Namibia Taxidermist, Trophaendienste

[Velo Dog]

Greetings Fellow Hunters,

The following post and photographs will have to be submitted in several parts.
Otherwise, I think that if I wrote everything all in one clump, sorting the multiple pictures would be tedious at best and frustrating to the reader at worst.

Anyway, my words and photos here are to describe my experiences with the Namibian taxidermy shop, known as “Trophaendienste”.
It is located at Windhoek, Namibia.

Almost all of the critters in my following photos are described within the post they are attached to.
However, there are 3 warthogs, taken four years apart, give or take a few months.
And so,I will refer to each warthog by number, according to the order in which I shot them.

The first time I left some animals with Trophaendienste, at Windhoek Namibia I think was 2017.
The work they did for me back then was acceptable but not perfect (as if anything I have ever done was perfect).

Anyway, the base of the black wildebeest horns, at the junction of said horns and skull seem to be a bit too “generous”.
Refer to my photos attached below.

That said, now more recently Trophaendienste has been doing excellent work, as far as I can tell.

 

[Velo Dog]

The two pictures attached here now, show how the horns could have been done to close the gaps, in my opinion.
I think this example is simply sealed with black wax (no problem, looks good enough for my wall).

 

[Velo Dog]

The eland on your left was prepared in 2017 or 2018, and needed no sealing at all because there was no large gap at the junction of horns and skull.
The springbok skull and the eland on your right were both prepared more recently.
All were done by Trophaendienste and again in my opinion, they were done properly.
None had noticeable gaps.
I am quite happy with the way they turned out.

 

[Velo Dog]

Now, the shoulder mounts, received from my 2021 hunt with you guessed it, Khomas Safaris.

I am such a penny pincher that I do not favor having animals done in this way.
“European” or simply bleached and sealed skulls setting on the book shelf, are to my liking, due to the lower cost.
However, my wife simply loves shoulder mounted critters, as well as zebra rugs.
Someone once said, “Happy wife, happy life” and I find comfort in that.

Therefore, any and all critter parts and pieces that I have had processed into shoulder mounts or rugs, have been due to her batting her eyes at me and requesting same with that angelic, almost whisper of a voice she has beguiled me with for 30 years now.
Next thing is what ? …. Will she try to bind my hands with 7 strong bow strings and failing that, will she then cut off my hair ?
(Not necessary since I’m already under her spell).

Back to the taxidermy.
Anyway, despite my lack of photography skills, I hope you can see the fine work in details that Trophaendienste has done on this springbok.
All 3 pictures are of the same springbok but, taken at different angles.

 

[Velo Dog]

This Impala and baboon are both from my 2021 trip to Namibia.
They (Trophaendienste) did a wonderful job on them.

 

[Velo Dog]

This steinbok or steenbok, however different folks spell it, is one of my favorite displays in our home now.
They did excellent work on him.

 

[Velo Dog]

Piggy #1, bagged in 2017.
Very good taxidermy work and I’m quite happy with same.
I am taken back to the day I bagged him each time I look at this shoulder mount with the picture of big strong PH, “Adab”, carrying this porker on his shoulder, a mighty long hike back to his truck.

 

[Velo Dog]

Piggy 2, bagged during my 2021 safari and it too was done up properly by Trophaendienste.

 

[Velo Dog]

This big boy is warty #3.
I shot him also during my 2021 hunt in Namibia.
They likewise did excellent work on this one.
I have no idea what he would measure and simply do not care one dot or scribble about that.
Just that he is obviously heavy of ivory, not especially young of years and I retain the warm memory of the hunt for him and having made a good shot.
As they say (whoever “they” are) …. He probably never knew what hit him”.

 

[Velo Dog]

The picture to your left here is of warthogs 2 and 3, with one of my springbokie skulls between them, as they are abiding today on our stairway wall, that leads down to the basement (man cave) in our house.

The picture to your right is of the springbok and impala, already shown up close in the earlier photo shots, this post.
The kudu was shot by a friend of mine in Zimbabwe, quite a few years ago.
He had given it to me, shoulder mounted already.
Unfortunately, he passed away not very long after this gift to me.
I also have a blond grizzly bear shoulder mount on the wall here, that he gave to me as well.

 

[cmk]

Very nice stuff @Velo Dog - I especially like the Steenbok. Also glad to hear that your more recent experiences with Trophaendienste have been good. I have a few animals currently in their care from hunting with @KHOMAS HIGHLAND HUNTING SAFARIS in April last year. Only skulls and tanned skins for me, both because of space constraints (small-ish house, with small-ish rooms), but also marital constraints ("This house is not a hunting lodge" ). It is easier to get away with skulle mounts, but I think one or a few smaller shoulder mounts would work. I expect to be hearing from Trophaendienste in a not too distant future, as the stated timeframe was '6-8 months'.

 

[Mountaineer]

I’ll be hunting Namibia in just a few months. How was shipping cost in 2023?

 

[Cam300]

I used them for my 2022 trip. They did a great job on my European mounts and flat skins. The flat skins smelled STRONGLY of chemical for a few months (way worse than I’m used to, possibly because they use different chemicals over there) but other than that great work.

 

[Mekaniks]

Excellent @Velo Dog Thank You for sharing. Warthog #3 is a real bruiser for sure.

I am also waiting patiently for my May 2023 trophies from them. (Skulls & flatskins) I am in zero hurry and kinda hoping to spread out the costs a little further ….

I visited their shop In Windehoek 3 times when I was there last year and I could not find anything wrong their work that I saw or the operation.

 

[Velo Dog]

I’ll be hunting Namibia in just a few months. How was shipping cost in 2023?

Apparently pretty much all things globally have gone up sharply since the scamdemic, including shipping costs.
Due to that infamous global flu bug known as Covid, Trophaendienste was forced to shut down for a time.
That resulted in my 2021 goods not being completed until 2023.
Not their fault, government regulations and mass hysteria were to blame.
I do not recall the amount that I paid for shipping this time.
It was noticeably more than my 2017 - 2018 taxidermy shipping costs but, it was not as bad as I had originally feared.

 

[Velo Dog]

Excellent @Velo Dog Thank You for sharing. Warthog #3 is a real bruiser for sure.

I am also waiting patiently for my May 2023 trophies from them. (Skulls & flatskins) I am in zero hurry and kinda hoping to spread out the costs a little further ….

I visited their shop In Windehoek 3 times when I was there last year and I could not find anything wrong their work that I saw or the operation.

Hi Chuck,
Yes, I too was actually very happy that my goods were not completed for about 2 years for the same reason you stated.
Great minds think alike.

See you soon in Dallas,
Paul.

 

[Velo Dog]

Fellow Hunters,

At the moment I’m running around like my hair is on fire so, there will be more photos to follow later (zebra rug, kudus, etc).

Over all I am very happy with Trophaendienste’s taxidermy work on two of my hunts so far with Khomas Safaris.
Again, the small issue with that black wildebeest skull and horns, mentioned at the beginning of this post was really a minor thing, in the grand scheme of things.

Anyway as mentioned, eventually:
More Photos To Follow.

Hope to meet you my fellow AH members, at Dallas Texas next week.

Kind Regards,
Velo Dog.

 

[dchum]

Very nice stuff @Velo Dog - I especially like the Steenbok. Also glad to hear that your more recent experiences with Trophaendienste have been good. I have a few animals currently in their care from hunting with @KHOMAS HIGHLAND HUNTING SAFARIS in April last year. Only skulls and tanned skins for me, both because of space constraints (small-ish house, with small-ish rooms), but also marital constraints ("This house is not a hunting lodge" ). It is easier to get away with skulle mounts, but I think one or a few smaller shoulder mounts would work. I expect to be hearing from Trophaendienste in a not too distant future, as the stated timeframe was '6-8 months'.

I hunted and dropped stuff off to them in May. Many skulls and a few zebra felt rugs.

They should be back from the December break. I’d imagine our stuff will be ready here soon.

I’m having @Yellow Shark Logistics pick up my stuff from Trophaendienste and help get them home.

 

[cmk]

I hunted and dropped stuff off to them in May. Many skulls and a few zebra felt rugs.

They should be back from the December break. I’d imagine our stuff will be ready here soon.

I’m having @Yellow Shark Logistics pick up my stuff from Trophaendienste and help get them home.

Hoping that too. Visited the shop twice, and indeed a lot of nice stuff hanging on their walls.

Haven't really thought about the shipping part of it yet. I'm guessing they have a few shipping partners they work with (or have 'deals' with) and that they will suggest one? Perhaps this is something I should give more thought to in advance...? This has been my first proper hunting trip to Africa, so I haven't experienced that aspect of things-that-go-wrong-or-get-expensive.

Any insights regarding shipping of trophies to Sweden/Europe would be helpful. (not just you @dchum, anyone can chip in).

 

[dchum]

Hoping that too. Visited the shop twice, and indeed a lot of nice stuff hanging on their walls.

Haven't really thought about the shipping part of it yet. I'm guessing they have a few shipping partners they work with (or have 'deals' with) and that they will suggest one? Perhaps this is something I should give more thought to in advance...? This has been my first proper hunting trip to Africa, so I haven't experienced that aspect of things-that-go-wrong-or-get-expensive.

Any insights regarding shipping of trophies to Sweden/Europe would be helpful. (not just you @dchum, anyone can chip in).

It’s my first time as well, so blind leading the blind here…

But I’ve seen some kinda crazy shipping prices come from the recommend shippers of Trophaendienste…. Almost certainly there is kick backs for them. Thats just my hunch. Just how the business goes.

Titus @Yellow Shark Logistics I think will be able to beat the recommended shipper from the taxidermist and I feel happy handing them over to his control while they are in Namibia still.

All this is yet to be finalized and I hope it all works without costing something ridiculous for just all finished small skulls and two zebra rugs