Finally Got My Kudu.....Not!

[Fowler]

My uncle went over 3 years ago give or take and took an old Cape Buff in Zimbabwe I think. Left in trust of the outfitter who he had hunted with before to get it back here. And by all accounts it is just gone. No word of it where abouts, didn’t get someone else head, just gone.

Unfortunate story my friend but certainly not unheard of.

[sheriff]

just saw this, my friend. So sorry that happened to you. I know how disgusted you must be.

[hgunhtr]

Sorry to hear Dick. It is never easy to have an error like this come up. I hope and pray the outfitter makes it right with you.

[hunter966]

Dang, this is terrible. I sure hope the owner will be able to track yours down, this sure stinks.

[contender]

Dern,, I've been gone all last week and now I see this posting.
That's just heartbreaking.
I truly hope that in some way this can be resolved, or something.

Keep us posted Dick,, as we do care.

[jwheeler331]

Very nice.

[bradshaw]

Dick.... don’t know how you begin to make this right. By right, I mean locating and recovering the trophy you shot. If the substitution was just a mistake, you would have received bigger horns than the beauties that fell to your sixgun. I’ve seen this mendacious substitution made with whitetails. Fortunately you have great photographs, which are evidence by which to direct the a big stink. Either your rightful horns are in-country, or in another country, almost certainly transacted. It’s worth a stink....

You knew Elgin and Dollie well. And, no doubt the story of a retiring diplomat in mind of stealing Elgin’s number 5 world record ivory., brain shot on the Nile by Elgin with his .300 Weatherby, built by Roy Weatherby on an FN Mauser. As the story goes, Elgin buried the tusks for four years, until the diplomat had returned to England. Roland Ward recorded ivory of the great bull at 176 pounds on one side, 181-1/2 pounds on the other. That’s after four years in the ground.

Dick, you deserve better, namely your trophy.
David Bradshaw

[sixshot]

The owner of the African property is here in the states doing some shows, right now in New York, then later in Salt Lake in two weeks, hoping to talk to him then. The problem is I shot my bull 2 1/2 years ago & they have a huge operation in Africa & my fear is that my bull is hanging on someone else's wall & they are very happy. I had a friend stop by & look at this one & he said he's pretty sure the horns don't even match, meaning they are off of two different bulls. All I know is it isn't mine & right now I don't even want it.
Fifty years ago I shot an Albino rock chuck, only one I've ever seen. We took it into town to a friends house & put it in their freezer because we were staying a few days & later I took it to my long time taxidermist friend & he sent it off to California with his other hides. They notified him that the hair had slipped & they had thrown it away! Yikees! It had pink eyes, pink feet, lips, the whole works, but I never got it, someone in California did through.

Dick

[gcf]

That really stinks! Not a trophy hunter myself, but all things considered, I can imagine how you feel.

Although I seriously doubt the outfitter was involved, based on the obvious difference between your pictures & the horns you received, it seems at least "somewhat" unlikely that it was an honest mix up. I hate to even think this way, but guess I'm wondering how much an unscrupulous client might be willing to pay your outfitter's hired help, - for an under the table trade up. Thinking when the responsible  party gets found out, it will suck to be him...

I'm betting the outfitter makes it right (and then some), as that's the kind of thing that can ruin a guy's business.

[brant]

Even if all money spent was returned, that can’t fix it. Just a bad situation.

[cddogfan1]

Any update on this.

[rjm52]

Sorry to hear this...really sickening...

I'm just hoping it was an honest mistake and not someone being paid to swap parts...

Hope it works out...Bob

[Ken O'Neill]

When my daughter Julie received a Zebra rug from her taxidermist in RSA in 1995, it was immediately obvious that it was not her Zebra. I contacted the taxidermist JP Kleinhans, Jr. (he was the son of my PH) that day, sending pictures. JP put me in touch with Wayne Taliaferro in Florida, who had received the incoming shipment for JP. Wayne immediately scrambled around and came up with the proper rug and shipped it to us. A happy ending to an aggravating situation.
Dick, I hope your bad deal can be overcome. I realize we all want OUR trophies, and cash can't ever overcome that.

[sixshot]

First time I've been on the computer in over a month, still rehabbing from the knee replacement, its going OK, just sloooooow! The PH contacted me & said I have a free Kudu coming & said he would send me a plane ticket when I was ready. That's as good as you can do at this point. I thanked him & now I have to get in shape, I'm down 12 lbs from the last trip.

Dick

[northerngos]

I’m glad to hear this, man it made me about sick to read about what happened. Won’t replace the original but you’ll get a whole new set of memories, that’s pretty great to hear.

Glad the recovery is going ok!