Stuck Taxidermy

[112Savage]

I received the following message from my trophy shippers yesterday. I selected sea freight due to it being half the cost of air freight. Is anyone else in a similar situation, or have suggestions?


Upcoming New York Ocean Freight Container update:

Please note that we are still awaiting a confirmed booking from the shipping Line on one of their vessel’s to New York.

Unfortunately due to the port congestion in Europe and with the New York Container vessel routing being via Rotterdam, the shipping line has placed a temporary hold for the month of March & April on Hunting Trophy on all of their vessels. This will remain until the transhipment ports in Europe has moved out their backlogs.



We did checked at the end of March, as well as the middle of April and the temporary hold is still in place.

We have contacted the Shipping Line yesterday and it seem that we will only be able to get an update on our booking request, in the first week of May.

The shipping line has informed us that this temporary ban of Hunting Trophies will be kept in place till the end of April 2022, at which point their Head Office will re-evaluate the situation at Europe’s ports and decide on whether to lift or extend it for another month, based on whether there was any change with the congestion, at these Ports.



We will keep monitoring this situation and as soon as there are any changes, will we secure a booking on their first available vessels.

 

[BRICKBURN]

The absolute worst part of foreign trophies: How to get them home in a timely manner for a reasonable cost.
Sorry you are running into these road blocks.

 

[buck wild]

Is your crate already on a ship and stuck out on the water or is your crate still sitting on land somewhere? I guess the "solution" for it still being on land is to up the anty to airfreight.
For me personally, I would cringe at the thought of all those skins sitting in a ship over saltwater for any longer than a few days. You mention "taxidermy" so I assume they are already mounted. Even D&P salted skins would cause me concern in the same situation.

 

[Philip Glass]

Ocean freight may cost more in the end due to port fees.

 

[revturbo9967]

This is where I'm questioning the seasoned hunters on this forum, do you prefer to ship capes and skulls via air or boat and why?

 

[dchum]

I cant imagine doing all the ends an outs of a safari with out using Travel agents, shipping concierge ect ect.
Hope you get your trophy's sooner than later.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Mine went air. I really don't know what it cost me versus had I went via ocean, but it got here fairly quickly so I'm happy with my decision. Condolences on yours sir. I hope it has a fairly painless conclusion soon. And ditto what @dchum said. I was happy to enlist whoever offered help at every step of the trip. Probably I could have figured it all out... but certainly they have it down to a science. It was enough for me to find a load that shot well from one of the rifles I took.

 

[JimP]

One of the taxidermist on here said that he would never ship by cargo ship. Just way too many things that could go wrong with either the mounted trophy or dip and pack crate. The big thing was humidity inside and around the container that your crates would be in.

While there are some seasoned folks on here when it comes to a DIY shipping I trusted a dedicated importer on my first safari and I'll do it again on my second. They didn't even shipping by boat either time that I talked to them.

You should also look at the time frames from the time that your trophy hits the skinning shed until it is on your wall. On my first safari it was 5 months by the time that my taxidermist received my d&p crate. Then another 6 to 10 months before they were on my wall. For around 15 months. Shipping by sea would of added a few months.

On my safari next month I'll have the trophies mounted by my outfitter and air shipped to LA and then by a carrier to my home in Colorado. They should be on my walls in 6 to 9 months after I pull the trigger.

Hopefully

 

[112Savage]

Based on what they say, I don’t think it has shipped yet. I’m going to inquire on air freight quote now.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I am just about 11 months out from when my safari took place last year. I have all my skulls and had since since January (8 months). I got my tanned hides in mid-March (10 months). My taxidermist has the two that I am having shoulder mounted. He has a really fast turnaround (photo from him a few days ago; horns on the manikin). I'll be surprised if I don't have them before summer starts. So maybe around a year for absolutely everything, from the time I fired the shots.

 

[Tgood1]

Always by air. Your trophies need to be in the us asap. Always use a reputable shipping service.

 

[fourfive8]

Air

 

[Hunt anything]

I often thought about using sea freight but after digging into it the port cost, inspection cost and other hidden cost got outrageous. My last shipment was delayed for over a year do to Covid and permitting issues and stayed in a warehouse in Johannesburg, they turned out fine but would hate to see how they would have turned out stuck on a ship in the salt air and humidity. Hopefully yours are in a warehouse and not on a ship. Good luck.

 

[lockingblock]

Sea freight is asking for heat soaked rotten hides. A metal connex is not waterproof and is an oven. That’s automatically bad…