Shipping time for Trophies?

[traviselmore]

I have some animals (dip and pack - hides and horns) that were shipped a week and a half ago from South Africa to Atlanta. I was just wondering what a usual shipping time to expect is for trophies coming from Africa to the US by air. I will be picking the animals up in Atlanta myself and just wanted a rough idea of how long to expect. I know it will also take some times (maybe a couple weeks???) for all departments to get around to my animals as well.

I was wondering with both aspects (shipping and clearing) how long should I expect? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Too many factors for a reasonable guess.
The shipper will be your best source.

Get your AWB#

AWB # and you can go on the web and track it.
http://www.track-trace.com/aircargo

 

[Hogpatrol]

Around the holidays, it can take longer but if they were shipped via Delta cargo, next day after leaving Joburg. I would not wait for a call from anyone especially Delta cargo in Atlanta.
Are you doing your own taxidermy? IIRC, dip and pack needs to be shipped to a licensed taxidermist.

 

[kesha]

10-30 days depends on Customs backlog.

 

[Hogpatrol]

10-30 days depends on Customs backlog.

That's a long flight

 

[johnnyblues]

If it left SA, do you mean it was airborne? If so depending on the USFW back log it could take anywhere between 1-3 weeks for clearance.

 

[harden]

Your broker will have the flight info , the plane they were and arrival time, Your shipper should have told you the flight, If you have any pigs or a buffalo they not going to be released to you, it's illegal for that crate with swine, any pig parts skull or skin or monkey skulls or skins unless you have a USDA certified import station avail to except them . Your paperwork I hope was totally correct from Africa, most brokers will review the papers before they leave to insure there are no flaws in them, USFW will hold them if there is a issue with it. If your crate has arrived it may already be in customs or USDA warehouse and if your not on top of things you can easily be charged for storage. Most brokers have bonded warehouses where your shipment is moved to to not get charged these storage fees.

 

[Buckdog]

I hope you have used a broker and I advise you to contact your broker ASAP and find out the status, etc. There is a lot of paper work, etc involved in clearing a crate and you just cant wait or count on the various govmnt types, etc to contact you and do the job correctly. You need to be on top of it or have a broker on top of it. who is your broker? USFWS will sieze and hold if paper work not correct and you or broker haven't went into the eDECS system and filled out the import paperwork and uploaded the documents from Africa, etc. etc

 

[traviselmore]

All I was asking is for an idea of time. I was not asking out of concern that something had happened... I am just excited to get my animals home and see how long the process usually takes as this is the first time going through the process. Coppersmith is doing my clearing and Rex Frieght is doing my shipping and I have talked to Tammy Lewis of Coppersmith a couple weeks ago and she said it was fine to do a personal pick up and that she would contact me when it was cleared.

Again as stated before I was just wondering a time frame. Thanks.

 

[johnnyblues]

All I was asking is for an idea of time. I was not asking out of concern that something had happened... I am just excited to get my animals home and see how long the process usually takes as this is the first time going through the process. Coppersmith is doing my clearing and Rex Frieght is doing my shipping and I have talked to Tammy Lewis of Coppersmith a couple weeks ago and she said it was fine to do a personal pick up and that she would contact me when it was cleared.

Again as stated before I was just wondering a time frame. Thanks.

Glad to hear. I know how excited you are. After many, many hunting trips and numerous trophies I am still as excited today as I was on my first out of state hunt. Send pictures.

 

[traviselmore]

Glad to hear. I know how excited you are. After many, many hunting trips and numerous trophies I am still as excited today as I was on my first out of state hunt. Send pictures.

Thanks. Yeah I'm just looking forward to having them back.

So basically from what I am reading I should likely expect that they are in Atlanta now and it may be another 2 weeks or so (best guess) before they are cleared. Thanks everybody

 

[BRICKBURN]

The trophies will never arrive soon enough for an excited hunter. Without any screw ups you should have them in your mitts within 6 weeks.
I hope the trophies arrive sooner than later
Good luck

 

[billc]

I would say give her a call and check. It only takes a day flying and then normally they clear in 1 to 2 weeks. 3 weeks would be on the long end from all my shipments that came in to jfk but that was using rex freight and coppersmith as well. A call at this point just may help move them along.

 

[Steven Pagel]

My trophies shipped from SA in October and it took about 3 weeks from the time they were ready until they arrived in Atlanta. I used Coppersmith and I can’t remember the shipping company. They were shipped air freight on Turkish Airways and the 3 week delay was because every time they were scheduled to go out the aircraft did not have any room for the crate. Freight is always the first thing left behind.

 

[traviselmore]

Trophies arrived this past Thursday. Everything was well packed and the skulls looked better than I expected since they are going to be shoulder mounted rather than Euros.

 

[Clayton d]

If you don’t mind me asking. What did it cost for you to have it dipped and packed, euro mounts ,freight and coppersmith?
That’s exactly what I had in mind of doing when I go back.

Clayton

 

[cagkt3]

Congrats!!

 

[MAdcox]

Looks like it was a great hunt. Congrats.
Glad you got them in. I’m a couple months from my first crate. I know the excitement that started your post.

 

[traviselmore]

If you don’t mind me asking. What did it cost for you to have it dipped and packed, euro mounts ,freight and coppersmith?
That’s exactly what I had in mind of doing when I go back.

Clayton

Dip and pack total was $1,149. That is $95 per animal for Cape and skull for 11 animals and $104 for crating.
Freight was $983 from Joberg to Atlanta.
Coppersmith was $350 for clearing plus $150 for something else... not sure what for.

 

[cpr0312]

Nice, congrats on getting them home!