"These really come from...NAMBIA?"

[Amflyer]

The driver that dropped these off in my driveway wasn't too sure. I wanted to tell him they were Ebola samples, but I'm a coward.

[FirstBubba]

NAMBIA?
Typo or is there a Nambia AND a Namibia?

Be brave!
With all the "Coronavirus" hooplah, I would have said, "Ebola samples." just to watch the reaction on their face! LOL!

[bowhunter75richard]

The driver that dropped these off in my driveway wasn't too sure. I wanted to tell him they were Ebola samples, but I'm a coward.

Where we are at in today’s world Amflyer with peoples proclivity to become upset or even sue over our non-freedom of speech, I would think it a good thing that you kept your lips sealed. People can conjure up anything anymore, lol !

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

Come on, let us see what's in the box!

Did you have any trouble with customs inspectors drilling into horns on your last shipment? My friend who went to Africa with me last summer had two of eight skulls drilled into from back side two years ago. Waterbuck and blue wildebeest.

[Amflyer]

Still unpacking, OHH. A little disappointed with the hair slip on the Kudu so far, mostly because my first came back well. Looks a bit like a Eland, up close. People are looking at those big spiral horn though, so I'llnjust hang him hig .

No problems noted with drilling. Gemsbok on up have hollow, removable horns from this taxidermist at least.

[fitch270]

I'm with OHH, pics man!

Just don't pop the bubble wrap, the air inside came from China.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

Still unpacking, OHH. A little disappointed with the hair slip on the Kudu so far, mostly because my first came back well. Looks a bit like a Eland, up close. People are looking at those big spiral horn though, so I'llnjust hang him hig .

No problems noted with drilling. Gemsbok on up have hollow, removable horns from this taxidermist at least.

Sorry to hear that kudu didn't come out as you expected. Thought the hair looked a bit short in the photo. I went over at the peak of winter (end of August) so hopefully no problems with hair slipping. I heard lots of bad things about the "dipped" capes sent back from Africa so I purposely ordered the taxidermist over there to fully tan the kudu cape before sending it over. I paid for it so they better have done it. Just in case, I also ordered the kudu as bleached skull. That way if the tanned cape comes back screwed up I will still have a Euro. Those kudu are indeed special. Would be terrible if all I wound up with was a skull cap. The downside to ordering the cape tanned there is it will be dry tanned and most taxidermists over here prefer wet tanned capes. I guess they are easier to work with.

I expect the customs inspectors were looking for drugs inside the horns. Gary said the holes were very discreet on the back side and easily patched up. That's okay I guess. Anything to fight the war on drug smuggling. I hate that crap. Absolutely hate it.

[bowhunter75richard]

Honk, you lost me on the dry tanned hide/cape issue. All hides once tanned will dry and need to be rehydrated in order to be mounted. It is not possible to mount a dry cape. Or did I misunderstand something in your wordage ? And Amflyer it would be nice if you could furnish close up photos of your mounted heads, I am interested in seeing the quality of international taxidermy work. I thank you in advance and congrats on a great hunt !

[Happy Myles]

Amflyer,
Do not be afraid to lean on the Africa taxidermy firm. The large ones may find another cape. If they are unhelpful suggest to them you are sending a letter to the Namibian Professional Hunters Association.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

Honk, you lost me on the dry tanned hide/cape issue. All hides once tanned will dry and need to be rehydrated in order to be mounted. It is not possible to mount a dry cape. Or did I misunderstand something in your wordage ? And Amflyer it would be nice if you could furnish close up photos of your mounted heads, I am interested in seeing the quality of international taxidermy work. I thank you in advance and congrats on a great hunt !

I guess I should explain some of the terminology to you, Richard. "Wet tanned" is a process used by fur dressing outfits for shipment of hides to clients/taxidermists: "A wet tan means fur dresser ships the fur back to clients or clients' taxidermists prior to the drying process, and instead of drying a thin layer of oil is applied to prevent cracking." "Dip and Ship" is the most popular method of shipping capes from Africa to clients or to their fur dressers (or to taxidermists if they dress their own furs): "Dip and Ship is simply a procedure to make the shipment safe for export. Skins are immersed in an acid solution with a PH of less than 2.5 for 48 hours, after which they are dried and re-salted."

[bowhunter75richard]

OHH, Your ‘let me explain things to you’ failed to do so ! When a hide/cape is removed from an animal, it will spoil if the water is not removed, depending on the temperature, in a short time. It must be either frozen or salted. Since it can not be frozen and shipped from Africa, it needs to be salt dried or the hair will slip. If they are tanned and the hide thinned for mounting, they would then need to be rehydrated by a taxidermist in the US. All hides need to be salt cured when shipped to the tanner, after tanning they are shaved and reshipped to the taxidermist, then rehydrated and mounted. At some point a fresh hide has to be treated in a manner to preserve it. Each hair in a skin sits in a follicle of water, this water has to be removed in order to close the follicle around the hair root or slippage will occur. The process is hide removal, preserving in some manner, tanning/shaving, dry or wet shipped to taxidermist, mounting ! If we are saying the same thing in different ways, I am not sure, but being a taxidermist for 25 years, I am sure of what I am saying !

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

OHH, Your ‘let me explain things to you’ failed to do so ! When a hide/cape is removed from an animal, it will spoil if the water is not removed, depending on the temperature, in a short time. It must be either frozen or salted. Since it can not be frozen and shipped from Africa, it needs to be salt dried or the hair will slip. If they are tanned and the hide thinned for mounting, they would then need to be rehydrated by a taxidermist in the US. All hides need to be salt cured when shipped to the tanner, after tanning they are shaved and reshipped to the taxidermist, then rehydrated and mounted. At some point a fresh hide has to be treated in a manner to preserve it. Each hair in a skin sits in a follicle of water, this water has to be removed in order to close the follicle around the hair root or slippage will occur. The process is hide removal, preserving in some manner, tanning/shaving, dry or wet shipped to taxidermist, mounting ! If we are saying the same thing in different ways, I am not sure, but being a taxidermist for 25 years, I am sure of what I am saying !

Sigh! Google "wet tan taxidermy" or "wet tan fur dressing." Then google "Dip & Ship taxidermy." Perhaps things have changed since you were in the business. My acquaintance with the taxidermy business is accompanying my daughter to taxidermy school two years ago and having my trophies handled in Africa last summer.

[bowhunter75richard]

Sigh! Google "wet tan taxidermy" or "wet tan fur dressing." Then google "Dip & Ship taxidermy." Perhaps things have changed since you were in the business. My acquaintance with the taxidermy business is accompanying my daughter to taxidermy school two years ago and having my trophies handled in Africa last summer.

Nope, nothing has changed over the years of my working days in the business. We were both talking the same thing, but I was confusing your steps, my fault. I was talking prior to tanning, you were talking the tanning itself, shipping a hide still wet from the tanner, versus shipping the hide dry from the tanner. Please excuse my slow old brain !

[fitch270]

Nope, nothing has changed over the years of my working days in the business. We were both talking the same thing, but I was confusing your steps, my fault. I was talking prior to tanning, you were talking the tanning itself, shipping a hide still wet from the tanner, versus shipping the hide dry from the tanner. Please excuse my slow old brain !

If nothing else I learned something from the exchange so thanks for asking.

[bowhunter75richard]

You are welcome Fitch. With taxidermy being a very interesting business, it can also be very complex in the handling and preparing of hides and capes so that hair slippage does not occur, that probably being the most extensive problem in mounting, with exactness of detail being close behind !