Best "In-Africa" Taxidermists?

[Rich219]

Which companies are the best taxidermists in Africa?

 

[Bobpuckett]

Well I'm not going to say that Umilindi in Tarkastad is the best but there damn good. I have heard the stories of bad Taxidermist in africa and have seen some pics of their work I wouldn't bring into my house Cecil at Umilindi taxidermy is very very good I used him to do my animals in 2010 and just dropped off my animals for this year for him to do for me. His prices are very fare and he usaully has a turn around time of 6 - 8 months here is a website so you can check him out Hunting-Africa.co.za 2012

 

[BRICKBURN]

Which companies are the best taxidermists in Africa?

What would you like to compare?
Location
Finished work
Species
Awards
Time Lines for delivery
Price
Association members
Handle Credit Cards, Deposits

I'll skip "the best" idea.

I can hands down recommend Ubombo Taxidermy in KwaZulu Natal RSA
http://www.ubombotaxidermy.co.za/

Kotoko did some nice work for me.Kotoko

Erongo Taxidermy are stand up in Otavi, Namibia.
Contact Us

 

[RogerHeintzman]

Well, unless someone has used every or many taxidermist in Africa to make a apples to apples comparison, all you will get is a personal view of who they think is the best or good. And I am sure you will not have time to visit a few to make a true comparison.

Have you looked at taxidermists in the USA if you are from there.

IMO, find a good taxidermsit in US who has DONE African, look at their mounts, and pay the price if you are looking for top quality. . I have been to three different taxi shops in Africa and not one was top shelf. Not saying there are none, it's just who has the time to look.

 

[BRICKBURN]

.........
........... I have been to three different taxi shops in Africa and not one was top shelf. Not saying there are none, it's just who has the time to look.

You just have to be crazy enough to spend a lot of time and a chunk of your holiday looking at taxidermists.
Like me!

Here is another taxidermist in Limpopo that I think is good.
I am still salivating over that pedestal mount Sable in the Gallery. In person it is just as impressive.
Bulls Eye!
Bull's Eye Taxidermy Gallery

 

[harden]

What has happened to the U.S.

There are many great Taxidermist everywhere, in every country.
But for the life of me I have never understood why fellow Citizens don't support their own country?

The pay that the black africans get for a full days work doing the labor at these shops , working on client mounts is , what a minimun wage earner makes in an HOUR here in the states.

I try to buy whatever I can made in the U S . To help and keep our money home.


I have seen dip pack and shipping and paperwork go crazy in Africa in the last 20 years. It is in my eyes a racket to keep the work in the country and to hit your pocket book when you don't.

To each their own, but I support U S business.

The U S hunters shoud support the taxidermy trade/ felow hunters and sportman in the U. S.

You just have to be crazy enough to spend a lot of time and a chunk of your holiday looking at taxidermists.
Like me!

Here is another taxidermist in Limpopo that I think is good.
I am still salivating over that pedestal mount Sable in the Gallery. In person it is just as impressive.
Bulls Eye!
Bull's Eye Taxidermy Gallery

 

[BRICKBURN]

There are many great Taxidermist everywhere, in every country.
.......

So true.

I have seen dip pack and shipping and paperwork go crazy in Africa in the last 20 years. It is in my eyes a racket to keep the work in the country and to hit your pocket book when you don't.
.........

If you think that Africa is bad Dennis you should try to get a rifle from the USA. It only requires a $500 permit that you can not fill out yourself. Shipping trophies through the US is obstructionist at best and basically prohibitive.

Without the protectionist bent and a slight twist on the query of the post:
Do have a look at Dennis' work. It is amazing.

 

[harden]

I understand, the U S goverment as all of them, just want their hand in your pocket at every turn.

 

[Cliffy]

Bullseye Taxidermy did a very good job for me on my Limpopo hunt last year. The work was very nice and I got it back in my house 6 months from my hunt. Nyala, blesbuck, reedbuck and warthog. info@bullseyetaxidermy.co.za

 

[saeng101]

I will second Brickburn's suggestion. I have used over 20 different ones in 25 years and Johannes is my favorite. He did about 30 mounts for us last year and never had any issues. He has also done some rework for friends on botched jobs. He has also done a lot of dip and pack for us.

 

[SafariA]

I will try and keep to the question ! I can truely recommend Life Form taxidermy . They do a great job and has excellent client relations and unsurpassable communication. Trans AIfrican Taxidermy are also Top Class and are a must on any Cat mounts ! I hope this helps !

It is probably the biggest decision besides your choice of outfit as the trophies will be your memories on the wall in years to come ! Compare apples to apples and make the right decision !

Happy Hunting !

 

[harden]

Bullseye Taxidermy did a very good job for me on my Limpopo hunt last year. The work was very nice and I got it back in my house 6 months from my hunt. Nyala, blesbuck, reedbuck and warthog. info@bullseyetaxidermy.co.za

Cliffy, Glad you were happy with your trophies and the delivery times . I'm sure you enjoy them everyday as all of do.

I am not responding to be negative to any taxidermist.
If you look at all the S A taxidermist they have a lot of pro-cons pages to intice a hunter......
I just think the U S economy needs Amercans to think about how and with whom we spent our money with.
Money spent in S A stays in S A.
I feel the economy needs to be a more buy U S economy more than anything these days.

Would be curious as the the final bill.. with shipping of shoulder mounts, still having to get brokers to clear shipment and the cost of trophy mounts and all the little extra's if any that you paid.
Door to Door compete bill?

Thanks, and agian it wasn't about the workmanship of anyone.
DENNIS

You have to compare apples to apples, all taxidermy is NOT created equal.

 

[Buff-Buster]

Bullseye did a total of 17 mounts for me and my wife after a three week, two country safari in 07'. Craig did a fantastic job. All communication was excellent and prompt. A good personal friend is my taxidermist here in the states. He even understood why I used a taxidermist in SA. The difference in cost, all in, shipping included was right at $8,000. (7 were life sized mounts, Nyala, Warthog, Hyena, Civet, Genet, Klipspringer and Side-stripped Jackel) Even he was impressed by the quality when he saw them.

 

[mstewart44]

I would second the notion of having it done back home, either with someone who is known on the national level, such as Dennis, or the Wildlife Gallery, etc. I had a mixed bag of results from Highveld from my 2008 safari. I received my trophies in 2010 and the "replacement trophies" (to fix the poor work done) originally in April 2012. Local guy can do it much faster and I can see it as he does it. Keep your $$ in the USA!! You gave the outfitter plenty of dough when you took the safari, share the money with the guys back home. That's my $.02 from experience!!

 

[Bobpuckett]

I have to disagree on most getting your taxidermy done at home unless you have a very good friend or are a taxidermist yourself your taxidermy work will cost you as much or more then the Safari itself. I have found that the taxidermist in my area figure if you can afford to go to Africa to hunt you can afford to pay there high prices what they don't figure or even care is that it took me years to save for that dream. Do me a favor print a copy of the attached doc. take it to your taxidermist with your Eland cape and horns tell him this is what you are willing to pay for top quality work and you want it hanging on your wall in 6 months and be honest come back and tell us what he or she said. My 2 cents

 

[Cliffy]

Dennis,
All in, I saved about 15% "maybe". It wasn't the money it was just easier with the other 4 hunters in our group at the time. They all had mounts done by Bullseye and all came back very well done and early on delivery. I haven't found any taxidermist I like here in the states yet except maybe Animal Artistry for cats and I can't afford the big cats yet. I've had bad times with 2. The ones I meet all seem to promise the world and then just do what they want. I even had a Coastal Blacktail deer mounted and when I picked it up they had used a Rocky Mountain mule deer cape. He said he thought it looked better and I wouldn't mind. I think he screwed up the cape and substituted. I'm even thinking of taxidermy school for myself so I know it gets done correctly. I have no problem with keeping the money in country but when I bring my stuff into LA and I deal with a local taxidermist who had no communications and treated me like I was a hindrance to his day I begin to look elsewhere for the next trip. I know of one now, down in Las Cruces NM that did a desert bighorn for a friend this year and took 3rd in Expert at the Phoenix show. I met him, he does great work and on time, BUT he's clear down in Las Cruces.

 

[Diamondhitch]

If your not including shipping, the price is definitely cheaper in SA and you can find some good taxis there. Once you add in shipping it really depends on what you are having done, it can work out better either way. The biggest thing that cripples NA taxis is the cost of labor and materials.

This difference is bad enough in the US but once you cross the border into Canada it gats rediculous. As an example to tan an Eland cape in SA costs me $206 + $75 dip/pack = $281 in the US $210 +$115 dip/pack = $325 in Canada $550 + $115 dip/pack = me getting my hides tanned in Africa. I dont mind paying a bit extra to keep the work at home but I refuse to comply with the "please bend over" sign on the tannery door. Thats roughly 2.5X the price of either the SA and 2X the US plus my hides weigh 30% less so shipping costs go down as well. To compete with the sticker price of a SA taxi the Canadian taxi must find a way to buy a $265 form + all the shipping, supplies and related costs with the $170 he has left to equal the SA price.

I am all for keeping business at home and I sympathaze with the local taxi who has to pay $$$ for tanning and more $$$ for expensive african forms and $$$ for shipping and duty on forms and $$$ for expensive shop labor and $$$ for expensive power, rent and utilities. They have good reason for charging the prices they do here, expenses on this side of the ocean are astronomically higher than Africa. I think NA taxis do a great job of keeping things as close as they do to African taxi + shipping costs, you need to remember that after all the mentioned costs they still have to eat too.

 

[Bobpuckett]

If your not including shipping, the price is definitely cheaper in SA and you can find some good taxis there. Once you add in shipping it really depends on what you are having done, it can work out better either way. The biggest thing that cripples NA taxis is the cost of labor and materials.

This difference is bad enough in the US but once you cross the border into Canada it gats rediculous. As an example to tan an Eland cape in SA costs me $206 + $75 dip/pack = $281 in the US $210 +$115 dip/pack = $325 in Canada $550 + $115 dip/pack = me getting my hides tanned in Africa. I dont mind paying a bit extra to keep the work at home but I refuse to comply with the "please bend over" sign on the tannery door. Thats roughly 2.5X the price of either the SA and 2X the US plus my hides weigh 30% less so shipping costs go down as well. To compete with the sticker price of a SA taxi the Canadian taxi must find a way to buy a $265 form + all the shipping, supplies and related costs with the $170 he has left to equal the SA price.

I am all for keeping business at home and I sympathaze with the local taxi who has to pay $$$ for tanning and more $$$ for expensive african forms and $$$ for shipping and duty on forms and $$$ for expensive shop labor and $$$ for expensive power, rent and utilities. They have good reason for charging the prices they do here, expenses on this side of the ocean are astronomically higher than Africa. I think NA taxis do a great job of keeping things as close as they do to African taxi + shipping costs, you need to remember that after all the mentioned costs they still have to eat too.

Diamondhitch I to understand the cost as to the reason a Taxidermist taught me how to do my own deer heads (my brother) and if I could afford the much higher prices i would love to have it done at home. btw I didn't know Canada was so high good thing your a taxidermist it'll save you some labor charges but I think we all got off the subject the question was; Which companies are the best taxidermists in Africa? not why we should keep it at home. Sorry for getting off track. Bob

 

[Diamondhitch]

Diamondhitch I to understand the cost as to the reason a Taxidermist taught me how to do my own deer heads (my brother) and if I could afford the much higher prices i would love to have it done at home. btw I didn't know Canada was so high good thing your a taxidermist it'll save you some labor charges but I think we all got off the subject the question was; Which companies are the best taxidermists in Africa? not why we should keep it at home. Sorry for getting off track. Bob

LOL, ADD I guess.

 

[RogerHeintzman]

RichKn,

I doubt if there was much help here this time. I have looked at Bulls Eye Taxi which has been suggested here a couple of times. From the pictures on their site, they do some very nice work.
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