Contact: (Owner/Manager): Ruan Viljoen
Physical Address: 2 Nywerheid Avenue, Kuruman, 8460
Tel Office: +27 72 057 1235
Mobile: +27 72 057 1235
info@huntersheart.africa
Tell us a little about your operation
How it started & why you got into the industry
Hunters Heart Taxidermy founder and CEO Ruan Viljoen is an avid hunter and conservationist with a passion for securing the sustainability of hunting in South Africa. Ruan has been a professional in the industry for many years, hunting his first African Buffalo at the young age of 13, and growing up admiring his father’s impressive collection of over 66 trophies.
It is because of this extensive background in the hunting industry that we appreciate and understand the significance of expressing each client’s memories with our custom craftsmanship, and why we focus so greatly on delivering a superb customer experience.
How many years have you been in the business?
The team has combined experience of 37 years. Hunters Heart Taxidermy is a relative new entity and brand that we are very excited about.
What are your favorite mounts & why?
Custom mounts, as this gives me an opportunity to be creative and to give the client a unique, one-of-a-kind trophy.
What are your specialty areas that you have in the business?
We specialize in custom mounting which gives us a distinct advantage when creating one-of-a-kind trophies for our client. As my artist statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance. We do not rely on standard forms, we resize and sculp each form to fit the animal’s natural anatomy to the size of the skin received. Attention to detail, by a very strict Quality Control Department, on muscle definition, hide texture, eye expression, veins and pose to be anatomically correct. When you need Africa alive, you need a Hunters Heart signature.
Current processes offered:
- Pick up & collect trophies: Yes (free, all over South Africa for International clients)
- Maximum distance offered to collect trophies: all over South Africa
- Own tanning facilities: Yes
- Do you buy in forms or sculpt your own or both: Sculpt and Alter own forms
Delivery time (approximate):
- Dip and Pack: 3 months after payment was received
- European mounts: 3-6 months
- Shoulder mounts: 8-11 months
- Full mounts: 8-11 months
General Comments
The conservation of our wildlife resources, and of responsible hunting in our region is imperative to sustaining the legacy of our community. As a conservation-centred company, we endeavour to establish a total value chain in the community where the income generated from hunting practices, directly or indirectly, can be traced and measured. We therefore ensure that no part of an animal goes to waste: unutilised meat feeds the community, and skins are transformed into unique bags and other sellable products by local entrepreneurs. Every hunter contributes to this ideology and to the survival of the industry, capturing the Heart of Hunting.
