Air freight
Montreal Convention
$35 per kg
26 SDR per kilogram, about $35 per kg
For a 40 kg shoulder mount crate
Roughly $1,400, no matter what the mount is worth
Trophy Protect Hunting Trophy Shipping Insurance
Your Hunt Was Priceless. The Airline Says It's Worth About $35 a Kilo.
If something goes wrong on the way home, the carrier's standard liability won't come close to what your trophy is worth to you. Trophy Protect closes that gap.
$50,000
Up to, per trophy
$300,000
Up to, per shipment
Backed by Chubb
Mounts and dip & pack
- Agreed value: you choose the number
- No appraisals. No receipts.
- From hunt to home, door to door
From Hunt to Home
You saved for years. You traveled halfway around the world. You put in the miles, the early mornings and the shot of a lifetime.
Then you handed it all to a chain of strangers: trucks, warehouses, airlines, ships and inspectors.
Trophy Protect closes that gap. Agreed-value coverage up to $50,000 per trophy, backed by Chubb, from the moment your trophy starts its journey until it reaches your door.
The Problem
What Happens If Your Trophy Never Makes It Home?
Most hunters assume the carrier is responsible if their trophy is lost or damaged. Technically, they are. But international law and carrier contracts cap that responsibility at a fraction of what your trophy cost you.
What the Carriers Owe You (By Default)
Ocean freight
U.S. COGSA
$500 per package
$500 per package
For a 40 kg shoulder mount crate
$500 for the whole crate
Parcel carriers
e.g. FedEx
$100 default
$100 unless you buy more declared value. Even then, they pay the lesser of repair cost, depreciated value or replacement cost, and only if you prove they were at fault
For a 40 kg shoulder mount crate
A trophy has no “replacement cost,” so expect a fight
U.S. trucking
Carmack
Varies by tariff
Actual loss in theory, but most carriers limit liability through their tariffs
For a 40 kg shoulder mount crate
Often a small fraction of real value
Weight, not worth.
Carrier liability is based on kilograms and packages, not on the hunt, the taxidermy or the memory. A Cape buffalo hunt package can run $9,000 to $20,000 before flights and tips. The ocean carrier's limit is still $500.
Cape buffalo hunt package$9,000 – $20,000
Ocean carrier's limit$500
Check your policy
“But My Homeowners Policy Covers It… Right?”
Maybe not. Standard homeowners policies often cap this kind of personal property at $2,000 to $5,000 total, not per item, with limited protection while items are in transit. And some specialty collection policies don't cover trophies at all until they've cleared U.S. Customs. That leaves the most dangerous part of the journey, the international leg, completely uncovered.
Typical homeowners cap
$2,000–$5,000
total, not per item
The Journey
The Journey Is Where Things Go Wrong
Your trophy may change hands a dozen times between the taxidermist and your wall:
-
Trucked from the taxidermist to a consolidation warehouse
-
Crated, stored, and loaded onto a plane or into a container
-
Transhipped through another country
-
Held for USFWS, CBP and USDA inspection
-
Trucked again to your home or taxidermist
Every handoff is a chance for a dropped crate, a crushed antler, a water-damaged cape or a container lost at sea.
You can't control the journey. You can control what happens if it goes wrong.
The Solution
Introducing Trophy Protect
Trophy Protect is transit insurance built specifically for hunting trophies. It's arranged by Trophy Shippers through World Insurance and underwritten by Chubb, one of the world's largest property and casualty insurers.
You choose what your trophy is worth. If it's lost or destroyed, that's the value you're paid, less the deductible: no appraisals, no receipts, no arguments about depreciation.
Underwritten by Chubb
Agreed value
Worldwide, door to door
Features & Benefits
Coverage Built Around the Hunt
Agreed Value: You Set the Number
Choose the insured value of each trophy, up to $50,000. On a total loss, you're paid the value you chose, less the deductible. No invoices, appraisals or price lists. No depreciation. No haggling over value.
Up to $5,000 Extra for Hunt Costs
Coverage extends up to $5,000 per loss for documented hunt-related expenses: airfare, lodging, license and tag fees, guide and safari fees, taxidermy, crating, freight and duties. At no extra charge, subject to a program-wide annual limit.
Worldwide, Door to Door
Transit from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the world by air, sea and land, including domestic legs, transhipment and storage that's part of the trip. No gaps.
Mounts AND Dip & Pack
Covers finished taxidermy mounts and dipped & packed raw trophies (treated hides, skulls and horns). Whether you mount overseas or at home, you're protected on the way.
Backed by Chubb
Underwritten by Chubb Insurance Hong Kong Limited. Your claim is backed by one of the biggest names in insurance, not a promise on a handshake.
Up to $300,000 per Shipment
Insure up to six trophies at $50,000 each in a single shipment. Bringing home a full safari bag? Protect every piece.
War & Strikes Coverage Included
Includes Institute War and Strikes clauses (with limited geographic exceptions). War cover generally applies while your trophy is aboard the ship or aircraft.
We're in Your Corner
Trophy Shippers manages your shipment and helps you through the claims process. You're not stuck alone on hold with an insurance company 8,000 miles away.
- Underwriter
- Chubb Insurance Hong Kong Limited
- What's covered
- Mounted trophies and dipped & packed raw trophies (hides, skulls, horns)
- Valuation
- Agreed value: the amount you choose
- Maximum per trophy
- $50,000
- Maximum per shipment
- $300,000 per client
- Maximum per conveyance
- $3,000,000 across all insured clients aboard one vessel or aircraft
- Hunt expense extension
- Up to $5,000 per loss, documented, no additional premium; subject to a program-wide annual aggregate
- Modes
- Air, ocean, truck and rail
- Territory
- Worldwide, except excluded countries (see What’s Not Covered)
- Coverage basis
- All Risks (Institute Cargo Clauses “A” / Air / Overland All Risks) plus War & Strikes
- Deductible
- 5% of the adjusted loss, $250 minimum
- Value documentation needed to buy
- None
Compare
How Trophy Protect Compares
Swipe to compare
| Feature | Trophy Protect | Carrier Liability Only | Typical Homeowners Policy | Typical Freight-Agent Transit Cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How your trophy is valued | Agreed value: you choose, up to $50k | By weight ($35/kg air) or per package ($500 ocean) | Often capped at $2k–$5k total | Varies. Often declared value, may need proof |
| Appraisal or receipts to set value | Not required | — | Often required | Varies |
| Hunt costs (airfare, tags, guide fees) | Up to $5,000 extra, at no added premium | No | Generally no | Rarely |
| International transit covered | Worldwide, door to door | Only if carrier is at fault | Limited | Some only cover to the U.S. port of entry |
| Must prove carrier negligence | No. All-risk coverage | Yes | — | Usually no |
| Dip & pack raw trophies | Covered | — | Unclear | Varies |
| Named insurer | Chubb | — | Usually | Often not disclosed |
| Typical cost | From 0.90% of insured value (see pricing) | Included in freight | Already paying | Often 2–3% of declared value, $100 minimum |
Comparisons reflect typical market terms based on publicly available information as of October 2026. Individual policies vary. Review your own coverage carefully.
Add it up, and a single trophy can represent $20,000, $50,000 or more.
What's at Stake
What a Trophy Really Costs
The value of a trophy isn't the mount. It's everything it took to get it.
- Plains game safari package (South Africa / Namibia)
- $4,500 – $15,000
- Cape buffalo hunt package
- $9,000 – $20,000
- Flights, tips and extras
- $2,500 – $4,500+
- Shoulder mount (South Africa)
- $800 – $2,000
- Shoulder mount (U.S.)
- $1,200 – $3,500
- Full-body mount (South Africa)
- $3,000 – $8,000
- Full-body mount (U.S.)
- $6,000 – $15,000
- Post-hunt costs (dip & pack, crating, freight, customs, delivery)
- $4,000 – $12,000 per safari
And for many hunters, it was the hunt of a lifetime. Some trips can't be repeated.
Ranges compiled from published 2026 outfitter and industry pricing. Actual costs vary widely.
How It Works
Protecting Your Trophy Is Simple
01
Tell Us What It's Worth
When you book your shipment with Trophy Shippers, choose an insured value for each trophy, up to $50,000. No appraisal needed.
02
We Issue Your Certificate
We declare your coverage before your trophy moves, and you receive an insurance certificate showing your agreed values.
03
Your Trophy Travels Protected
From pickup to final delivery, by air, sea or truck, your trophy is covered every mile of the way.
04
If Something Goes Wrong, We've Got You
Report it to us right away. We'll guide you through the claim with Chubb. Lost or destroyed? You're paid your agreed value, less the deductible. Damaged? Repairs are covered up to the value you chose.
Pricing
What Does Trophy Protect Cost?
Trophy Protect is priced as a small percentage of the value you choose to insure. The more you protect, the lower your rate.
Example: Insuring a $25,000 kudu shoulder mount costs about $375. That's less than the price of the crate it ships in, for protection worth up to $30,000 (your $25,000 agreed value plus up to $5,000 in documented hunt expenses, less the deductible).
Total Insured Value per ShipmentRate
- Up to $60,000 1.50%
- $60,001 – $120,000 1.35%
- $120,001 – $180,000 1.20%
- $180,001 – $240,000 1.05%
- $240,001 – $300,000 0.90%
Minimum premium: $75 per shipment. Rates subject to change.
Protect Your Claim
Make Your Claim Smooth: Simple Steps We Recommend
Coverage doesn't require photos or inspections. But these steps can speed up a claim:
-
Photograph each trophy before it's crated.
-
Keep a packing list of every item in each crate.
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Inspect on arrival and photograph any damage before unpacking further.
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Keep your receipts (airfare, tags, guide fees, taxidermy) if you want to claim the $5,000 hunt-expense coverage.
-
Report any loss or damage to us promptly.
What's Not Covered
We Believe in Straight Talk
No insurance covers everything. Here's what Trophy Protect does not cover, so there are no surprises:
- Hair slip, rot, mildew, insects or natural deterioration. Especially relevant to raw dip & pack hides, which no transit policy can protect against bacterial breakdown.
- Damage caused by temperature changes or climate and atmospheric conditions.
- Damage that happens while packing or unpacking.
- Seizure, detention or destruction by any government authority, including USFWS, CITES or customs actions. (This is why correct paperwork matters, and why our permit experts check everything before your trophy ships.)
- Unexplained “mysterious disappearance.”
- Pre-existing damage or poor-quality taxidermy (inherent defect).
- Wear and tear.
- Loss traceable to dishonesty of the policyholder’s own employees (employee infidelity).
- Shipments to or from excluded countries: Angola, Belarus, Congo / DR Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Liberia, Libya, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Russia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine (including Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk), Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe, plus any other country prohibited by the U.S. (OFAC) or sanctioned by the U.N.
- War, strikes, riots and civil commotion in the Persian/Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Southern Red Sea, the northern Indian Ocean around those waters, and adjacent waters.
- Anything not declared before shipment.
No. Trophy Protect uses an agreed-value basis. You choose the value, up to $50,000 per trophy, and that's the value paid on a total loss, less the deductible. Receipts are only needed if you claim the extra hunt-expense coverage (up to $5,000).
Up to $50,000 per individual trophy and up to $300,000 per shipment.
Yes. Dipped and packed raw trophies (treated hides, skulls and horns) are covered for physical loss or damage in transit. Hair slip and natural deterioration of raw hides are not covered.
Coverage applies while your trophy is in transit, from the start of the insured journey through transhipment, storage that's part of the trip, and final delivery. Your trophy must be declared with us before it ships.
Coverage continues through unplanned holds outside your control for up to 60 days. For longer holds, we'll notify the insurer to keep coverage in place (additional premium may apply). Loss caused by the seizure or detention itself is not covered.
Photograph the damage, keep all packaging, and contact us right away. Chubb pays repair costs, typically by a qualified taxidermist, up to your insured value, less the deductible.
Yes: 5% of the adjusted loss, with a $250 minimum per loss.
Trophy Protect is available exclusively on shipments handled by Trophy Shippers. Get a shipping quote to add coverage.
No. Zimbabwe is one of the countries specifically excluded under the policy. See the full list under What’s Not Covered, or contact us to talk through your options.
Check carefully. Many homeowners policies cap this kind of property at $2,000 to $5,000 total and offer limited transit protection. Some trophy collection policies don't start until your trophy clears U.S. Customs.
You Only Get One Shot at Some Hunts. Don't Leave the Trip Home to Chance.
The hunt is behind you. The memory is on its way. Make sure it arrives.
Trophy Protect. From Hunt to Home, Protected.
Trophy Protect is a program name used by Trophy Shippers, a division of Zarach Logistics (Edward J Zarach & Associates d/b/a EZI Logistics). Trophy Shippers is not an insurance company. Coverage is provided under a marine cargo open policy underwritten by Chubb Insurance Hong Kong Limited and arranged through World Insurance. Coverage is subject to the terms, conditions, limits, exclusions and warranties of the policy and the insurance certificate issued for each shipment. Nothing on this page amends or replaces the policy. In the event of any conflict, the policy wording governs. A copy of the policy terms is available on request.
Coverage must be requested and declared before the shipment begins. Agreed value is the value stated on the insurance certificate, subject to a maximum of USD 50,000 per trophy, USD 300,000 per client shipment, and USD 3,000,000 for all insured shipments aboard any one vessel or aircraft. Partial damage claims are paid for repair, up to the insured value. The most payable for any loss is the insured value plus the expense extension, less the deductible. A deductible of 5% of the adjusted loss (minimum USD 250) applies to each loss. The harvesting, mounting and transportation expense extension provides up to USD 5,000 per loss, requires documentation of expenses claimed, and is subject to a USD 50,000 annual aggregate limit shared across the program. Coverage excludes, among other things: temperature variance; damage during packing and unpacking; mysterious disappearance; confiscation, detention or destruction by any government authority; inherent defect and the nature of the cargo; infidelity of the policyholder’s employees; wear and tear and gradual deterioration, insects, infestation, vermin, rot, mildew, fungus, atmospheric or climatic conditions and the action of light; and shipments to or from the excluded countries listed on this page and any other country prohibited by the U.S. (OFAC) or sanctioned by the U.N. War and strikes risks are excluded in the Persian/Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Southern Red Sea, the northern Indian Ocean around those waters, and adjacent waters. Coverage requires that cargo be properly loaded, blocked and braced, and that fully enclosed trucks be used for land transit.
Carrier liability figures are general summaries of the Montreal Convention (as revised effective December 28, 2024), the U.S. Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, the Carmack Amendment and published carrier terms. They are provided for general information only and are not legal advice. Homeowners and other insurance comparisons describe typical market terms based on publicly available information. Your own policies may differ. Hunt, taxidermy and shipping cost ranges are drawn from published industry sources and are estimates only. Coverage availability may vary by jurisdiction.