Even before arriving in Kyrgyzstan, each hunter should talk to their taxidermist to discuss how to prepare the trophy animal. How to skin it? Will you only take the horns (rare), or will it be a set for a plaque (most common), or will it be a full-sized trophy with the body of the animal (often done for creating displays, but more expensive to ship by plane).
The first thing done after harvesting the animal is proper field dressing of the carcass, after which the skin is removed according to the hunter's (taxidermist's) wishes.
The skull and skin are transported to the base camp, where the horns are removed from the skull. After that, the skull is boiled in hot water for several hours and cleaned from the inside. The bony protrusions that extend into the horns are shortened as they are no longer needed.
The skin is generously salted with coarse salt.
In this condition, the skull, horns, and skin can be kept for 3 to 6 months. During this time, everything is delivered to the taxidermist, who decides how to proceed with the mounting process.
Next, the entire set is wrapped in plastic and packing material to avoid any damage during transportation. In this packed form, the set is transported by plane in the baggage compartment.
Typically, the hunter pays for the transportation of the trophy head from Kyrgyzstan to their place of residence (this should be clarified with the hunting organizers).
Additional Trophies
Often, after harvesting the first animal, for example, on the second or third day, the hunter may wish to harvest another similar animal or, for instance, a Marco Polo sheep or vice versa.
There are usually no issues with this, as the hunter is already in the hunting grounds, and for the organizers, arranging additional licenses is not difficult (provided they have such a quota, which should be clarified in advance, before the hunt).
The cost of an additional trophy is always less than the base cost, as organizational expenses are deducted from it (processing of weapons, transportation costs, partial accommodation and services, partial profit for the organizers, staff salaries, entry documents, etc.)
Text: Administration of the Extreme Travel Company
