Shoulder Mounts are the most common way of getting a trophy mounted. The completed trophies will be delivered with an integrated steel hook, for easy mounting on the wall. You can choose if your trophy should face straight, left or right. This information must be given at the same time as ordering the trophies. Simply state on your order form which direction you would like your trophy to face.
Pedestal Mount A pedestal mount is a flexible, freestanding trophy mount that gives you the opportunity to move around the house or office. A pedestal mount is a zoological work of art and often turns out to be the most admired trophy in the room. The pedestal on which the trophy is mounted can be made of wood, artificial rock/stone art or metal. It can also be done in a combination of these three.
Full Mount A full mount is a very impressive and exclusive way of mounting your trophy. The animal can be placed in a position that you remember it being in during your hunt. You can choose if you want the animal to jump, run, stand still in a resting position, or perhaps lying down resting. A full mount is often completed with a ‘habitat‘, which is a small replica of the natural habitat where the hunt took place. It can be in the form of artificial stones, rocks, grass etc. These are mounted on the base of which your trophy is placed.
Skull Mount or European Mounts We also offer traditional skull mount or European mounts of horns. We also make trophies from the teeth of warthog, hippo, wild boar, skulls etc. We have a big selection of plates for these mounts. Please call us to find out about the choices available.
Rug Mount A rug mount is a space-saving way of mounting your trophy and is very impressive to look at. The skin is tanned and normally mounted with felt on the underside. The head can be mounted with a choice of the the mouth being open or closed.
Tannery
Fur Tanning (hair on) We offer tanning of skins, with or without felt (whole skins or back skins).
Leather Tanning (hair off) The veg tanning process is for belts and some bags chrome tanned skins is used on gameskins to make soft leather for jackets and covering furniture.
All leather can be dyed to a selection of colours.
Import & Export
Export Requirements and Procedures Collection / Delivery of trophies to Taxidermy
Delivery: The Professional Hunters are required to deliver the trophies to the taxidermist. Please ensure that your trophies reach us as soon as possible to avoid any delays on your consignment.
Collection: We do collect trophies from certain regions upon request. We will charge the hunter/client for the transport at cost. We try to combine various farms in one region to make the trip more economical. Thus there might be a delay in receiving the trophies at the taxidermy.
Documents to accompany trophies
Client details: Full Name Address (physical or postal) Tel Fax E-mail
Taxidermist register (if available): Client details List of all the species hunted Mounting or Processing instructions received from client All parts to be exported must be indicated.
Hunting Register (completed by PH): Date of the hunt and province hunted in. Client: Name, Physical Address (NOT Postal), Passport no., Tel., Signature Professional Hunter: Name, Address, ID No., PH License no., Signature Outfitter: Name, Address, ID No., Tel., Fax, HO License no., Signature Trophies: Farm Name District, Name& Address of landowner, Exemption permit for the farm, Date killed, Species Killed or wounded, No sex, part of trophy to be exported.
Exemption permit for the farm For hunts in Limpopo Province please supply taxidermist with a copy of the exemption permit for the farm as this has to accompany the application. Transfer of hunting rights A copy of the Landowners permission giving the PH or Hunter the right to hunt a certain list of animals during a certain period of time. Please always mention the exemption permit number on the letter.
Transport permit Certain species like Warthogs require a transport permit from Nature Conservation. Please ensure that this permit accompanies the trophy.
Packing list and tags Upon receipt of the trophies at the taxidermy they are checked against the Taxidermist register and the Hunting register to ensure that everything has been received. A packing list with a unique file number is compiled for every client according to the hunting register All trophies are tagged with this unique number and checked for damage, hair slip or any possible problems. These are recorded on the packing list for future reference. All details are recorded on the company database. Packing list is sent to the client for confirmation and further instructions. NB: What happens to your trophies before they reach the taxidermy is beyond our control, so please ensure that the Professional Hunter tags and treats your trophies in the correct manner. Processing Dip and Pack Raw processing of trophies takes between 2 to 3 months from receipt of trophy till it is ready to be sent off. Dip and pack invoices are to be paid in full upon receipt of invoice, when we start the work.
Preparation We have a delivery time of 3-4 months on all mounts and tanned skins. Provided that all the documentation is in order and that we do not experience any problems during processing. We require full payment of the invoice when we commence with the mounting of the trophies as it will only take about a month till the trophies can be packed.
Vet regulations We are an export approved Taxidermy. Our facility is inspected by the Veterinary Department on a monthly basis to ensure all trophies are treated according to the required standards.
Dip & Patch
Dip and Pack
Raw processing of trophies takes between 2 to 3 months from receipt of trophy till it is ready to be sent off.
Dip and pack invoices are to be paid in full upon receipt of invoice, when we start the work.
Trophy Repair & Cleaning
Avoid moisture, heat and sunlight
The best place to keep a mount is in a climate-controlled area that is free from excess heat, moisture and sunlight. Excess heat with sunlight will eventually affect the color, hair and hide of your animal and sunlight will also fade the color of the hide and any coloring of the nose and lip areas of mounts over time.
Keep mounts away from heat sources
The hot, dry heat that is found around fireplaces, wood stoves and radiators can cause the mount to have excessive drying. Mammals and fish are especially susceptible to damage from dry conditions. Dry sunlit areas can desiccate the hide and cause it to crack and split. Long term exposure to smoke will cause your trophy to yellow, but cigarette smoke and smoke from wood stoves will have the same effect to the mount.
Keeping a trophy in an area with moisture can cause mold, mildew and eventually ruin the mount completely, so humidity should be kept around 60%. By checking and cleaning your trophies frequently, you will be able to notice and prevent any moisture damage.
Avoid touching the hide
Minimal touching of the trophy is advised since dust and skin oils will discolor fur or hair. Mounts should be given a frequent gentle dusting, but should not be handled more than absolutely necessary. Mammals with flat hair such as mule deer or whitetail may also be dusted with a feather duster for weekly or more common cleanings.
Vacuum cleaner for dust on hide
Every couple of years, the simplest way to take care of unwanted dust, along with a regular dusting is to use a hose, extension wand and dust- head attachment from your household vacuum cleaner. Be sure not to press down on the hair or fur as it will push dust deeper into the hide. Always go with the direction of the coat whether using a vacuum or feather duster in an up and down motion over the entire length of the mount whether it is a full body or shoulder mount.
Brushing the hide
Use a soft bristled brush to fix hair that is out of place after the cleaning.
Cleaning the antlers, eyes, hooves and nose
Cleaning antlers
Antlers, hooves, nose and claws can be cleaned using a moist cloth, but always avoid using any oily substance.
Cleaning the nose of a mount
The eyes can be cleaned with a Q-tip moistened with Windex.
Cleaning the eyes of an elk mount
Unfortunately, if a trophy has been damaged or has aged significantly over time, there is very little most people can do on their own. However, there are professionals who have a lot of experience in restoring trophies back to quality mounts. Many of the fixes are complicated, time consuming, and very expensive, but can be avoided with regular cleanings and a quick check for common problems.
A well taken care of bull elk mount
Regular maintenance is fairly easy and a few short minutes can keep your trophy clean and lasting for years to come.
World Wide Crating & Shipping
Crating Once trophies are ready they will be packaged securely in custom-made chipboard crates. These crates are very durable and will protect your trophies on their journey. It is still possible that your trophies can be damaged during shipping, for which you have an option to insure the content with the freight company.
Shipping Due to various bad experiences with freight forwarders in the USA, we recommend that you select your own agent in your area to clear and handle the trophies. We can provide you with some possible agents, but we cannot be held responsible for theses agents. We can gladly send to the agent of your choice, or you can assign your agent to collect from our premises.
Please note that if we send the trophies to your agent, we do require payment of the freight charges before the consignment can be booked on the next available flight.
For Germany, Austria, Italy, Belgium and Spain we do have reliable agents who we can recommend.
