REPORT: Taxidermist Eastern Cape Port Elizabeth Johannesburg

[Royal27]

Sounds like a lot of work.......taking all these pictures.

But, all our animals are trained. Look how nice and still they lie in the photos with all the nice people.

I had a person who REALLY thought I got that close to a sleeping Cape Buffalo when I showed them my pictures.... wow...

 

[billc]

Marius I thought you just showed them that picture of all you dressed up last year for your xmas card.That would make animals fall over and play dead hoping you guys would walk past them.LOL

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Whhaaaaoooooo!!!! Sssshhhhhh......Easy there Bill.
My reputation is just recovering from that stunt.

 

[billc]

I thought that was a funny card myself.I think maybe I took some heat off you with making people wear pink shirts.We can call it even for a bushbuck trophy fee or I may need to remind more guys of that card.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Just out of curiosity how much is the trophy fee per Kudu picture? lol

 

[enysse]

As a matter of fact, I'm the happiest when I hear a guy only wants photos from his safari.

I would love to see that statement from more outfitter, classy move.

 

[johnnyblues]

Hey guy's just take a look at their face book page, these are current mounts and then make a comment. I would love to hear what everyone has to say because they were also recommended by my PH for my up coming hunt but I like what I saw at Relives Face book page. And the comments from folks who have been To Relives place was enough for me to choose them without visiting the shop, even though I will go there once my hunt is over.

 

[Diamondhitch]

https://www.facebook.com/HuntersAndCollectorsTaxidermy

Hands down I still say Relive by wide margin.

 

[billc]

Yup after looking at the facebook page still relive by enough I would still not even bother to go see h/c stuff in person.Pictures just dont lie that much over seeing the stuff in person.The pictures of there work are better then what is on there site but not what I like.

Enysse I would never hope to hear that from an outfitter as there is to much chance that could blow up in there face later.I know a few guys who wished they would have mounted stuff after it was to late.With saying that it could just lead to hard feeling with a hunter saying the outfitter said pic's were best.

I would rather have someone say it is total up to you on how your trophys are done.I will take you to see any place in my area to view there work.Just my thoughts.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Enysse I would never hope to hear that from an outfitter as there is to much chance that could blow up in there face later.I know a few guys who wished they would have mounted stuff after it was to late.With saying that it could just lead to hard feeling with a hunter saying the outfitter said pic's were best.

I would rather have someone say it is total up to you on how your trophys are done.

Bill, DON'T try and change my words to suit your agenda. You know exactly how it was meant. My point is clear, and that is that I don't force my hunters to do taxidermy work if they can't afford it, or if they don't want to. If they are happy with just photos, that is their choice. They tell us what they want, and we do it.
Don't throw cheap shots. I'm not up for that.

 

[billc]

Marius if that was meant to you I would have said your name.I dont have any secret agenda with my post here.I clearly said enysee that is not what I would want to hear from a outfitter.Also said why as it could only lead to trouble for the outfitter if the guys changes his mind down the road and his skins are gone.If and when I say marius or kmg in a post then you can say something to me.
Plenty of cheap shoots get thrown around by some but I am way more direct then that to everyone.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

We cape every single animal for this reason. It's called experience.
We have probably close to 100 spare capes, flat skins and backskins ranging from Cape Buffalo to Blue Duiker.
Every animal gets treated as if it were to be mounted. MOST DO change their mind. Others add to our spares.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

I would love to see that statement from more outfitter, classy move.

By the way, thank you for the kind words Eric. They are much appreciated. You obviously understood what I meant.

 

[billc]

Marius I really dont need to hear how experience you are at everything.Nothing in any bad way is directed at you or your business.As you should know by now I dont care if someone is in business for 25 years or 1 month.Neither makes anyone better then the other until someone gets bad service to prove other wise.Everyone has there first day in business and grows from there.
Now it happens that I picked two new companys in the cape to deal with.One is a outfitter that gave me a great hunt.The next is a taxidermist that I hope I get great service from and I will know that for sure in about a year.Now if I was to look at all your post about experince I would say there could be an agenda somewhere but not coming form me.Again just my thoughts


Trust me I get what everyone means by there post I am not one to read more into anything.

 

[Royal27]

C'mon gentlemen,

This has been too good of a thread so far. Let's get back on topic.

Marius,

I appreciate your sharing how you save the capes, and sharing that with us. Always nice to see an outfitter saving clients from themselves! That's why I come here. To learn things that would otherwise take years of trial and error to learn. That's where your experience (that I will personally never have!) comes in.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Thank you Royal. That really means a lot.
When it comes to the animals, it always goes along the lines of, "if you would have had something done, what would it be?" Then, that's what we prepare the animal for. If he changes his mind then, then heck, I don't think he can be helped...

Bill to you, I want to apologize unreservedly. I took your comments as a thinly veiled poke at me. If you say it was not directed at me, then I believe you and apologize for being out of line.

BUT, because you harp on experience Bill, this story comes to mind so let me tell you this. If I can give a new PH any advice, its always take your own photos with your own camera , even if the client has his own camera. This should also be vise versa. Tell your PH to take photos from angles and positions that he likes with his own camera.
I was working for an outfitter and I think I was guiding about my 3rd hunter ever, American guy. Total lack of confidence in the field. Talked himself into missing before pulling off a shot. It took a lot of sweet talk, to get him to a mental level where he could be confident in his abilities. This guy was a wreck. He was only maybe 35years old at that time. It was a 7 day hunt, and we got a nice Impala, Blesbuck, Warthog, Bushbuck, Gemsbuck, and a Kudu bull which he shot off a cow's back at about 60 yards. On the last evening while sitting at the bar, he managed to delete his entire memory card on his camera. Every single animal he took, terrain, scenery was gone. I never carried a camera before then. We ended up driving to the taxidermy on the way to the airport, for him to pose in the parking lot, on dirt , with only his skulls in the photos. From that day, the sorrow I felt for that guy, I decided that no matter how much whinging from my hunters about getting down next to their animal, I will take photos and enough of them with my own camera.

 

[johnnyblues]

Always good to hear from reputable outfitters.

 

[billc]

Thank you marius and sorry if I came across as making it about you.I know that you know your craft well and have paid your dues.I try to give the point of view from the hunters side to only try and help outfitters.

Great point about taking all the pictures.I even take some on my cell phone after using my camera.My last trip we downloaded all the guys picture who were on the trip to each other to share something others may not have seen.

 

[enysse]

My comment is that everything after the hunt to the trophies are on the wall adds a significant amount to the hunt. Once I collect one of most of the remaining animals on my list. I might not mount another animal. In fact if I could turn back the clock 7 years, I would take pictures or do Euro mounts. I'm not mad at the taxidermists....but everyone between is siphoning significant money out of my bank account for doing next to nothing. And when I go hunting, I'd rather have a supportive outfitter not question my judgement. If I didn't spend money on taxidermy then I would have significantly more money to hunt with in Africa. Any outfitter pushing to have everything mounted and such is frowned upon by me.

There are certain hunts on AH, that I think are attractively priced, but I would not want to mount one animal, no matter how big. I would however love to experience the sights and sound and memories of Africa

 

[Kevin Boucher]

Hunters and collectors "collected" my bosses Safari 3 years ago and it is still part of their collection, they no longer answer his emails.

I don't know about the rest.

Hi Diamondhitch, please provide your "bosses" name.