Advice sought on trophy importation issues

[edward]

who is responsible for the broken skull? late payment and wrong weight has nothing to do with that.

 

[Hank2211]

who is responsible for the broken skull? late payment and wrong weight has nothing to do with that.

I think Mr. Perez said he got it that way from the outfitter.

I would have thought that once the trophies were crated, no one else would see them until they are opened once they enter North America. I could be wrong on that, given what was said in the emails Robert provided.

I have had something similar happen, but it was caught in time. I had pictures of all my trophies at the end of the particular hunt (something my PH (used multiple times) insists on), and there was a complete skull. When it was being packed, I was advised the skull was in pieces. I advised the taxidermist not to send the broken pieces - I don't need to pay for shipping and duty on something I'm going to throw away. But having the pictures gave me the proof I needed that they fault lay with the outfitter or taxidermist.

Equally, I had taken a lioness and wanted a rug mount. When the mount arrived, all of the claws - every one of them - was missing. Fortunately, I had video of me showing the camera the claws!

Moral of the story - take pictures of what you have, and ask questions every step of the way.

Equally, I suggest taxidermists have an obligation to inform clients when they are packing something which doesn't seem right. Why send a bunch skull fragments?

 

[JimP]

There are questions about the skull that need to be answered.

However I have seen skulls that have been boiled and have come apart in pieces once the meat and everything else that is holding it together is gone. I have even had a javelina skull come apart on me during the cooking time to remove the meat and from what I understand even Skulls Unlimited that are the experts on skulls have it happen to them, that is why they boil their skulls in a basket just so that they can put them back together when they are done.

Now I am saying boil just as a word. To remove the meat from the skull it should only be simmered and never actually boiled. The boiling creates turbulence which will damage the bones in the skull.

 

[enysse]

IMO, people are very careless with boiling skulls, I'll done my own and they have all turned out nice. BUT I ACTUALLY WATCHED WHAT I WAS DOING

 

[Hank2211]

I agree that a skull can fall apart in processing, but it shouldn't, if care is taken. But if it does, don't you think someone should say something to the hunter rather than have him pay to bleach and mount it - if it can still be mounted, rather than pay to process and ship garbage half way around the world? Easier to throw it away in Africa, I'd have thought.

 

[JimP]

If all the pieces are there it can still be glued back together for the mount.

And yes it should of been repaired at the same location that it was boiled at once they knew that there was a problem. But you never know what they are going to do. It is just a lesson learned on who to stay away from on the next trip.