Skull pick ups. Does any one pick them up?

[ILDRHNTR]

I can only imagine how these two must have met their sad demise. Where they fighting first and get caught up in the loose fence wire. Or did one come through with his nose to the ground searching for does and get caught up first with the second one thinking he had an opportunity at another buck in distress. Either way, it was sad to see.

 

[HankBuck]

Does any one like Shed hunting or antler hunting or horn hunting
Unique aspect of hunting
Enjoyable to find a trophy or unique trophy or species

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When I hunted Tanzania (2006) we came across a bleached out elephant skull - No ivory but some teeth (molars) remained. I wanted to take one of the teeth but my PH advised against it stating “you can have big problems in Customs”...I followed his advice and left the skull undisturbed. I certainly would’ve liked to keep a couple of those teeth but figured it wasn’t worth the risk of getting hassled (or detained) in Customs - by US or Tanzania.

 

[Firebird]

The “dipping” process kills the bugs on skulls, skins and horns before they are exported.
In the USA dead heads should be boiled to kill unwanted pests if you are going to take them indoors.
On turkey tails if they are not cleaned properly and entirely they can get dermestid beetles and other bugs that can destroy an entire trophy room-borax drying is not good enough!

 

[Bullthrower338]

Found this guy while glassing in NM

 

[MarkB]

Good thread, some very interesting stuff shown on here.

I have had no bugs from horn/antler pick ups at home or in Africa other than maggots that need cleaning off. But I did buy some wood carvings in Zim at roadside venders, placed in luggage and brought home. Imagine my surprise when a month later I checked them on shelf and found small holes where some bugs/worms had bored their way out and luckily for me died on shelf. Immediately bagged and sprayed. Still bug free today years later, but lesson learned for all subsequent purchases.

When in Military all our foreign local purchases were bagged, tagged and sprayed before ever entering ship, some wild things dead in bottom of bags.

I am always on the lookout for non hunted "trophies" for the memory room. Have some huge paper wasp nests, yes some lava turn to wasps and venture out when nests are hung in warm room over winter. Same for some insect that makes its home in there and makes little pieces of them along with some sort of "dirt" fall out. Now they all get the semi annual spray with Mount Medix products.

Here in BC Gov has stopped us picking up "finds" at least the legal way. Report and request permits but not always are they given out.

MB

 

[Sarg]

Did you drive up from Windhoek ? if so how long was the trip ? Thinking of doing that next year.

Yes I did, you know I can't remember, I had the most awesome Hilux with a fold out tent on the roof & came with all camping gear, I slept in that .

It was a great trip & no trouble at all, fuel was super cheap but that was 8-9yrs .

 

[buck wild]

I pick up almost every WT shed I see no matter how small. I can't make myself walk off . I have two 55 gallon drums full of sheds. My best set of matching WT are 153 and 152. I spent in excess of 60 hours searching for a set of low fence 170s back in 2015. Found out the neighbors actually found them early in the 2016 season and then also shot the buck.
My best deadheads are a 145 WT, bronze medal fallow and a 31" aoudad. I did found a waterbuck deadhead on one of my Africa trips, I suspect was lost from another hunter the year prior. I got the impression I could have got it home for a fee, but it's wasn't all that big, maybe 24" and I never inquired further.
Now if Kudu shed every year......I'd be beating the bush trying to find them