Photo Only Trophies

[enysse]

If I were you I would do something or nothing. It cost a ridiculous amount of money just to ship one item back. The guys on here that consolidate two trips or more into a shipment are saving money. I can personally tell you.....administration costs to get something to your home will make you think this is foolish. Photos are cheap and probably the best option. I'm only a few animals away from not playing the shipping game anymore.

 

[Catahoula]

I would be perfectly happy with just photos. I've got bear rugs in storage now because I have no place to display them. I don't need more trophies to store. The expense of shipping them back could pay for a couple of extra hunting days and animals. I just couldn't wrap my head around shooting something and not bringing it back. Thank you all for the comments and ideas.

 

[enysse]

Well you are new to the game of international hunting. The hunting is excellent over there, but everything after the hunt can easily double the cost of the hunt. I paid very dearly for all of animals that are back here in the states. I can tell you most of the time, whatever the hunt costs in plain games, you will pay that much or a little less to get it mounted and put in your home. Now going to Euros mounts or something else will half that number, but plenty of circumstances will make your head spin, when you add the all the $$$$ money up.

While I like my mounts, I don't like all the thousands I wasted on administrative costs for someone to do less than 5 minutes of work, that is complete BS.

 

[Petrus Geldenhuys]

if a photo and the lifetime memory is all you can take home with you than thats just fine in my opinion

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

One other thought.......If you really, really need to have the head of a certain species on the wall (for whatever reason: it's pretty/striking, it's your favorite animal, it was your first African animal, etc.) there are a number of places that you can buy heads/rugs here in the States and you save yourself A.) the taxidermy fee, B.) the shipping fee, C.) the dip/pack fee, and D.) administrative costs. I can almost guarantee you that nobody will know that the animal in the photos that you show them will know that the head on the wall isn't the same animal.

 

[Catahoula]

One other thought.......If you really, really need to have the head of a certain species on the wall (for whatever reason: it's pretty/striking, it's your favorite animal, it was your first African animal, etc.) there are a number of places that you can buy heads/rugs here in the States and you save yourself A.) the taxidermy fee, B.) the shipping fee, C.) the dip/pack fee, and D.) administrative costs. I can almost guarantee you that nobody will know that the animal in the photos that you show them will know that the head on the wall isn't the same animal.

Thanks. It really isn't the cost that concerns me, although like most people there is a limit to the budget. My real dilemma was a complete lack of display space, so buying a trophy is problematic as well. I've spoken with the PH via email. He is fine with photos only. That is the route I will take.