New Zealand Trophy Export Info

[buzzy]

Hoping to get some feedback on bringing home trophies with me from NZ back to the US. I have a hunt lined up on the South Island (flying in and out of Christchurch) in mid March 2024 for stag, goat, and a ram. If I'm successful in taking these animals I will be having a euro mount done on all 3.

I have read the other threads here that have the info on paperwork needed for leaving NZ and I know about the required paperwork on the US side. Has anyone here actually brought back a red stag skull with them from NZ? If so I would really like to ask you a few questions.

The main problem I’m struggling to solve is how to get around the crating size requirement for the airlines oversize baggage requirement. Most airlines have max size of 109” (L+W+H) limit and then it needs to go as cargo. And if goes as cargo I believe it will then have to clear wildlife inspection on a seperate day and not be as simple as if coming with you as luggage.

So if anyone has brought a red stag skull and horns with them back from NZ please let me know. Thanks

 

[Nickziegler]

Can't help with flying them back with you but I just got a quote and my animals should currently be loaded on the plane flying back to Chicago from christchirch and it was shockingly affordable. Under a grand for a 450 ish inch red stag with horns and cape and a tahr horns and skin. Granted my skull plate is split for a smaller crate. I would assume it would be a pretty large crate to fly back with you.

I would just have your outfitter there take care of it and go pick it up at your closest port if you want to clear yourself.

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[npm352]

I shot a tahr and two spike velvet stags on public there. I brought back the tahr skull and cape. The skull I boiled there and the cape I salted and put in wind for a day. It was still wet.

I got the papers in NZ at the conservation place, forgot what it was called. I found something online for US side.

I declared it. A guy took me aside, looked at it and I walked through.

Was in Nov 2017.

As far as fitting the stag horns, I don't know.

 

[Jaquomo]

Split the stag antlers and peg them on the mount back home, or repair the skull plate and put it on the form. You are paying for "air" if you keep them intact. I killed my free range archery stag in Australia and just paid Coppersmith to handle all the logistics. One day a crate showed up at my house, no dealing with Customs or USFWS.

One mistake I made once with splitting is from a 366" QL caribou. I split it to bundle it with our other antlers, and flew them home as baggage. I didn't know what I had, and he would have been one of the top longbow QL caribou in the P&Y book if I hadn't split the plate.

 

[Sevens]

Can't help with flying them back with you but I just got a quote and my animals should currently be loaded on the plane flying back to Chicago from christchirch and it was shockingly affordable. Under a grand for a 450 ish inch red stag with horns and cape and a tahr horns and skin. Granted my skull plate is split for a smaller crate. I would assume it would be a pretty large crate to fly back with you.

I would just have your outfitter there take care of it and go pick it up at your closest port if you want to clear yourself.

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This is awesome to hear. Been hearing horror stories of cost for freight for African safaris. Hopefully the “shockingly affordable” freight will become the norm again.

 

[Nickziegler]

This is awesome to hear. Been hearing horror stories of cost for freight for African safaris. Hopefully the “shockingly affordable” freight will become the norm again.

Ya I have been seeing some of those prices on the Africa hunt forum. Just crazy. I was pretty worried seeing them. My wife and I hunted Africa in 2019 and paid roughly 1600 for shipping. New Zealand was 905 USD

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