Its best to just answer just what is necessary- no more and no less. Now I'm not sure how this works in your area but when you are filling out the form, is the form the only thing they look at/take after, or do they ask you questions which you have to answer and then they fill out their own forms simultaneously?

If they are asking you completely irrelevant stuff, that you don't need to answer, in an attempt to fish for info, its probably best to politely tell them you find the form complex and you really want to focus/concentrate on filling it out. I can't see why you would be legally obliged to talk to them and fill out the form at the same time. That's just a recipe for disaster/mistakes to happen.

 

[sestoppelman]

Well lets just say I was a bit,,, how shall I say, asleep at the wheel this time. I have done this before 3 times. But over the 10 month wait I must admit I had forgotten about some of the particulars and did not admonish my boy to keep clam. He tried actually to defer to me when one of the inquisitors was trying to fish info from him, but they kept at it until she asked me point blank. How many hunters? There were two, but only one listed on the ZAPHR. I was not about to lie to a Federal agent. Funny thing is as I mentioned early on in this thread. They told me to be sure and have the ZAPHR paper when I came down. This is over the phone when I made the appointment. Since I had no knowledge of that paper I just assumed it would be in the documents I got from Delta. Well it wasn't there and I didn't have it either so they sent me packing. In the end it all worked out. I was bitterly mad at first but I am over it and in reality got out of it fairly easily, it only taking a few more documents from SA to make them happy. I wont go this route again. I understand and agree with your points and believe me it is how I normally would operate. But hey, like I said it was 10 months into it, and being near 62 ( a seasoned citizen), bad hearing, worse attitude, and just getting old, well, it could have been a hell of a lot worse!