Mountable trophy?

[fairchaser]

I'm trying to decide on whether to mount this buck. I have some larger and some smaller mounted but none older. I killed a nice looking 8 point I have some history with that was aged at 5.5 years old. He only scores 120. I've never killed a 5.5 year old buck and for that reason I'm thinking of mounting him. Normally, around 130 or higher would be mounted. So what's a better trophy? A 3.5 year old 130 or a 5.5 year old 120?

 

[ZachMarkus]

For me a 120" deer will go on the wall regardless of age.

 

[fairchaser]

This is the buck two years ago, this year and after harvest.

 

[tree_ghost]

5.5 yo IMO is the better trophy...now weather or not it has a better "eye appeal" IMO is a no but the fear of killing a 5.5 yo buck vs a 4.5 yo generally speaking is more difficult and therefore the better trophy


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[Mike Belt]

Generally a 5.5 year old is harder to come by than a 4.5 even if he doesn't have as large a rack. I've killed several 5.5 year old bucks but I no longer get anything mounted. I might change my mind on a 150+. Nowadays I just skull mount all mine.

 

[Nsghunter]

I'm trying to decide on whether to mount this buck. I have some larger and some smaller mounted but none older. I killed a nice looking 8 point I have some history with that was aged at 5.5 years old. He only scores 120. I've never killed a 5.5 year old buck and for that reason I'm thinking of mounting him. Normally, around 130 or higher would be mounted. So what's a better trophy? A 3.5 year old 130 or a 5.5 year old 120?

I would say a trophy is what YOU say it is. I have my wife's plain old garter from our wedding on my rearview. It will be a trophy of mine til the day I die.

IF it will rbring a great sense of who you are and what you have done to acheive it, it's a trophy.

 

[benellivol]

For me a 120" deer will go on the wall regardless of age.

Yep

 

[easy45]

the 5.5 would be more of a trophy for me

 

[catman529]

A 5.5 year old buck is a lot older and wiser and 120" is a big rack by most anyone's standards. If you are unsure, do a European mount


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[Rollo]

Any buck with a story or long time hunting goal is worth mounting in my opinion...

 

[muddyboots]

I wish I could mount them all. I have started European mounting all I kill now. They look good and save a lot of money. P

 

[catman529]

A 5.5 year old buck is a lot older and wiser and 120" is a big rack by most anyone's standards. If you are unsure, do a European mount


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[megalomaniac]

how many shoulder mounts do you have? how much room for how many more?

I just don't have the room for any more shoulder mounts, so he's got to be around 150" before I can take up the wall space. Everything else I kill I do my own European mount on.

 

[ma.coleman]

Everyone has their own reasons for having a deer mounted and I'm sure you will make this right decision. That is an awesome deer.

Personally, I have 4 deer mounts and one euro. The first was my first rifle buck and it was on my Dad's land. It netted 113 4/8 6pt. Harvested it before I ever thought of marriage, so it got clean pass to mount in the living room. My second is the one pictured - 7pt. I spent a little more on this mount because it was my first bow kill. I had been bow hunting for years, arrowed several, but this one was in my favor - finally. He might not even go 80", but I really didn't care. My third and fourth were mounted because they exceeded the current best. I'll have a few more mounts in my future and I'm sure you will as well.

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[DRSJ35]

i say the older buck. i consider them all trophy's. especially anything 3.5 years and older. every mount is full of great memories for me.

 

[Snake]

Well I know that a 5 1/2 buck would surely be a trophy but only if he had good enough headgear in my opinion .Biggest buck score wise I have is a 127 3/8 net . 132 1/8 gross 11 point but have several 120" deer mounted but running out of room so it will have to be a 130+ deer for me now . If a mature bucks no matter the rack size impresses you to have him mounted then by all means do so . Sorry but I'm all about the rack when it comes to spending $$ to have it mounted .

 

[Deer Assassin]

when in doubt mount it

 

[duckriver]

I'd put a 5 year old 120 up on the wall no doubt. 4 yo and up are trophies not matter what they score to me.

 

[7mminatree]

It's the quality of the hunt and not the deer. Yours is a nice one and would make a beautiful mount. You and that buck have history so you have a story.

 

[Snake]

Well I know that a 5 1/2 buck would surely be a trophy but only if he had good enough headgear in my opinion .Biggest buck score wise I have is a 127 3/8 net . 132 1/8 gross 11 point but have several 120" deer mounted but running out of room so it will have to be a 130+ deer for me now . If a mature bucks no matter the rack size impresses you to have him mounted then by all means do so . Sorry but I'm all about the rack when it comes to spending $$ to have it mounted .

This one in the picture deserves to be mounted regardless , congrats !

 

[AT Hiker]

It's the quality of the hunt and not the deer.

Thats mostly how I define a trophy. Antler size plays a role but its the hunt that makes it the "trophy" for me.

Id say mount it. Especially if it has a very large body and roman nose, they make special mounts IMO.


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[fairchaser]

Thanks everyone for all your wonderful comments. You made my decision easier to mount this buck as a true trophy. My wife gave me one room for all my trophies and I have another lake house and office for any overflow. I know this will all be yard sale some day but I really enjoy them all. I have 10 mounted deer from 183 to my first 8 pointer at 107. They all mean something special to me. I guess I'm a taxidermist dream come true.

This was a special hunt because of my history with this buck but also its not everyday that while the buck was approaching my stand following a doe and I was sizing him up another hunter who I had no idea was there was trying to grunt up my buck. I was like dang somebody is trying to kill my buck. The hunter later came up to help me with the deer. It made for a memorable hunt.

 

[W.Seay]

I don't care about age for the wall. If a rack is 135" or bigger it goes on the wall. After the 135 went on the wall, the next had to be 140 or better and so on. I've killed several 4.5 and 5.5 yr old bucks and just euro mounted them since they were only 115-120. We put one euro at our lake house in pickwick.

 

[AllOutdoors]

The fact that you have to question it makes me lean no. However, it's a beautiful deer and definitely worthy of a mount in its own right.

the real question you have to ask yourself is 10 years from now do you want to have that many deer mounted? or do you want to save your money and space for deer that leave no question in mind

Obviously you didn't read the post. He has plenty of room
Glad you decided to mount it.

 

[TX300mag]

Mount it. Great, mature buck you have history with. Definitely a trophy.


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[fairchaser]

The fact that you have to question it makes me lean no. However, it's a beautiful deer and definitely worthy of a mount in its own right.

the real question you have to ask yourself is 10 years from now do you want to have that many deer mounted? or do you want to save your money and space for deer that leave no question in mind

I have a couple of mounts that I probably shouldn't have mounted. To some degree I feel like I owe the buck worthy of being shot to be immortalized in some way. I know people like these euro mounts but they take up space too. When I look at a mounted head the memory of the hunt is fresh to me. As far as money is concerned, any money spent on my passion is not wasted and I've spent a lot. It's funny to me why people will spend hundreds on a camera that may last a season or two but not spend money on a mount that would last 50 years. Don't get me wrong, I have cameras too. To me my trophy room is a special place that I sit in and relive my hunts. I want as many memories in there as I can get. Thanks for the comments.

 

[fairchaser]

The fact that you have to question it makes me lean no. However, it's a beautiful deer and definitely worthy of a mount in its own right.

the real question you have to ask yourself is 10 years from now do you want to have that many deer mounted? or do you want to save your money and space for deer that leave no question in mind

Obviously you didn't read the post. He has plenty of room
Glad you decided to mount it.

Thanks, me too.

 

[fairchaser]

I don't care about age for the wall. If a rack is 135" or bigger it goes on the wall. After the 135 went on the wall, the next had to be 140 or better and so on. I've killed several 4.5 and 5.5 yr old bucks and just euro mounted them since they were only 115-120. We put one euro at our lake house in pickwick.

I know a lot of people agree with this methodology. The next one has to be bigger, etc. Some even apply that to what they kill too. It seems ashamed to me to only judge a trophy by the score but that is what people look at mostly. I guess I like killing bucks and mounting them too much to use that criteria only. I guess at my age I wonder how many bigger bucks I'm gonna get. I have a giant buck mounted that will never be topped so I would've had to stop right there. Thanks for your comments.

 

[infoman jr.]

I've never killed one big enough to mount but I have 6 on the wall. They each represent a goal fulfilled and bring forth great memories when I look at them.

 

[shoningram]

Too much emphasis is put on rack size, B&C scoring, measurements and the such. If its a trophy to you.....nothing else should matter.