DIY New Zealand import/export trophies

[Buckslyr]

Long time lurker, first time poster here on the Slide.

Seems like there is a handful of guys on here that have done NZ DIY, so looking for some advice on getting your trophies back into the states in your checked bags.

We are headed down in May, primarily after Tahr. I pretty much have everything figured out except the legit way to get my animals back.

Some guys say you just need to carry a Doc non-cites declaration. And they had no issues getting back into the states.

NZ Ministry for Primary Industries claims I need a $50 export permit. Yet the Doc non-cites declaration says no permit is required to export the listed species.

I just can’t figure out exactly what I need for US customs as far as possible USDA/FWS permits.

My plan is to boil/bleach skulls and flesh and freeze hides. Maybe not even bring the hide if I don’t shoot a big enough bull to mount.

Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated

 

[kevlar88]

I've recently been doing a bit of research on this myself for a trip next year. This is the first I've read on an export permit for trophies, I've only seen the non-cities permit to this point. I'm sure someone else with first hand experience will chime in shortly. My only thought is that a law or regulation can change over night and someone that went last month didn't have to deal with it but now you/we might have to.

 

[Buckslyr]

I've recently been doing a bit of research on this myself for a trip next year. This is the first I've read on an export permit for trophies, I've only seen the non-cities permit to this point. I'm sure someone else with first hand experience will chime in shortly. My only thought is that a law or regulation can change over night and someone that went last month didn't have to deal with it but now you/we might have to.

Exactly my thoughts. Could be a new thing.

 

[abbrown]

I moved back from NZ to the US this past August, and I've brought animals back with me on two different occasions. Granted - all were tanned skins and/or processed shoulder/euro mounts - but I never got a permit to export and no one asked. Had skins and shoulder mounts on plane in luggage, had the CITES thing for the chamois mount, just put the tahr/deer skins in bag and no one cared. Euro came back in shipment, nothing was asked about permits. I'm pretty sure it's something the NZ govt has been trying to institute in order to make something off the many international hunters that come through, but it's not a requirement.

Gritty folks did a series of videos and podcasts for a trip they did there a few years ago and I remember it included some helpful info on how they handled returning to States with hides, horns and even meat. FWIW.

 

[Buckslyr]

I moved back from NZ to the US this past August, and I've brought animals back with me on two different occasions. Granted - all were tanned skins and/or processed shoulder/euro mounts - but I never got a permit to export and no one asked. Had skins and shoulder mounts on plane in luggage, had the CITES thing for the chamois mount, just put the tahr/deer skins in bag and no one cared. Euro came back in shipment, nothing was asked about permits. I'm pretty sure it's something the NZ govt has been trying to institute in order to make something off the many international hunters that come through, but it's not a requirement.

Gritty folks did a series of videos and podcasts for a trip they did there a few years ago and I remember it included some helpful info on how they handled returning to States with hides, horns and even meat. FWIW.

Thanks for the input. I think you’re right, the government just wants to make some money off the hunters. I talked to Brian from gritty this morning and he said the just had the non cites declaration, nothing else.

 

[kevlar88]

I moved back from NZ to the US this past August, and I've brought animals back with me on two different occasions. Granted - all were tanned skins and/or processed shoulder/euro mounts - but I never got a permit to export and no one asked. Had skins and shoulder mounts on plane in luggage, had the CITES thing for the chamois mount, just put the tahr/deer skins in bag and no one cared. Euro came back in shipment, nothing was asked about permits. I'm pretty sure it's something the NZ govt has been trying to institute in order to make something off the many international hunters that come through, but it's not a requirement.

Gritty folks did a series of videos and podcasts for a trip they did there a few years ago and I remember it included some helpful info on how they handled returning to States with hides, horns and even meat. FWIW.

I listened to the Gritty pod cast as well, I think I remember saying that there is technically supposed to be a 10 day drying period for hides and skulls but no one that would check can tell the difference between 10 hours and 10 days.

 

[abbrown]

I've hunted about 3.5yrs over there around the South Island, if you have any questions let me know

 

[jmrent]

I've hunted about 3.5yrs over there around the South Island, if you have any questions let me know

Just wondering if have exported via airfreight or ocean freight or flown on airlines with red stag trophy out of Christchurch back to the US and how you went about it and what permits are required out of NZ and into US.

 

[abbrown]

stags went ocean freight so can't be of huge help with those specifics. Don't believe you need any permits though.

 

[jmrent]

Do you remember what it cost to crate and ship?

 

[abbrown]

It was part of a home move back to the US so I don’t know the single costs.

 

[SJT]

Headed to New Zealand on Monday, I’ll report back when we get home and let you know what we find out.

 

[buzzy]

Following as I'm hunting in NZ for stag next year.

 

[Buckslyr]

Headed to New Zealand on Monday, I’ll report back when we get home and let you know what we find out.

please let us know how it goes! Good luck

 

[Mike Islander]

I and this guy are planning a November hunting trip. Yes, he's got a robot foot, but he's a beast and can hike like a goat!

Rokslide.com helped us on a trip to Wyoming to hunt antelope. Zero knowledge of how to even get to NZ, so following.

 

[SJT]

We made it back and decided to use an expediter rough price was $1800 a crate. However, United airlines would allow a clean set of antlers to be checked as long as it did not exceed 120 inches (height+width+depth).

 

[Tahr]

I and this guy are planning a November hunting trip. Yes, he's got a robot foot, but he's a beast and can hike like a goat!

Rokslide.com helped us on a trip to Wyoming to hunt antelope. Zero knowledge of how to even get to NZ, so following.
View attachment 531566

Great. Do your homework and find out about our hunting conditions. I don't see your friends robo-boot as being any sort of disadvantage if you choose your hunt wisely and get as fit as possible. The real NZ hunting experience is not for the faint hearted. Any fool can shoot a pampered animal behind a fence. Aspire to something far better than that and free range and you will simply love hunting here..

 

[Buckslyr]

We made it back and decided to use an expediter rough price was $1800 a crate. However, United airlines would allow a clean set of antlers to be checked as long as it did not exceed 120 inches (height+width+depth).

Let’s see some pics!

 

[alaska_bou]

Last time I hunted NZ I took my trophy home as checked luggage and I did so with a frozen cape. Had zero issues. The only thing I needed was a notarized declaration from the Dept. of Conservation. None of the big game species in NZ require a cites permit.

International travel with hunting trophies

You may need CITES documentation to enter or leave New Zealand with your hunting trophy.

www.doc.govt.nz

 

[npm352]

I brought my trophy back on the plane with me.

I killed a tahr, and two young red deer stags. I brought the tahr's skull and horns and cape back. I turned and salted the cape and hung it in the wind a day. It was not dry by any means and I rolled it and kept salt on it for the journey. I had boiled the skull and removed horns.

This was in Nov 2016.

I went to a NZ F&G type place before I hunted and got some type of permit to help with export. I listed basically any animal I might kill (2 tahr, 2 chamois, red deer, etc) because it would cover whatever. It didn't matter if an animal was listed and I didn't export....it mattered if I tried to export something I had not listed.

I remember filling something out for the US end, but it wasn't a big deal. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to get it through customs. I was pulled aside and it was looked at, but no biggie.

Shipping stuff is ridiculously expensive. Sometimes as much or more than the hunt. To date, I've left trophies in Zambia, Australia and Argentina....all great hunts, but decided I liked hunting more than bringing stuff back and am content with the photos.