I returned from my only (so far) African hunting trip (Namibia) on June 2, 2005... and hung this kudu mount in my office today, June 2, 2010.
Yippee!

Congratulations, Steve! Was the delay due to the taxidermist's waiting list, or was it due to having to save up for the taxidermy bill(G)?
Best, Joe

Worth the wait! That is a beautiful mount!

Excellent kudu, Steve! Very deep curls! Can I ask what it measured? I'm guessing about 54-55"? Congratulations!

Nice, thanks for sharing!

The delay was all mine, and the kudu was 55+".

Matter of fact, the only other head mount from that trip was a oryx I purchased online and put my horns on. I traded for the kudu mounting with my taxidermist neighbor.

The hides & capes were send off and tanned when I got back. (After being lost in shipment and sent to the UPS dead-letter office in Utah, and 47 phone calls to find them.)

The taxidermist and I now have a deal going for the head half of the Mt. Zebra in trade for a bison head mount & I keep the rest of the zebra hide which is otherwise tooo big to do anything with. But Bob has got to find a suitable bison...

In truth, I think I dreamt of this office/workshop when I was about 10, so maybe it's been 50 years!?! Wouldn't be the first dream I've had come true, years later!!!




Bob also bleached the warthog skull on my Dad's rolltop and I shot the whitetail on the Mussleshell River on a hunt with Jerry Fisher all with the .30-400.

I met-up my Dad in a dream after he died... and dreamt of hunting with Jerry decades before it happened...

Thanks for indulging me, and the encouraging words guys!

Steve,

I love the story and am happy for you. I too want to get to Africa for a hunt. The economy and my kids seem to be keeping me away for the time being. But, I am sure someday it will happen.

Thanks for sharing and I truly enjoy your articles.

Sincerely,

Jerry Mele