Had a bounty on their heads?

Question

Does "had a bounty on their heads"mean "being famous"?

Context:

Just such a tragedy, by the standards of today's cultural climate,was the more recent extinction of Thylacinus, the Tasmanian wolf.These now iconically lamented creatures had a bounty on their heads until as recently as 1909. In Victorian novels of Africa,'elephant', 'lion' and 'antelope' (note the revealing singular) are 'game' and what you do to game, without a second thought, is shoot it. Not for food. Not for self-defence. For 'sport'. But now the Zeitgeist has changed. Admittedly, rich, sedentary 'sportsmen' may shoot wild African animals from the safety of a Land-Rover and take the stuffed heads back home. But they have to pay through the nose to do so, and are widely despised for it.

NL888 · Accepted Answer

2) Does " the stuffed heads" mean "the killed game/animals"?
3) Does "pay through the nose" mean "pay a high price (to do so)"?

Clive · Answer

These . . . creatures had a bounty on their heads The authorities gave you money if you killed one.

2) Does " the stuffed heads" mean "the killed game/animals"? Yes. Some hunters keep the heads, and often place them on a wall in their home.

3) Does "pay through the nose" mean "pay a high price (to do so)"? Yes

Clive

Dib · Answer

Bounty on their heads means some sort of reward, especially for killing some one e,g "the serial killer had a bounty on his head, anyone who would have been able to it would have been given 5 million dollars"

2 Stuffed head in this context is like the stuffed heads in the picture below:

3. "pay through the nose" means to pay too much for something. for example "that new car over their is hot ,but you'l have to pay through the nose for it, if you want to own one yourself.

Dib · Answer

Dib e,g "the serial killer had a bounty on his head, anyone who would have been able to it would have been given 5 million dollars"

I meant, "The serial killer had a bounty on his head, anyone who would have been able to kill him would have been given 5 million dollars."

Sorry about that.

NL888 · Answer

There is still a problem in understanding the meaning of a "stuffed head".
A stuffed head like those ones on the wall is a specimen after processing.
If you killed a buffalo and cut its head, can you say it is a stuffed head and can immediately hang it on the wall? Seems no. You get to process it as a specimen. The specimen is qualified to be called a stuffed head.
But if you shoot a game, cut its head. The head is still not qualified to be named a stuffed head. So it is doubtful to say "take stuffed heads home." You've just carried the raw heads home, where you may process them to make them specimen or stuffed heads.

Clive · Answer

If they are away in Africa on a long hunting trip. I suppose they get the heads stuffed before they take them home.

I would!

Dib · Answer

You call a head, "stuffed head" after actually stuffing it.

According to Wikipedia:

The animal is first skinned in a process similar to removing the skin from a chicken prior to cooking. This can be accomplished without opening the body cavity, so the taxidermist usually does not see internal organs or blood. Depending on the type of skin, preserving chemicals are applied or the skin is tanned. It is then either mounted on a mannequin made from wood, wool and wire, or a polyurethane form. Clay is used to install glass eyes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxidermy

AlpheccaStars · Answer

NL888But if you shoot a game, cut its head. The head is still not qualified to be named a stuffed head.

But if you shoot a game animal, you can cut its head off. The head is still not qualified to be named a stuffed head.

These exotic game animal hunting trips include the transportation, weapons, guides, processing and taxidermist's fees. It probably also includes the shipping direct to your house, along with all the import duties (circumventing any legal inconveniences at the border). The mounted heads and skins for rugs are your trophies, to show off how much of a big brave macho hunter you are (to impress the ladies and rival males in your circle). This is all part of "paying through the nose."

In Texas, we have exotic game ranches, where the guides simply lead you out to the places where they raise these beasts, and it's a very simple and safe shot to nail your trophy. The local taxidermist prepares your trophies. The price you pay depends on the rarity, size, and perfection of the particular specimen that you select.

Had a bounty on their heads?

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