FAQ

Q: WHY SHOULD I USE A TAXIDERMIST IN AFRICA AS OPPOSED TO ONE IN THE UNITED STATES?

A: The typical African trophy animal is short-haired and lives in warm to hot climates. The stress of handling, salting, drying, dipping, shipping, rehydrating for dipping, and the typical tanning process to ultimately mount the trophy, are lengthy and very harsh on the delicate hides. The time alone can result in damage beyond repair due to parasites and bacteria that are unseen by the naked eye. It is far better to have these delicate hides processed as quickly as possible. By the mere nature of the various import/export laws, it is practically impossible to process quickly when shipping to countries outside Africa. The other benefit is that, in the unfortunate situation where a hide is ruined in the field or during shipment, there are many more options available to an African taxidermist to rectify the problem.

Q: I HAVE HEARD OF HUNTERS LOSING THEIR TROPHIES AND NEVER SEEING THEM AGAIN ONCE THEY LEAVE AFRICA. HOW CAN I AVOID THIS TRAGEDY?

A: The only way to ensure proper handling and transport of your sport-hunted trophies is to book your hunt with a reputable outfitter, professional hunter (PH) or safari company. Lost trophies are only one of many pitfalls of inexperience or unscrupulous outfitters, professional hunters and safari companies. What may seem like a bargain hunt may end up costing you everything the hunt was worth and more.

Q: I AM NOT SURE OF ALL THE CHOICES INVOLVED IN MOUNTING MY SPORT-HUNTED TROPHIES. CAN YOU HELP?

A: Definitely. We have been in the hunting and taxidermy business for 30 years and we can make suggestions and provide you with photos via email of some of the more popular mounts. It is important for you to consider how you want to arrange your trophy room and let us know. We will work with you throughout the process to ensure that you make the right decision. Alternatively, we can arrange for you to visit one of our studios when you are in the country; either Namibia or South Africa. In this way we get the opportunity to meet face to face and can discuss everything in person.

Q: I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VISIT YOUR STUDIO. HOW WILL I BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE MY FINAL DECISIONS TO YOU?

A: The ideal situation is to have your PH or Safari company plan a visit to our studios after your hunt. In this way we can sit and discuss your order in detail. However, if this is not possible, we have knowledgeable and competent staff standing by to discuss your choices via email. We have found this a simple and effective form of correspondence. We can also communicate by phone or fax in order to help you make important decisions with regard to preserving your most precious hunting memories from South Africa.

Q: WHAT IF I AM HUNTING IN AN AFRICAN COUNTRY OTHER THAN SOUTH AFRICA AND I WANT TO USE TROPHY LEGENDS AS MY TAXIDERMIST?

A: Simply inform your outfitter, PH or safari company of your wish to send the trophies to Trophy Legends for mounting. Arrangements can be made to ship your trophies to us in Namibia or South Africa. The PH or safari company will organise the necessary shipping arrangements and export permits from the country that you visited. They will contact us to arrange the import permits. Once all the permits have been issued by the governments of each country, the shipment will be made. If you contact us well in advance of your hunt, we can provide you with shipping tags for each and every piece of your trophy shipment.

Q: I AM A TAXIDERMIST AND I WANT TO SKIN MY OWN TROPHIES. IS THAT ALLOWED?

A: Yes, of course. Most safari companies and PHs allow this. Be sure to discuss this with your PH before your hunt.

Q HOW DO I ENSURE THAT THE TROPHIES ARE SKINNED AND TREATED PROPERLY IN THE FIELD?

A: As is the case with lost trophies, only experienced and reputable PHs and safari companies employ the most skilled skinners and maintain consistently high standards. We are capable of correcting some serious errors, such as wounds and skinning mistakes, but as with any taxidermist, we are limited to the raw materials provided. Proper field treatment is the best foundation for the beautiful finished product you will want to treasure for years to come.

Q: I TOOK A BEAUTIFUL GEMSBUCK TROPHY BUT SHOT THE CAPE TO PIECES. IS THERE ANYTHING TROPHY LEGENDS CAN DO TO FIX THAT?

A: We always have access to the most popular and common species, and most of the time we can find you a replacement cape. In many cases we replace a damaged skin at an affordable rate. Although this is done on a case-by-case basis, it may save an otherwise totally lost trophy.

Q: I HAVE HEARD THAT AFRICAN TAXIDERMISTS USE INFERIOR CHEMICALS AND PROCESSES. IS THAT TRUE?

A: There is no truth to that statement. Trophy Legends uses only the finest materials available in the industry. We produce museum-quality mounts that will maintain their original beauty for several lifetimes.

Q: HOW DO TROPHIES GET FROM THE FIELD TO YOUR STUDIO?

A: The PH or safari company will arrange for transportation to our studio. It is wise to discuss this with your PH or booking agent when you book your hunt. In some cases there is a transportation charge for shipping to our studios, depending on the location of the hunting area as arranged through your safari company.

Q: HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE YOU TO FINISH MY TROPHIES?

A: The typical turnaround time in most studios is 12 to 14 months. However, when using Trophy Legends, you are assured that this process is reduced to between 4 and 8 months. Full-body elephant, rhino, giraffe, etc will require more time. Estimates are provided when we receive the trophies.

Q: DOES THIS MEAN THAT I WILL RECEIVE MY TROPHIES IN 4 TO 8 MONTHS?

A: There will be additional time required beyond our control, including the transportation once the trophies leave our studio. The time required will depend on the method you choose. Air freight averages 2 to 3 weeks and ocean freight adds 8 to 10 weeks, but at a substantial cost saving over air freight.

Q: IF THE HUNT IS FINISHED, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH MY TROPHIES?

A: Quatro Hunting Safaris owns its own fully qualified taxidermy company who will take 100% care of your trophies.

Q: WILL MY TROPHIES BE SAFE IF SENT BY SEA FREIGHT?

A: Yes, the trophies are crated in sealed wooden crates and loaded in sealed ocean transfer (“sea train”) containers. The entire container is shipped to the destination. This ensures a minimum chance of loss or damage.

Q: HOW ARE THE TROPHIES PREPARED FOR SHIPMENT?

A: The trophies are carefully packed in specially designed crates to minimise the size and cost to you. After crating, we contact our respective shipping companies, who collect the crate from our studios and make all the necessary arrangements for transport to the United States or country of destination. You will be notified when the shipment leaves our studios and will be provided with the contact at the shipping company to make arrangements for payment and choice of shipping method.

Q: HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO SHIP MY TROPHIES?

A: The cost will depend on the size and weight of the crate and the destination. We do all we can to minimise the size of the crate by carefully packing the trophies in the smallest space possible. The cost is calculated on the total weight of the crate, or in most cases, the total volume of the crate. The volume is typically the determining factor, since the shipping companies charge based on the amount of weight they could have transported in that space. You may see an equivalent weight charged, based on the volume. We can arrange to send you the price list of the shipping costs, once we have an idea of what needs to be shipped.

Q: ONCE THE TROPHIES ARRIVE IN THE UNITED STATES (OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY), WILL THEY BE SENT TO MY HOME ADDRESS?

A: The shipment requires clearance by the US Fish and Game Department, US Customs, and the US Department of Agriculture. These inspections are arranged by your import broker and may take anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks, depending on how busy the port of arrival is and the time of the year. After the inspections have been completed and the shipment has been released, you can make arrangements for home delivery or warehouse pickup as you desire.

Q: YOU MENTIONED AN IMPORT BROKER. WHAT IS THAT AND HOW DO I GET ONE?

A: The import broker is a company that specialises in the receiving of shipments from foreign countries. (For example, you can use Fauna and Flora in New York City as the import broker. F&F has a very good reputation and is experienced in all matters relating to you getting your trophies.) We take care of all of the paperwork and notify you when the trophies are ready to ship. The shipping company then works closely with you to coordinate the shipment and payment of transport fees. You will be provided with a point of contact at the import broker. Once the shipment arrives at the destination port of entry, the import broker will contact you to make arrangements for payment and coordinating the necessary inspections and final delivery to your door.

Q: WHAT IF MY UNCLE IS A TAXIDERMIST AND IN ORDER TO KEEP PEACE IN THE FAMILY, I MUST HAVE HIM DO THE TAXIDERMY WORK?

A: When unmounted trophies are sent to the United States, they still must go through a process here with us in order to be allowed to ship. The “green” skins and skulls must be treated (often called "dipped”) to ensure that there is no transfer of bacteria or other microscopic organisms that would be harmful if transported to another country. Trophy Legends is authorised to perform all of the necessary treatments to safely ship green trophies to any destination. Once they are dipped and shipped, they will pass through the same inspections coordinated by the import broker. The import broker will then ship the green trophies to a taxidermist certified to receive green trophies in the United States. There the trophies will be treated again and can be mounted there or sent to the taxidermist of your choice.

Q: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HAVE MY TROPHIES DONE BY TROPHY LEGENDS TAXIDERMISTS?

A: You can visit our website for a complete price listing. Additionally, we only require a 50% deposit at the time the trophies arrive in our studio. The final balance due will be requested as the work nears completion, typically one or two months before they ship. That means that you have a couple a months to make the final payment.

Q: WHAT FORM OF PAYMENT DOES TROPHY LEGENDS ACCEPT?

A: We accept cash, credit cards (Visa or Master), money orders and various forms of cheques. Cheques will not be credited to the account until they clear payment at the bank (typically one month). When making the final payment by cheque, the shipping date could be delayed due to bank processing times. If you know you will be paying by personal cheque, let us know and we can prepare the final bill with sufficient time to prevent added delays.

FAQ