I've just returned from Zimbabwe's Zambezi Valley where I enjoyed my first dangerous game safari! It was a fantastic trip and I was accompanied by my wife and an old friend from Denmark. Without a doubt, it was one of the most enjoyable trips of my life -- and we saw dozens of species of game under the watchful eye of PH Mark DeWet. My principle goal was to hunt in the tradition of Hemingway and Ruark: tracking on foot and using a double rifle with iron sights. And our safari was everything I could have hoped for, including a beautiful trophy bull of 41.5" taken with two shots from my .470 NE! What a great time; even my wife is hooked, expressing a desire to return next year for her own zebra and kudu hunt.

My immediate problem is that I've got to arrange to have my buff (and a nice mature impala) delivered to a taxidermist for a european mount. Can anyone recommend a good taxidermist that is both experienced in this kind of mount and has reasonable prices? I suppose their location isn't that important, though it would be convenient if they were located in the South Florida area. I'm assuming that since the horns are going to be hung in a rustic hunting cabin, it's not really necessary to pay a premium for this relatively simple mount, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Can anyone suggest what a reasonable cost would be for a Cape buffalo european mount?

I'll be posting a more detailed hunt report soon, but in the meantime any help any of you could provide on this would be much appreciated!