Shipping Taxidermy

[MT dreaming]

How do most folks get their mounts back from the taxidermist? Do you ship it freight or drive to pick it up? My elk will be ready soon but its about 4000 miles round trip. I could have it crated and shipped but a lot of carriers wont handle "animal products". If I drive I will have to rent a small UHaul trailer but I could see a lot of the country that I have never seen. Besides how careful will the be with it. Any advice or opinions are appreciated.

 

[Tim McCoy]

Done it both ways. The Tax probably has some good advice too. Did the Tax do your elk with removable horns? If he did, shipping would seem a good option and probably much cheaper than the trip with trailer. If not, I'd cost it out. In my experience, as long as the crate is well built, the mount should be fine if shipped. By crate I mean a good wood frame, not cardboard. Cardboard sides etc, OK, then insure the heck out of it. Good luck.

 

[Dark Mavis]

We have done it both ways over the years. I've personally never had any problems with a mount being shipped in a sturdy wooden crate. If you drive to pick up your mount, just combine the trip with a summer family vacation and kill two birds with one stone. This helps keep the wife happy too. If your real lucky, you might even squeeze in a day or two of scouting new areas into the itinerary.

 

[MT dreaming]

I decided to pick my elk up and drive back. My wife and I flew one way and rented a small U-Haul truck to bring it home. We had a great trip and saw a lot of this country we had flown over but never seen up close. We got home only to find out he is too big to fit on the wall. He is currently sitting on the living room floor waiting on a contractor to see if our ceilings can be vaulted. Its either vault these ceilings, add a room, or build/buy a house with vaulted ceilings. Damn this trip is getting expensive!

 

[25contender]

Glad you got him home!! When my first mount arrived many years ago the same thing happened to me. Elk don't look as big in the big woods as they do om a wall. I had to remove the mantle over the fire place to put him in a room with 9ft ceilings. When I built the house we live in now I made sure that wouldn't be a problem!!