this sucks

[HookMeUpII]

You are right, that does suck. No indication why yours was flagged for inspection? I just had a crate arrive a couple of weeks ago and had no issue…

Something is being missed here or something has changed since last speaking to Wyatt...

I was under the impression that pigs, even just euro mounts (which mine is), require USDA inspection.

I could be wrong though. I had not looked into this since July of 2023.

 

[Hunt anything]

@HookMeUpII who is doing your taxidermy?

 

[375Fox]

This is one point that you need to take up with your importer.

I have used SSI, they have their own warehouses in New York where your shipment will be brought into. They don't charge for storage since it is included in their fee. You pay a little more for what they do but a single day of storage where you have to pay makes up for it.

They are also a USDA certified to accept your shipments rather than having to go to a different USDA certified shop.

Coppersmiths does not charge for storage in their warehouse either, but they have to be allowed to pick it up. If customs won’t allow it to leave SSI would be in the same spot.

 

[JimP]

You should have no problem, my trouble was just the delay in South Africa with their processes.

Once my crate hit the ground in NY things went quite quickly.

 

[HookMeUpII]

Coppersmiths does not charge for storage in their warehouse either, but they have to be allowed to pick it up. If customs won’t allow it to leave SSI would be in the same spot.

This must have changed because that's not what I was told. But once again, maybe it changed. I very well could be wrong.

Something else might be up here. I have heard of stories with crates getting infested with local bugs/critters. I am not saying this is OP's case. If it is the case though, I know they won't let it leave the place it's sitting at the airport without an inspection and "disinfecting" (for lack of a better word). I actually watched this on TV. Customs officers spotted bugs, USDA came in, disassembled the entire crate and took everything out for disinfecting. It had a kudu and zebra shoulder mount inside from what I recall.

Really hope this is not OP's case.

 

[HookMeUpII]

@HookMeUpII who is doing your taxidermy?

Our outfitter. Kuche Safaris.

 

[rookhawk]

I have a warthog but no birds in my forthcoming crate.

I mean no offense, but I’ve repeated this warning over and over again.

Monkeys, Baboons, Bushpigs, and Warthogs are the road to financial ruin. You invite delays and USDA inspection. It just isn’t worth it.

 

[JimP]

This must have changed because that's not what I was told. But once again, maybe it changed. I very well could be wrong.

Something else might be up here. I have heard of stories with crates getting infested with local bugs/critters. I am not saying this is OP's case. If it is the case though, I know they won't let it leave the place it's sitting at the airport without an inspection and "disinfecting" (for lack of a better word). I actually watched this on TV. Customs officers spotted bugs, USDA came in, disassembled the entire crate and took everything out for disinfecting. It had a kudu and zebra shoulder mount inside from what I recall.

Really hope this is not OP's case.

My crate last year had a very generous amount of moth balls in it for the bugs.

On the warthog and primate. I had read on here about even finished taxidermy of the two requiring the shipment to go to a USDA shop such as a tannery or taxidermist that had the certification, this is in addition to having the USDA inspector check over things at US Customs. Talking to Wyatt at SSI he confirmed that was what was happening. He did tell me that SSI had a bonded and USDA Certified warehouse for my shipment to come into and that there would be no delay once my crate hit US soil.

This is just what happened, my shipment was only a week or so behind others that didn't have the warthog or primate in their crate. I had both a finished baboon skull, along with a warthog skull and a finished warthog shoulder mount.

 

[HookMeUpII]

I mean no offense, but I’ve repeated this warning over and over again.

Monkeys, Baboons, Bushpigs, and Warthogs are the road to financial ruin. You invite delays and USDA inspection. It just isn’t worth it.

This is something I wish I knew prior to going. We would have been good with everything else. Kudu, impala, blesbok, and wildebeest. Knowing what I know now, don't think I'd have taken the warthog.

My crate last year had a very generous amount of moth balls in it for the bugs.

On the warthog and primate. I had read on here about even finished taxidermy of the two requiring the shipment to go to a USDA shop such as a tannery or taxidermist that had the certification, this is in addition to having the USDA inspector check over things at US Customs. Talking to Wyatt at SSI he confirmed that was what was happening. He did tell me that SSI had a bonded and USDA Certified warehouse for my shipment to come into and that there would be no delay once my crate hit US soil.

This is just what happened, my shipment was only a week or so behind others that didn't have the warthog or primate in their crate. I had both a finished baboon skull, along with a warthog skull and a finished warthog shoulder mount.

This is encouraging. I'm curious to see how mine goes. From everything he explained to me, they were well setup to make sure it didn't spend any time in the airport warehouse. He did mention that sometimes if the crate arrives on a Friday, you are unfortunately hit for the weekend storage at the airport for the crate.

Did you incur extra costs for storage at the USDA shop where they certified the warthog? My mounts are probably 8-9 months away still but I'd like to prepare.

 

[JimP]

Did you incur extra costs for storage at the USDA shop where they certified the warthog? My mounts are probably 8-9 months away still but I'd like to prepare.

I had zero fees as far as storage.

My crate arrived in NY on July 20 a Thursday. They were cleared with USFW/Customs on Aug 4, a Friday. And I had the crate in my garage on Aug 9 the following Thursday. So there was one weekend and a few days between clearance and getting on a plane for Denver, then over night in Denver before I received them.

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

Did you incur extra costs for storage at the USDA shop where they certified the warthog? My mounts are probably 8-9 months away still but I'd like to prepare.

Answering this also. I used SSI just like Jim did. We actually only live a few miles apart so I went with his experience.
I'm not sure why but it took 6 weeks for my crate to totally clear. It did have 2 finished warthog in it.
There were zero additional fees over the original quote.
He even said if I was on vacation when it did clear they would hold it longer at no charge until I got home.

 

[Hyde Hunter]

You are right, that does suck. No indication why yours was flagged for inspection? I just had a crate arrive a couple of weeks ago and had no issue…

mine was not even shipped yet, will ship on April 6th, Laura at Coppersmiths was just letting me know about agriculture clearing times 3-7 days and that Chicago charges storage after 1 day, but when my last one flew Delta and landed in Atlanta then on to Chicago then there were no Atlanta storage fees, can't seem to find out why it makes a difference where it lands first, sent another email asking this question today, very frustrating

 

[Neil Molendyk]

Yeah, it's a racket. The witches running the desk at Swiss Air warehouse in Toronto's Pearson were a piece of work! My hat's off to the young lad working the late shift who finally got my stuff moved through health dept inspections. Then it was customs refusing to give the stamped documents to truck driver to take over to warehouse. Of course the beasts at warehouse claimed they had to have original docs. Finally got my MP's office involved and the docs were emailed to warehouse and stuff released to truck driver. The brokers are obviously in on the scam too. One of the truck drivers waiting for service at the warehouse told me how it works ... or rather purposely doesn't work.

Ontario Hunter: Just wondering how you found a responsible Member of Parliament (MP)? I had a similar issue with importation in to Canada. Some political genius thought that all hunting imports now have to go through Toronto only for inspection (Customs, CFIA , Ag Canada) when it used to be any international airport in Canada. The brilliance of Govt Bureaucracy.

 

[HookMeUpII]

Answering this also. I used SSI just like Jim did. We actually only live a few miles apart so I went with his experience.
I'm not sure why but it took 6 weeks for my crate to totally clear. It did have 2 finished warthog in it.
There were zero additional fees over the original quote.
He even said if I was on vacation when it did clear they would hold it longer at no charge until I got home.

I had zero fees as far as storage.

My crate arrived in NY on July 20 a Thursday. They were cleared with USFW/Customs on Aug 4, a Friday. And I had the crate in my garage on Aug 9 the following Thursday. So there was one weekend and a few days between clearance and getting on a plane for Denver, then over night in Denver before I received them.

This makes me feel a lot better. I am hoping to convince the rest in my group to use SSI. Seems like a little bit of extra expense goes a long way with them. I am about 30 miles as the crow flies from JFK which is likely where my trophies will come in through so its an easy decision.

 

[Hyde Hunter]

well just found out Chicago is the first stop for Turkish and my stuff will not be flying anywhere else so that is the reason it has to clear agriculture there. Laura says every crate of animals finished or not have to clear ag whether or not you think it does when it first lands. if it is traveling on after Chicago then it would not be subject to storage till checked 3-7 days

 

[Hunting Hitman]

I just cleared Houston with amongst other animals 3 euro warthogs and one life size mount. No delays at all and I used Trophy Shippers.

HH

 

[D-Orcutt]

My only shipment was through Houston but via Cargo ship no added fees worth the 10 hour drive for me to pick it up from coppersmith. I had all finished taxidermy including a warthog. Is this an airport specific problem or a clearing agent problem?

 

[62flint]

I have contacted Trophy shippers by Email, no response. I may try a call soon.
Just got a update from the taxidermist in SA, looks like my animals are still waiting to be done. I am not supper anxious to get them done, kind of dreading the shipping and importing.
I think my 2025 cape buffalo/plains game trip will a lot of pictures. euro mount and finished products, rugs,gun cases etc.

 

[Tjcai]

Our outfitter. Kuche Safaris.

How was your experience with Kuche? I'm headed over for a safari with them in June - any recommendations re: what you'd do again / not do again after your last trip? Anything to be wary of? Anything that was an "absolutely can't miss" highlight?

 

[PARA45]

My shipment from 2022 came to Atlanta and I used Coppersmith. Coppersmith received the packing list with details of what was in the crate (one warthog). If Coppersmith had a bonded warehouse in Atlanta, it was not used, and my crate sat for close two weeks in the Turkish Airlines warehouse collecting daily storage fees. Coppersmith in Atlanta tried to wash their hands saying they didn't know there was a warthog in the crate. I call BS and show them the e-mail traffic. All I got from Coppersmith for their screw up was $100.00 off the overall bill.