My trophy shipment flagged by USDA

[Rickmt]

Coppersmith just informed me that my trophy shipment of Buffalo and cape, Buffalo skull only,2 Nyala and capes, bushbuck and cape, and 2 carved skulls (warthog and impala) , must go to a USDA APPROVED taxidermist . There are 11 approved taxidermists in Montana and I don’t know any of them.
Does anyone know what is up with this BS?

 

[BourbonTrail]

It’s probably due to the warthog skull, if I had to guess.

@gizmo or one of the other taxidermists could probably answer this question.

 

[JimP]

I would guess the warthog also.

There have been conflicting reports about them. Some say finished mounts/skulls are good to go straight to you, others have said that they have been flagged.

On my hunt last year I checked with two different importers and they both said that no matter what warthogs needed to go to a USDA approved location. I picked my importer because of this, they have a USDA warehouse that the inspections can take place in. I also didn't have any problems getting my warthog and baboon to me here in Colorado.

 

[Rickmt]

Thanx for your help Bourbon Trail

 

[375Fox]

It’s likely the warthog, same thing just happened to me with my Cameroon shipment over warthog tusks only. Mine is being cleared through coppersmiths as well. They don’t necessarily need to go to a USDA taxidermist. They need to go to a USDA approved facility. Many tanneries are USDA facilities. I called my taxidermist and am just having the trophies sent to the tannery first, not really a problem since they had to go there anyway.

 

[375Fox]

I would guess the warthog also.

There have been conflicting reports about them. Some say finished mounts/skulls are good to go straight to you, others have said that they have been flagged.

On my hunt last year I checked with two different importers and they both said that no matter what warthogs needed to go to a USDA approved location. I picked my importer because of this, they have a USDA warehouse that the inspections can take place in. I also didn't have any problems getting my warthog and baboon to me here in Colorado.

It appears to be case by case depending on inspector. @R.M.C. just posted his completed work that went to his house.

 

[R.M.C.]

I think I just got lucky with my shipment, I had shoulder mounted wart hog, bush pig skull and tanned hide, ostrich skull and feathers, monkey skull and tanned hide. Crate landed on Thursday afternoon and was released by Tuesday at noon. I used coppersmiths out of NYC. Sorry to hear about your situation, I discussed it with the guy from coppersmiths and he said he would arrange the taxidermist if needed andy crate would still be shipped to my place on a freight truck. Just one more step in the process. Unfortunately I think luck plays a role in all this. Good luck!!

 

[Philip Glass]

Coppersmith just informed me that my trophy shipment of Buffalo and cape, Buffalo skull only,2 Nyala and capes, bushbuck and cape, and 2 carved skulls (warthog and impala) , must go to a USDA APPROVED taxidermist . There are 11 approved taxidermists in Montana and I don’t know any of them.
Does anyone know what is up with this BS?

Yep, just happened to me with the Zim shipment. Customs said it was not clean enough. It is just nonsense and an added expense. The USDA taxidermist has had it for over a month now.

 

[Rickmt]

Thanx everyone! I am going to try the approved tannery approach. Hope they will safeguard the carvings and the skulls only while they do the tanning.

 

[375Fox]

Thanx everyone! I am going to try the approved tannery approach. Hope they will safeguard the carvings and the skulls only while they do the tanning.

I’ve done it several times with two different tanneries. It been the same with both. They received your shipment, keep the skins, and forward the rest to your taxidermist right away. They don’t hold on to it.

 

[Hunt anything]

Finished taxidermy is not supposed to go to USDA approved taxidermist but it seems to be at the discretion of the inspector even though the regulations seem pretty straight forward. Im assuming your carved skulls would qualify as finished taxidermy. SCI had a good article on this recently and was covered in a thread here if you can find it. Another thing was your other capes and skulls tanned or just dip&pack? Finished taxidermy isn’t supposed to be in the same crate as dip&pack I know it happens but again it depends on the inspector.

 

[Firebird]

Pigs, birds, bovines and primates must be delivered to a usda taxidermist and this has always been the case. They will be inspected at that facility wether it is a taxidermist or tannery and once cleared can be released to you. These facilities charge a small fee but most will waive that fee if they are actually doing the work. You aren’t being targeted or singled out-coppersmiths should have explained this to you.

 

[JimP]

Pigs, birds, bovines and primates must be delivered to a usda taxidermist and this has always been the case. They will be inspected at that facility wether it is a taxidermist or tannery and once cleared can be released to you. These facilities charge a small fee but most will waive that fee if they are actually doing the work. You aren’t being targeted or singled out-coppersmiths should have explained this to you.

They don't have to go to a USDA approved taxidermist or even a USDA tannery.

My importer SSI, has a certified warehouse where USDA shipments can go through which qualifies as far as the USDA is concerned. Then the shipment can go wherever the client wants. Either to the tannery, their taxidermist, or their home.

I just did this last year.

 

[Hunt anything]

Look up the thread “ Dip & Pack finally complete, shipping question” page 2 has the SCI article on the USDA question.

 

[Rickmt]

My taxidermist uses wildlife gallery in Michigan for tanning so we are sending shipment to them and they are going to send skulls etc to the taxidermist and get the tanning done in 9 months to a year.

 

[Rickmt]

I would guess the warthog also.

There have been conflicting reports about them. Some say finished mounts/skulls are good to go straight to you, others have said that they have been flagged.

On my hunt last year I checked with two different importers and they both said that no matter what warthogs needed to go to a USDA approved location. I picked my importer because of this, they have a USDA warehouse that the inspections can take place in. I also didn't have any problems getting my warthog and baboon to me here in Colorado.

Jim what importer did you pick to facilitate the USDA process?

 

[Hunt anything]

My taxidermist uses wildlife gallery in Michigan for tanning so we are sending shipment to them and they are going to send skulls etc to the taxidermist and get the tanning done in 9 months to a year.

I used the WG back in 2014, they took care of everything. Unless things have changed with them your trophies are in good hands! When my trophies were mounted and ready they loaded them up on a 30’ trailer with a bunch of other peoples trophies and delivered them to my door. I live on the coast of Alabama and way back then it only cost about $300 to deliver.

 

[Hunt anything]

Oops, just saw your taxidermist uses them for tanning your not getting the WG to mount them.

 

[fourfive8]

No matter what, those spp in question and/or category of raw condition have to go to an approved separate facility for inspection, be it temporary dedicated warehouse or processing facility like a taxidermist or tannery. Looks like at least one customs brokerage company has created a “middleman” niche to generate a little more $.

These types of trophy import headaches are the most chronic problems hunters report about their entire Africa safari experiences mentioned on this forum.

Of several Africa trips requiring trophy shipping and import, I have never encountered any issue- from dip and pack to shipping to customs to inspection and release. I wrote off Coppersmith from the get-go years ago after they gave me squirrelly responses to my initial inquiry and I have always used a USDA approved taxidermist.

 

[buck wild]

Yep, just happened to me with the Zim shipment. Customs said it was not clean enough. It is just nonsense and an added expense. The USDA taxidermist has had it for over a month now.

That's bc the quarantine period is at least 30 days. They'd have to have it for that long at a minimum.