Recent RSA taxidermists experience

[375Fox]

Yeah, I'm the problem.

I trimmed your post down for you.

Honestly I’ve seen much worse. That also looks more like dip and pack work than wall ready euro mounts. I’m not a fan of South African taxidermy because there is no guarantee who will do your work. From what I see, Taxidermies there are owned by a taxidermist but the work is done by laborers. Hopefully the taxidermist oversees the work and verifies the quality, but that often doesn’t seem the case. If I have it done in the USA I know the taxidermist is actually the one doing the work.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Have everything tanned there and mounted in the US.

Tannery’s here in the US are struggling to find employees and are way behind. Costs have escalated as a result.

I

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I trimmed your post down for you.

Honestly I’ve seen much worse. That also looks more like dip and pack work than wall ready euro mounts. I’m not a fan of South African taxidermy because there is no guarantee who will do your work. From what I see, Taxidermies there are owned by a taxidermist but the work is done by laborers. Hopefully the taxidermist oversees the work and verifies the quality, but that often doesn’t seem the case. If I have it done in the USA I know the taxidermist is actually the one doing the work.

Clearly, no one had a look at this stuff before it went in the box. Hunters & Collectors in Port Elizabeth did last year's eleven animals. All skulls were clean and properly bleached. I was sent very good quality photos of each piece to approve. And then photos of the crate. They allowed me to shop for shipper and I got a good deal. Unfortunately, the two capes I had tanned there are probably unusable. Ears are damaged. Hard to fix that. I suspect it was not their fault. Probably the skinner or tannery. Who knows? Hunters also detached ALL horns (even wildebeest!) which reduced the crate size significantly and ensured no problems with customs inspection. They drilled one very tiny hole in the back bottom of each horn, presumably to tag them during drying, etc. Karoo drilled large holes through the TIPS of each horn and left tags tied on with heavy wire.

 

[375Fox]

Have everything tanned there and mounted in the US.

Tannery’s here in the US are struggling to find employees and are way behind. Costs have escalated as a result.

I have a Lord Derby Eland coming in next several weeks. I’m going to hopefully pay extra to the tannery if they’ll accept my bribe. It took 11 months for them to start work on a recent shipment. If there is a problem I want to know right away and more importantly prevent any possible problems that might occur while sitting.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Here's the black wildebeest by Hunters. Compare it to Karoo's.

 

[375Fox]

Clearly, no one had a look at this stuff before it went in the box. Hunters & Collectors in Port Elizabeth did last year's eleven animals. All skulls were clean and properly bleached. I was sent very good quality photos of each piece to approve. And then photos of the crate. They allowed me to shop for shipper and I got a good deal. Unfortunately, the two capes I had tanned there are probably unusable. Ears are damaged. Hard to fix that. I suspect it was not their fault. Probably the skinner or tannery. Who knows? Hunters also detached ALL horns (even wildebeest!) which reduced the crate size significantly and ensured no problems with customs inspection. They drilled one very tiny hole in the back bottom of each horn, presumably to tag them during drying, etc. Karoo drilled large holes through the TIPS of each horn and left tags tied on with heavy wire.

I really don’t know what to believe when you post. You seem to have a habit of exaggerating the good and exaggerating the bad without much in middle. If what you write is true Karoo handed you very poor quality work. Ive never seen holes drilled through horns on any shipment I’ve received, particularly ones that are supposed to be wall ready euro mounts. It sounds like you had dip and pack and expected them to be wall ready.

 

[Doug3006]

Have you ever considered you might be the problem? It seems you have many more issues than most.

I admit that I’m often a problem. In this case, I’m really proud of how most posters here are cordial, and welcoming of others, especially new people. It bothers me when I see posts that can reasonably be viewed as belittling or hostile. Our behavior on this forum sets us apart from most of social media, which I have no use for.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Yeah I agree. A Lord Derby would be sent to the US by me.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have a Lord Derby Eland coming in next several weeks. I’m going to hopefully pay extra to the tannery if they’ll accept my bribe. It took 11 months for them to start work on a recent shipment. If there is a problem I want to know right away and more importantly prevent any possible problems that might occur while sitting.

My shipment of last August's trophies arrived here last week ... the same day I arrived home from this year's safari. I know there has been a problem getting tannery chemicals since the pandemic (daughter and I have a taxidermy shop). Also, two animals from North Cape were Appendix 2 and the provincial authorities up there who had to sign off on them were ... you know ... typical South African government. Slow to non existent.

That Lord Derby eland will not be smooth sailing! Expect even more delays when it gets to this side of the pond.

 

[Hunt anything]

Why would a LDE be a problem in the states? Is it a CITES animal?

 

[375Fox]

Why would a LDE be a problem in the states? Is it a CITES animal?

I’m not expecting any problems. Coppersmiths looked over and approved all the paperwork before shipping and its scheduled out for shipping tomorrow.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I really don’t know what to believe when you post. You seem to have a habit of exaggerating the good and exaggerating the bad without much in middle. If what you write is true Karoo handed you very poor quality work. Ive never seen holes drilled through horns on any shipment I’ve received, particularly ones that are supposed to be wall ready euro mounts. It sounds like you had dip and pack and expected them to be wall ready.

Skulls are skulls. Explain why a skull sent without a plaque attached should be any different than one sent with a plaque on it. Skulls with rotten flesh on them are likely to go in customs incinerator when they get to this side of the pond, plaque attached or not. Skulls spray painted white aren't any more acceptable if they have a plaque attached or no plaque. Skulls with bugs falling out are likely to get burned. Plaques attached just make the fire burn hotter.

So I'm exaggerating? Those images weren't enough? I've got a couple dozen more. Would you hang that wrecked black wildebeest skull on your wall?

Your characterizing me as prone to exaggeration needs some clarification. Perhaps some examples?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Why would a LDE be a problem in the states? Is it a CITES animal?

The western giant eland is critically vulnerable. Inspectors on this side will need to satisfy themselves it's not one of those. A lot will depend on who you get to look at it. Luck of the draw. I would be surprised if it floats through customs quickly.

 

[Firebird]

YOU as the hunter must spend the time to VISIT the taxidermists you may or may not choose to use. It requires an in person visit unless you trust the market production photos placed on the internet.
Each hunter expects something different and likes something different and you cannot take another persons word for it!
Recently I visited another hunters trophy room. He bragged it up something amazing. To him it was pure gold. To my eye it was unfinished mass production taxidermy.
For my money I would do dip and pack and have Invested the time to carefully choose a taxidermist before you even leave.
A taxidermist that does their own tanning will be much faster-just something to consider
Picking your taxidermist is every bit as important as picking your ph

 

[WAB]

I’ve only used one taxidermist in Limpopo, Nico van Rooyen. Katerina runs the shop. She wrote the taxidermy section in Peter Flack’s buffalo book. They are top drawer. Many of you have seen pics of my office in the trophy room thread. The rather large dugga boy on the pedestal cabinet beside my desk was done by Katrina.

 

[WAB]

Here is the photo.

 

[Hunt anything]

The western giant eland is critically vulnerable. Inspectors on this side will need to satisfy themselves it's not one of those. A lot will depend on who you get to look at it. Luck of the draw. I would be surprised if it floats through customs quickly.

Understand but that’s the primary reason to pick a professional customs broker, I would think the same would be true for bongo to prove it didn’t come from Kenya if there are Andy bongo left there.
on a lighter note, how was your recent safari?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Understand but that’s the primary reason to pick a professional customs broker, I would think the same would be true for bongo to prove it didn’t come from Kenya if there are Andy bongo left there.
on a lighter note, how was your recent safari?

Weather was nice, veld very green and lush, lots of wildflowers, only one other hunter and his grand-niece at the lodge. Nice people. Plan was to cull a cow buffalo with my newly built 404 Jeffery on Mauser 98. Three days we chased them around and never got a shot. That property was loaded with other animals to bust us. Oh well. It was fun. A couple of sort-of management deals came up. Tried to cull an old unproductive waterbuck bull but he did a no show. A very nice impala gave me a shot the first day and I put him in the salt. Back the next day for the bull but again a wash. Owner had one Cape springbuck ram hanging with his two large herds of black ones. Wanted that guy gone so I obliged. We figured it would be some youngster cull but turned out to be a real dandy. Tough hunt too. Two days later I missed a fine gemsbuck bull just before dark. Should have shot him in his bed. By the time he got up I was frozen and shivering. Next day we were back looking for him and stalked a herd of wildebeest mostly for something to do. Got fairly close before they busted ... all but one no-shooter golden bull. He looked at me hiding behind acacia, then looked uphill, then back at me, then uphill. I slowly looked around to see yesterday's gemsbuck bull looking at me seventy yards away. My Springfield was unloaded during the rough country stalk and uncharacteristically jammed slightly as I chambered a round. Bull bolted and I snapped off a shot. He ran uphill forty yards, then turned and ran right to me. I missed a running shot as he went by about thirty yards. He filled the scope at 6x and I shot over his back. Bull turned away, ran thirty yards, then turned and faced me. I put one in his chest with an audible thump. Bull runs off uphill. PH and tracker both agree I hit it in the neck. Huh? Something must be wrong with this gun. Nope. It was piled up fifty yards away. First shot hit it in the neck, hence the confused behavior. Bull was bleeding out. Last shot in the heart. He's a very nice bull at a great price. Later that afternoon we counted 27 different kudu in just over an hour. Two bulls were possible shooters but not great. Leave them for next year's clients. It was a fun day. Next couple of days were fruitless chasing buffalo and failing to find any shootable kudu or waterbuck on a new property in VERY nasty spectacular mountain country. So, not a lot of shooting but some fun hunting in new country. My fourth impala, fifth springbuck, and third gemsbuck. I'll have to move a couple of skulls into the bathroom!

 

[JimP]

On holes being drilled in horns. On my first safari Hunters and Collectors in Port Elizabeth did a euro for me on a bleastbuck. They drilled on small hole on each horn to reattach them to the skull once I received my dip and pack.

When my taxidermist and I unpacked my crate he was quite surprised by it but said that is a easy way to attach the horns. Hunters and Collectors even supplied a couple of very small screws to attach them.

 

[DrBob]

I had a well known taxidermy in Alaska for mine.... and they up and closed doors leaving my hides in the trash and mounts unfinished and one messed up. The key is to be sure of your choices. I will go with African shops now... sort of all or none... but with good recommendations.