Trophies Back from SA
Contributors to this thread:International
From: TheSaint
15-Mar-14
Finally got me and my wife's trophies back from SA....minus a FEW headaches later! I noticed on a couple of the euros someone wrote down ID #'s on the skulls with a black sharpie pen. Any suggestions on how to get the marker off?
From: TheSaint
15-Mar-14
Thx! I'll give it a try. Any reccomendations for a half missing baboon jaw :)
From: Drahthaar
15-Mar-14
Saint, bummer about the sharpie, & baboon jaw. if you don't mind me asking who was your broker? did they do a good job? Forrest
From: TheSaint
15-Mar-14
I used Gallagher Transport to clear the trophies in Denver. I filled a little paper work out and they did the rest. Not too difficult.
From: TheSaint
15-Mar-14
If I had more time I may have cleared them myself but it was well worth the money at the time.
From: Drahthaar
15-Mar-14
Saint Thank You. Forrest
From: Tundra Monkey
15-Mar-14
Sounds weird but if you write over top of the writing with another Sharpie it will "make it wet" again and you should be able to wipe it off.
This works well on metal etc.....truly hope it didn't absorb into the skull.
From: Wayne Helmick
15-Mar-14
That's insane. Your luggage made it back without anybody ruining it. I can't believe they stay in business doing stuff like that. Probably because they know you won't fly half way around the world and try to track down the idiot that did that to your trophies. I would want to hurt somebody.
From: TheSaint
15-Mar-14
Yeah I was more bummed for my wife. After 10 yrs of marriage she decided she wanted to hunt while we were in Africa. She caught the bug when she tagged along on some of my "spot and stalks". We borrowed the PH's gun for her. She worked her tail off trying to stalk a wildebeest. On the last night of the hunt she finally stalked to within range and connected. We had a rug and a euro done. Of course they wrote ID #'s right on the freaking forehead. She is extremely disappointed. Hopefully we can get it cleaned off!
From: Peyton in Fairbanks
15-Mar-14
Was it the dip/pack company that wrote on them? Or the broker?....that is really bizarre.
From: TheSaint
16-Mar-14
I have no clue....I'd assume dip/pack???
From: Wayne Helmick
16-Mar-14
That's like getting a shoulder mount back and having your name or initials spray painted on it. Sorry for your wife. As a last resort maybe do one of those hydrographic dips or better yet, have a local artist paint a scene on the forehead to cover it up. Like an African sunset or something. Good luck.
From: Drahthaar
16-Mar-14
Saint, it may be worth a try to call sharpie co. and ask them what will remove the writing off the scull.also go to your wife's hair dresser get 40% proxcide and try and bleach it. Forrest
From: Peyton in Fairbanks
16-Mar-14
I would assume so too...just weird. I guess they figured you were doing shoulder mounts or they weren't thinking at all. Gotta be some chemicals that will take it off.
From: Frank Sanders
16-Mar-14
I just got a crate back also from SA. Mine was don't by Karl Human in East London.... DO NOT USE HIM! This is the 4th shipment I have received from Africa, one other from SA, one from Namibia and one from Mozambique and I have never seen such junk! I know that many, many of the dip/ship companies do it, but I cringe when they drill holes through the end of each horn to put a tag in. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't use a 1/4 inch bit! The things that got me were: 1) They punch coded my wifes Zebra rug that I paid to have rugged and felted, they didn't felt it and look at the following picture for the punch coding, it can be read from 300 yards away with the naked eye.
2) They drilled my black wildebeest horn, which I know they have to, but they wallowed it out like no ones business.
3) I paid for a Nyala cape to replace my wife's, they charged me for a cape, then they sent me a piece of nyala hide. The invoice says cape
4) I was told all skulls would be fine for skull mounts, just wash them after receiving them. 8 out of 13 skulls were in pieces (see pic below)
I am a taxidermist and an outfitter. I punch code things all the time. There is no excuse for this. They charge a premium and are horrible
From: Frank Sanders
16-Mar-14
Another zebra pic
From: Frank Sanders
16-Mar-14
Kudu Skull. All the skulls were in pieces, not 2 or 3 pieces either, totally un repairable
From: Frank Sanders
16-Mar-14
Wildabeest Wallow!! All they have to do is drill a straight hole for god's sake! I have huge hands, BTW
From: Frank Sanders
16-Mar-14
"Mine was don't by Karl Human in East London". Meant to say "Done by" not "don't by".
From: TheSaint
17-Mar-14
I haven't seen my hides yet....now I'm really worried!
From: Peyton in Fairbanks
17-Mar-14
WOW! Never seen a hole drilled or punched into any shipment I have gotten back. Holy buckets....
