Costs help? Particularly shipping..

wildfowler.250

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Right folks , I’m looking for some advice if possible please. I’ve posted previously on one other deer stalking forum in the last few months but thought that there might be more / additional feedback on here.

I’m basically trying to work out if and when I can afford a SA hunt,(currently budgeting). Now I appreciate cull hunts are cheaper and you can always take photos back but I’d really be after taking some skins back for mounting in the uk. When I have asked about this in the past, folk seem to say it costs more than the hunt and the costs just aren’t worth it.

  • So I can budget the ‘trophy fees’ from the outfitter.

  • I can get a price for dip and pack,(I think my taxidermist suggested someone called trophycare). Dip and pack doesn’t actually seem too expensive?

  • I can get a rough price for mounting from my taxidermist.

So really beyond flights and tips, I just need to know how much it is going to cost me from leaving dip and pack to arriving at the taxidermists door in the UK. Is this just a shipping fee that I’ve to enquire about from someone? Is there any import fees,(assuming no cities animals)?


Essentially I can budget $5-$6k on the hunt and I can mount things in stages in the uk. But I need to know what I'm going to be to get the stuff home with me.


Any help is really appreciated!


Cheers!
 
Contact these folks

 
To start with you will need to have a tannery do a dip and pack for your trophies. Here is the the price list of the outfitter that I last used for the dip and pack, crating cost for my dip and pack several years ago was 15% of the D&P.

The cost of shipping will depend on the size of the crate. My first one was around 1 meter x 1 meter x 1/2 meter tall and had 6 trophies inside
 
.............. t I need to know what I'm going to be to get the stuff home with me.
..

A reputable freight forwarder can estimate the crate size from the number and type of trophies you want to ship. From point a to point b. You will not get a quote.

https://www.safaricargosystems.com
Every estimate I got from them was accurate within a reasonable margin of error.

The estimate will be good for a short term but at least give you an idea. Airline cargo rates change constantly.

Get a second and third estimate and compare them.

Good luck.
 
I was in Namibia last year. They had a flat shipment fee, sending only when they had a full container, so possible only one or twice a year. But I got mine in 6 months. This way cost was known in advance. See below.
Screenshot_2023-12-31-00-15-01-88_1843fd3f74f49144123f76a000cd5e7e.jpg
 
Contact these folks


Thanks! Will have a look. Are these guys considered the “go to” now?

To start with you will need to have a tannery do a dip and pack for your trophies. Here is the the price list of the outfitter that I last used for the dip and pack, crating cost for my dip and pack several years ago was 15% of the D&P.

The cost of shipping will depend on the size of the crate. My first one was around 1 meter x 1 meter x 1/2 meter tall and had 6 trophies inside

Brilliant, thanks! I can get some estimates with that crate size as well because I was looking at 5-6 animals too. The dip and pack itself doesn’t seem too expensive? It seems to be mainly the shipping?

A reputable freight forwarder can estimate the crate size from the number and type of trophies you want to ship. From point a to point b. You will not get a quote.

https://www.safaricargosystems.com
Every estimate I got from them was accurate within a reasonable margin of error.

The estimate will be good for a short term but at least give you an idea. Airline cargo rates change constantly.

Get a second and third estimate and compare them.

Good luck.

That makes a lot of sense. I can give them a list of intended species. Does everyone go airline for shipping? I’m sure I was speaking to a guy last month that had his sent by boat.

I assume air is quicker? But then most folk still seem to be about a year before the trophies hit home soil?

I was in Namibia last year. They had a flat shipment fee, sending only when they had a full container, so possible only one or twice a year. But I got mine in 6 months. This way cost was known in advance. See below.View attachment 577477

That’s very handy. Is that the dip and pack prices on the left and shipping on the right? Because if that’s the trophy fees on the left from the outfitter it’s a LOT cheaper than what I’ve seen for South Africa..
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It is the trophy fees. It is from Kambaku: https://www.kambaku.com/en/faq/hunting-faq/
Nice place for family (was there with two daughters (20 and 25 years). Got what is likely a bronze medal Oryx and a silver Steenbok (still to be measured), and 3 management wildebeast and a management impala. Fenced, but so I understand almost everything is in SA. But still difficult, they wanted to get rid of 20 of their 200+ elands so had reduced price to EUR 150, but we just could not find the critters.
 
Right folks , I’m looking for some advice if possible please. I’ve posted previously on one other deer stalking forum in the last few months but thought that there might be more / additional feedback on here.

I’m basically trying to work out if and when I can afford a SA hunt,(currently budgeting). Now I appreciate cull hunts are cheaper and you can always take photos back but I’d really be after taking some skins back for mounting in the uk. When I have asked about this in the past, folk seem to say it costs more than the hunt and the costs just aren’t worth it.

  • So I can budget the ‘trophy fees’ from the outfitter.

  • I can get a price for dip and pack,(I think my taxidermist suggested someone called trophycare). Dip and pack doesn’t actually seem too expensive?

  • I can get a rough price for mounting from my taxidermist.

So really beyond flights and tips, I just need to know how much it is going to cost me from leaving dip and pack to arriving at the taxidermists door in the UK. Is this just a shipping fee that I’ve to enquire about from someone? Is there any import fees,(assuming no cities animals)?


Essentially I can budget $5-$6k on the hunt and I can mount things in stages in the uk. But I need to know what I'm going to be to get the stuff home with me.


Any help is really appreciated!


Cheers!
Assuming international airfreight is comparable to the US, my recent shipping quote for dip and pack have been around $2500. There is usually upwards of $1000 in fees on the African side and possibly that much on the US side. It always costs more that it should IMO!
 
Right folks , I’m looking for some advice if possible please. I’ve posted previously on one other deer stalking forum in the last few months but thought that there might be more / additional feedback on here.

I’m basically trying to work out if and when I can afford a SA hunt,(currently budgeting). Now I appreciate cull hunts are cheaper and you can always take photos back but I’d really be after taking some skins back for mounting in the uk. When I have asked about this in the past, folk seem to say it costs more than the hunt and the costs just aren’t worth it.

  • So I can budget the ‘trophy fees’ from the outfitter.

  • I can get a price for dip and pack,(I think my taxidermist suggested someone called trophycare). Dip and pack doesn’t actually seem too expensive?

  • I can get a rough price for mounting from my taxidermist.

So really beyond flights and tips, I just need to know how much it is going to cost me from leaving dip and pack to arriving at the taxidermists door in the UK. Is this just a shipping fee that I’ve to enquire about from someone? Is there any import fees,(assuming no cities animals)?


Essentially I can budget $5-$6k on the hunt and I can mount things in stages in the uk. But I need to know what I'm going to be to get the stuff home with me.


Any help is really appreciated!


Cheers!
The best value you will find on a five animal hunt inclusive of Kudu between $5-$6 you can’t beat either @GAME 4 AFRICA SAFARIS or @Fronteer. i personally went on my very first Safari with Game 4 Africa and had an awesome time with a great family. i used their taxi for all my work and was pleased!!! I recommend reaching out to them and asking their experience on your dip and pack issue
 
It is the trophy fees. It is from Kambaku: https://www.kambaku.com/en/faq/hunting-faq/
Nice place for family (was there with two daughters (20 and 25 years). Got what is likely a bronze medal Oryx and a silver Steenbok (still to be measured), and 3 management wildebeast and a management impala. Fenced, but so I understand almost everything is in SA. But still difficult, they wanted to get rid of 20 of their 200+ elands so had reduced price to EUR 150, but we just could not find the critters.

Sounds a good trip! Amazing how they can disappear despite being ‘fenced’!

Assuming international airfreight is comparable to the US, my recent shipping quote for dip and pack have been around $2500. There is usually upwards of $1000 in fees on the African side and possibly that much on the US side. It always costs more that it should IMO!

Thanks! I can definitely work with that. More than I’m happy with and at the same time, figured it “could have been worse”. I assume air shipping still takes about 1 year even with the taxidermy being done back home?

The best value you will find on a five animal hunt inclusive of Kudu between $5-$6 you can’t beat either @GAME 4 AFRICA SAFARIS or @Fronteer. i personally went on my very first Safari with Game 4 Africa and had an awesome time with a great family. i used their taxi for all my work and was pleased!!! I recommend reaching out to them and asking their experience on your dip and pack issue

Thanks! I’ve seen game 4 Africa crop up a lot on here. I had one outfitter eyed up already but I’ll keep the ones you had suggested very much in mind. Cheers!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sounds a good trip! Amazing how they can disappear despite being ‘fenced’!



Thanks! I can definitely work with that. More than I’m happy with and at the same time, figured it “could have been worse”. I assume air shipping still takes about 1 year even with the taxidermy being done back home?



Thanks! I’ve seen game 4 Africa crop up a lot on here. I had one outfitter eyed up already but I’ll keep the ones you had suggested very much in mind. Cheers!
The shipping time frame just depends on your outfitter and dip and pack taxidermist and how quickly they get on the export permits. Of course CITES animals are a different story.
I have the record for a dip and pack shipment currently at 30 Days from my departure. It can be done quickly but it is rare. My people, even with government incompetence, are getting finished taxidermy shipped from the Eastern Cape to me in about 7-8 months.
I wish to be able to do ocean freight, especially with some of my large safari groups, but the port fees just eat you up.
 
The shipping time frame just depends on your outfitter and dip and pack taxidermist and how quickly they get on the export permits. Of course CITES animals are a different story.
I have the record for a dip and pack shipment currently at 30 Days from my departure. It can be done quickly but it is rare. My people, even with government incompetence, are getting finished taxidermy shipped from the Eastern Cape to me in about 7-8 months.
I wish to be able to do ocean freight, especially with some of my large safari groups, but the port fees just eat you up.

Thanks Philip! Interesting to know ocean isn’t as reasonable as you’d think then. Air freight it is.

Certainly I’d be looking to do the work in the uk. Mainly to spread the costs out but also because it means that any issues with the mount can be sorted at home.

I’d hope dipped and packed skins would ship a little quicker than a full mount but who knows. My taxidermist seems to think everything needs an extra back hander payment or stuff often gets ‘held up’ but whether that is true or not I don’t know.


Thanks again!
 

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