Shipping Cost Doubles
Contributors to this thread:International
From: BOBSTER
15-Jul-20
Well looks like Covid19 is going to cost us an extra $2120 in shipping cost to get our animals back from South Africa. Our shipment of animals were ready to be shipped out on March 9, all fees and shipping paid, they just needed to get them to the airport. Then March 26, South Africa locked down like the rest of the world. So now that they are shipping out from South Africa again, I get the email today saying due to only 2 airlines carrying freight, the cost has gone up. So now, we will be paying double of what we were originally suppose to be paying. How many others has this affected?
From: Bou'bound
15-Jul-20
You could take another trip for the cost of shipping
Taxidermy allows you to relive old memories. More adventures give you the chance to make new ones
From: Zebrakiller
15-Jul-20
If that happens to me my outfitter will have mounts for the lodge
From: altitude sick
15-Jul-20
Yeah mine was up to a ridiculous amount. So I switched to having it sent on a ship to NY.
It ended up being $800 cheaper than pre Covid air transport of course.
And $3600 cheaper than post Covid air.
and Then I will have to pay from NY to MI.
From: scndwfstlhntng
16-Jul-20
I got hit with a 25% add on for shipping, which frankly reminded of the frequent admonition that one can take a whole extra trip for the price of bringing back the parts and the taxidermy. At the moment I have a $1200 pending importer bill to get it in, cleared, and delivered to the taxidermist: then the meter starts all over again. You have to pay to play for sure. Just remember that photos print and frame for pennies, and you can get in another trip for that money you spent to get it onto the wall. Personal choice
From: altitude sick
16-Jul-20
Completely agree Or Stick with European mounts
I only had a Honey Badger hide tanned, the Badger skull bronzed,
Warthog tusks on a plaque.
I did have the Cape Buffalo mounted.
Taxidermy was about $2200
Crating shipping was $2400 Then Covid hit it went up to $5400
So I switched to Sea Freight $1400. But it will take 45 more days
From: SteveB
16-Jul-20
Price gouging. Why? Because they can.
From: BOBSTER
16-Jul-20
Sounds like we are not the only ones then. Unfortunately, we had a few animals mounted there as well as the other taxi prep work done, so we are already into this a lot of money. Going back sounds great, and hope do it again one day. If we didn't have some mounts done, I wouldn't mind having it put on a ship, but there is no telling what the mounts would look like after sitting in a 110+ degree cargo container for 45 days or more. I like everyone else sure hopes this covid thing goes away soon. Bob
From: Chief 419
16-Jul-20
Hang a zebra or Blue wildebeest cape on your wall and then put as many Euro mounts as you can on top of it. You'll end up with a cool looking display of your African adventure for a fraction of the cost of doing shoulder mounts. Put a zebra on your "must have list" before going to Africa.
From: Adventurewriter
16-Jul-20
Buy a single piece of art of commemorate the hunt....euros....a cool cluster of pictures...craiglist is full of old mounts...if you gotta have amount get a Kudu for 300 bucks
From: Stubbleduck
16-Jul-20
Bobster....in 2003 and 2005 I had a number of mounts done in SA and sent by boat to NY and then by truck to Minnesota. Less than half the price of air shipment at the time and they arrived in great shape. Of course it did take longer but in both cases I had my mounts in my home 14 months after the hunt. Granted it's ancient history but at least it used to be a reasonable solution.
From: Pat Lefemine
17-Jul-20
International trophy shipping has been turning into a racket for the last several years and I wish there was something the hunting industry can do about it but to date I’ve not seen any improvement. It cost me 3500 to get my buffalo cape and horns out of Mozambique 12 years ago and imagine it would be a lot more now. I would love to see competition here but unfortunately there’s less carriers accepting trophies so the price continue to go up.
From: altitude sick
17-Jul-20
Good point Pat. Similar to what the Wildlife Gallery has done with expediting trophies out of Alaska.
Cost me $200 to boil the skull and ship a moose from Alaska to Michigan.
I painted it with Kilz and had a European mount. $210 total From Alaska to Michigan. Of course if you can’t drive to the Wildlife Gallery it would be more.
From: Zebrakiller
17-Jul-20
Even euro mounts and hides have shipping cost, after my last trip to africa its pics from now on ,I'm glad I already have all I do
From: Tilzbow
18-Jul-20
International airfreight increased dramatically when Covid hit and this isn’t unique to S. Africa or trophies. It’s due to the fact much of the global airfreight is shipped via passenger jet and with reduced travel capacity has decreased dramatically. Reduced supply = higher prices.
From: bowbender77
18-Jul-20
I agree Tilzbow. I do not feel that the hunt providers or there industry have any intention of gouging there clients. If you want to blame someone then blame the fricken CHINEEEZZZEE.
From: Bou'bound
21-Jul-20
I spoke with a fellow hunter from our Greenland hunt last year and the trophies are still in Denmark and the shipping charges, according to what the shipper told the hunter, are 4-5X normal so they are sitting on them waiting for prices to come down before sending the stuff stateside.
Normal rates were no bargain. I can't imagine a 4X multiple of that.
From: HighLife
21-Jul-20
1750.00 now 3450.00 told the shipper I don't have to have them that bad let them sit.
From: StickFlicker
21-Jul-20
They will probably start charging you a monthly storage fee... You can bring back finished wildlife products on a plane in your luggage for no extra charge. So, if you are planning to go more than once, they could potentially tan a hide or make something from the horns/tusks that you could carry back on your next trip. I have a tanned zebra skin waiting for my return trip next year, then I will carry it back in my luggage.
