Show Off Those Trophies!

[Wheels]

View attachment 34787

I may have already posted this old picture on another ,thread
its the only one that l could find on the boat computers .
theres a lot of these heads shifted out with young kody ,and some new additions , when our African trophies come home , and are put up , will get some fresh photos to post .

Looks great bluey.

 

[bluey]

theres too many in the house now ,wheels , theres skins ,skulls, and mounts in every room ,except the bathroom .
once l get some big shit out of the way , will be upgrading either this house or building/buying another .

 

[PaulT]

Gizmo, is that a Nile Lechwe from Sudan hanging just below the Caribou ?

 

[gizmo]

Gizmo, is that a Nile Lechwe from Sudan hanging just below the Caribou ?

. Yes and no. It is a Nile Lechwe, it's from east Texas though. We have taken many African trophies but all up to this point have been hunted here in Texas. My first trip to Africa is this coming June.

 

[CAustin]

Great looking trophies sir!

 

[BRICKBURN]

View attachment 34780 heres a bit of a trophy photo from my afternoon shot, yesterday ........

Working on the last 100 tonnes.

 

[bluey]

ha ha ha, yeah bricko its a down hill run from here,mate

 

[JustinC]

Very Impressive collection gizmo, I hope you have an awesome trip in June!

Looking forward to the report and photos

 

[gizmo]

Very Impressive collection gizmo, I hope you have an awesome trip in June!

Looking forward to the report and photos

Thank you. I will be hunting lion and cape buffalo. My kids are going to hunt plains game. My wife doesn't hunt but she will be along as an observer. The wait is killing me though. I've dreamed of this my whole life and the next six months are wearing on me more than the first 34 years!!!

 

[JustinC]

Thank you. I will be hunting lion and cape buffalo. My kids are going to hunt plains game. My wife doesn't hunt but she will be along as an observer. The wait is killing me though. I've dreamed of this my whole life and the next six months are wearing on me more than the first 34 years!!!

Sounds like the trip of a life time and I know having your family with you will make it even more special! I hope your children take some good PG animals and hopefully get hooked on Africa so you can come back again and again!

Time must be going by very, very slowly.... Everything worthwhile takes time to achieve and the suspense and anticipation will add to your experience!

Enjoy!!!

 

[gizmo]

Thank you. I'm already trying to plan my next trip to Africa. I just can't decide what I want to do. My passion is with dangerous game. I'd reaaaally like to take a leopard next but I want to do a pg bowhunt too. I just can't afford both. If I took a leopard and assuming I'm successful on both the lion and buff this summer then I'd have three of the five down. On the other side I could have a hellava of bowhunt for a lot less than a leopard. Decisions, decisions.

 

[JustinC]

Thank you. I'm already trying to plan my next trip to Africa. I just can't decide what I want to do. My passion is with dangerous game. I'd reaaaally like to take a leopard next but I want to do a pg bowhunt too. I just can't afford both. If I took a leopard and assuming I'm successful on both the lion and buff this summer then I'd have three of the five down. On the other side I could have a hellava of bowhunt for a lot less than a leopard. Decisions, decisions.

If you go with the Leopard hunt you will be able to do some PG Bow hunting in between and the Outfitter will hopefully give you a good deal on the PG. The best is to shop around and talk to a few Outfitters to find out what is available.

 

[gizmo]

Yes sir, I'm trying to not get to carried away. I figure a leopard hunt is going to cost about 30000 with airfare, tips, taxidermy, etc.... A good plains game bow hunt I figure would be 20000 or less out the door. My problem is that my appetite far exceeds my pocket book. A sable croc combo is another thing I have really been considering. Maybe even sable, croc, hippo. It drives me nuts because I want one of everything lol.

 

[gizmo]

Taxidermy is a large part of the expense for me because on hunts like this I won't be happy unless I at least shoulder mount everything. On my hunt this summer I am full body mounting the lion and doing a shoulder mount on the buff and the kids plains game. Enjoying the taxidermy afterwards is a large part of it for me. I spend a lot of time in my office when I am working on things enjoying my taxidermy. All of them are special and they have their own unique experience and memory that goes along with them.

 

[Red Leg]

Taxidermy is a large part of the expense for me because on hunts like this I won't be happy unless I at least shoulder mount everything. On my hunt this summer I am full body mounting the lion and doing a shoulder mount on the buff and the kids plains game. Enjoying the taxidermy afterwards is a large part of it for me. I spend a lot of time in my office when I am working on things enjoying my taxidermy. All of them are special and they have their own unique experience and memory that goes along with them.

That is in itself a good point of discussion and something to think through. Unless you plan to open a museum - or perhaps a new business like Cabelas - at some point you will hit a tipping point with regard to taxidermy. I have friends who loved hunting Africa, but won't go back because they either have no room for additional mounts, or because they now have "one of those" in their collection. Photographs, videography, even a journal are wonderful memory aids. I enjoy hunting. In Africa, I particularly enjoy hunting cape buffalo and eland (traditionally walking them down). Multiple shoulder mounts of either would quickly be a self limiting factor on hunting them.

I have about thirty years on you, but the sooner you get past being committed to taxidermy, the quicker you'll be able to open the financial and physical space windows on additional hunts. These days it is a rare animal that I will have mounted (my last trip to Mozambique will see exactly two - a free range nyala and a sable). The buffalo scull (the primary reason for the trip) will find a corner - probably stacked on another. It takes a pretty good animal to even make the euro-mount decision. But I have extensive photography of every hunt and every animal I or a family member takes. I also make Shutterfly Photobooks http://www.shutterfly.com/ of every adventure. I say "books" because the custom format allows me to transfer journals to the final product as well. What you don't want to do is hear yourself or a significant other saying something like "what would we do with that (fill in the animal) if you shot it."

 

[gizmo]

You make a very good point. Once I get to the point I've collected all that I want I'll slow down. I'm that way with North American game already but with african game I'm not there yet. Fortunately between the house and the lodge I still have plenty of room for now.

 

[billc]

Gizmo I am with you getting animals mounted to view later at home is very important to me.I fyou shop around you can save a few dollars on mounts and still get very good work done.Just like booking a hunt you dont always get better because you pay more. Good luck with all your hunts and idea those mount you get to look at when at home.
Who will you be hunting with in june.You may have already said and I missed it

 

[gizmo]

I am going with Andri Fox. I met him at the TTHA show in Ft. Worth this year. Our booths were next to each other he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Spent several days getting to know each other and I really liked the way he handles his business and our personalities are very similar.

 

[TokkieM]

You will enjoy hunting with Andri, he runs a great Outfitt.

 

[billc]

gizmo that the best way I think to pick a place.You just get that feeling all will be right and you get along with the guy well.
The hardest thing with the africa outfittters is must are very good guys and way more friendly then must here in the states.It makes it hard to pick sometimes as I would hunt with alot of them if I had the funds to do so.