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Hunting >> Hunting in Africa & hunting dangerous game
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Sportingbookworm
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Reged: 10/05/17
Posts: 72
Loc: Samara, Russia
Where to do taxidermy after hunting in South Africa?
      #307163 - 02/11/17 04:56 PM

Ladies and gents, I want your opinions please,

on which is the better way to fix the trophies after a South African safari. Assume we're talking a basic package tour, impala, dik-dik, maybe kudu or sable.

The two main options are: dip and ship to your home, and have your capes or Euro mounts done right there, in South Africa.

I've been told that the latter would be cheaper and the quality of SA taxidermists is on par or even better than what can be done in US or Europe.

What would you say?

--------------------
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Postman
.375 member


Reged: 25/09/13
Posts: 846
Loc: Canada
Re: Where to do taxidermy after hunting in South Africa? [Re: Sportingbookworm]
      #307174 - 02/11/17 09:25 PM

Quote:

Ladies and gents, I want your opinions please,

on which is the better way to fix the trophies after a South African safari. Assume we're talking a basic package tour, impala, dik-dik, maybe kudu or sable.

The two main options are: dip and ship to your home, and have your capes or Euro mounts done right there, in South Africa.

I've been told that the latter would be cheaper and the quality of SA taxidermists is on par or even better than what can be done in US or Europe.

What would you say?



As in all things in life, there ar trade offs. Taxidermy in SA would be more cost effective. Shipping costs would be increased though because of the significantly larger and/or greater volume of shipping crates and protective packaging required to ship completed mounts.

Another trade off:

How might one select a taxidermist in SA and be completely confident that the work is done properly? There are many stories of cross eyed and lop sided substandard mounts coming from the African continent. The degree to which this may be true is of course subjective and certainly rumours to this effect won’t be discouraged by non-African taxidermy businesses.

On the other hand, bringing your trophies home, you have the time and geographical proximity to the taxidermist to carefully select your taxidermist as well as some degree of recourse if they don’t do a good job. The flip side is that not all Euro or American taxidermists have deep experience in doing African animals and may not use the proper or correct supporting parts. Further, the work will cost more.

If one considers the cost of the trip, travel, outfitters fees, tips, permits, etc, why would one desire to cheap out on the finished product?

Your memories may grow fonder over time, but a poor mount will NOT improve over time and you (or your wife/GF/boyfriend) may well end up wanting to throw out the ugly moldy lopsided piece of poorly done junk on the den wall after having stared at it for far too long.

Edited by Postman (02/11/17 09:28 PM)

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Rell
.375 member


Reged: 03/12/04
Posts: 642
Loc: Oyster Bay, NY, USA
Re: Where to do taxidermy after hunting in South Africa? [Re: Postman]
      #307175 - 02/11/17 11:53 PM

I have had work done by a couple of the top studios and the service has sucked. They are so preoccupied with museum pieces for primarily Chinese museums that they don’t care about one off clients.

I switched to splitting image taxidermy on 5e last few trips. Service is really good.they will get you a full quote and ask for a power f attorney so you don’t have to be copied on 20emails between the shipper, I porter, pack/dip and taxidermist. The service is door to door. Africa to you.

http://www.splittingimagetaxidermy.co.za

They have a studio in RSA, Europe and Houston in the USA. If you get the mounts done in Africa, faster and less expensive then you have a problem, the studio here will fix it. I had a mount damaged in transit and they sent a taxidermist to my home to do the repair!

--------------------
450-400, 9.3x74r and 7x65r.

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Ripp
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Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Where to do taxidermy after hunting in South Africa? [Re: Rell]
      #307178 - 03/11/17 12:09 AM

Been a few years since I have looked at the work done in SA, however each to their own but I have never been impressed by the taxidermy work done there,..if its on par to what is done in the US they must be comparing to someone beginning taxidermy..IMHO..I have never seen the detail work done in other places I get here in the US..but that is me and my opinion...

I have dipped and packed all of my animals and have them all done here in Montana..

Ripp

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ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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Sportingbookworm
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Reged: 10/05/17
Posts: 72
Loc: Samara, Russia
Re: Where to do taxidermy after hunting in South Africa? [Re: Ripp]
      #307424 - 08/11/17 03:43 AM

Thank you!

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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39203
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Where to do taxidermy after hunting in South Africa? [Re: Sportingbookworm]
      #307425 - 08/11/17 04:01 AM

I always visit the taxidermist before using them. Sometimes the work can be simply aweful. I was taken to a taxidermist located between Pretoria and Jo'burg and the yes, cross eyed, twisted crap that they made. They thought it was fantastic.

I did use them for dip and pack. They ffffed this up even, drilling holes through the horns to attach name tags ...

Not all snoobabs are black ...

They also got a bit worked up, as they thought I was a local, and offered the local proice, not the hyped up foreignor price ...


Sorry can not recommend any in South Africa from my personal use.

I have been afraid of the massive air freignt bills to ever get the work done over there.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Cazadero
.375 member


Reged: 17/10/11
Posts: 561
Loc: Texas
Re: Where to do taxidermy after hunting in South Africa? [Re: NitroX]
      #312189 - 11/02/18 10:27 AM

Quote:

Not all snoobabs are black ...




What is a snoobab?

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Cazadero
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Reged: 17/10/11
Posts: 561
Loc: Texas
Re: Where to do taxidermy after hunting in South Africa? [Re: NitroX]
      #312190 - 11/02/18 10:33 AM

Quote:

drilling holes through the horns to attach name tags ...



They did this to me too, on my Kudu, and while I was at first appalled at this discovery, admittedly it is not noticeable on the wall in my office.

The only thing I found beneficial in using Highveld Taxidermists in RSA was in having the leather made from the backskin of my first buffalo.

It is near impossible to have a hide tanned into leather in the U.S.

Other than that, the real issue is in making sure the skinners don't "F" up the skin and leave a hole.

Best of luck,

E

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Postman
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Reged: 25/09/13
Posts: 846
Loc: Canada
Re: Where to do taxidermy after hunting in South Africa? [Re: Cazadero]
      #312195 - 11/02/18 11:03 AM

I just got my buff and a couple of plains game mounts back 2 weeks ago.... had the work done at Advanced Taxidermy in Caledon Ontario..... I can’t find words sufficient to describe how well the work was done!!!!! You’d swear they were alive they look so good!!!!! I am extremely happy that I chose them and had the work done here and wouldn’t even remotely consider another outfit!!!!

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39203
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Where to do taxidermy after hunting in South Africa? [Re: Cazadero]
      #312197 - 11/02/18 12:01 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Not all snoobabs are black ...




What is a snoobab?



Old KiSwahili term used for a member of the tribe living in the next valley ....



--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39203
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Where to do taxidermy after hunting in South Africa? [Re: NitroX]
      #312198 - 11/02/18 12:03 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Not all snoobabs are black ...




What is a snoobab?



Old KiSwahili term used for a member of the tribe living in the next valley ....





Extremely un-PC and potentially racist term, spelt backwards, thereby as an opposite, making it an "honorific".

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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