What goes on the wall?

[fairchaser]

I know there are many of you that will only mount a buck that is bigger than what you already have on the wall. I feel sorry for you if your first mountable deer was a monster. I don't really understand this unless it's an economic choice. I love to look at my wall of fame and replay the hunts. What's your criteria for mounting a buck and why?

 

[catman529]

I haven't even dropped the money on a wall mount yet, only made antler mounts and European mounts for my deer. I don't have any exact criteria for what gets a shoulder mount, I just will know when I kill one that it needs to be mounted.


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[jb3]

Only euro mounts. For me it's part economics, part space and also I think when I pass, I wouldn't want them trashed or sit in my kids attic. Maybe because i'm older, i prefer pictures in frames.

 

[AT Hiker]

Its gotta be something special, size of antlers is not the main criteria for me. Being a taxidermist I get all sizes of animals in to mount, each has its own unique story and I strongly believe the mount helps bring that memory back and tell the story.

I had someone tell me that a deer or any mount for that matter was the persons "I love me wall", and he didnt mount animals because it was disrespect to the animal and proved the hunter didnt hunt for the right reasons. After he finished I asked why he was wearing leather boots, he was puzzled. I then told him that steer he was walking on was being disrespected. We laughed after that and got along.


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[easy45]

Its mainly an economic thing with me, I've got 7 mounts but have a couple of others that if I had the money would have gotten mounted. I do have my president's island deer in the freezer now to mount, its my second biggest deer ever and just the hunt and story behind it makes me have to mount it

 

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

For me, it really depends. If the buck is unique (nontypical points, etc.), I would consider a shoulder mount regardless of score.

With that being said, a typical buck would likely have to be as good or better than the ones I have now.

My plan for now is to euro mount every buck. That allows me to relive the hunt, share it with friends, and save some money.

 

[Lost Lake]

My biggest buck scores a shade under 140", and I've said for some time now that it'll take one bigger to get mounted. But I've started rethinking that, because if a certain buck scores less but is unique to me, he'll go on the wall. I'm more proud of some Public land bucks that score 115 to 120 than some I've killed elsewhere. Also, hunts with friends in special places means a lot to me. The last I had mounted I took to Bill Teats in Clarksville and he's done several for me over the years. I always loved talking with him and listening to his hunting stories.

I've been doing a lot of Euro mounts for the last several years and love the way they look. I've about run out of wall space, and I'm thinking of adding in my Will that my mounts should never be donated to Cracker Barrel. Hopefully my daughter will want them.

 

[TX300mag]

A lot of factors, mainly economical (and lack of big deer). If I spend $400 on a shoulder mount, that's a couple of good hunting trips worth of diesel. One of my bucks from this year is being mounted. I had said 130" or better would likely be mounted, but it would depend on the deer. After killing it I decided to.

I'm going to try my hand in a shoulder mount next year. If I like it I will probably mount more in the future.

 

[MUP]

Generally, it is "if its bigger/better than what I already have taken", and that is sub-divided by weapon also. Just the way I want to. But I'll mount whatever I want to if it strikes me to do so, for whatever reason. I too like to look at the "wall" and remember the hunts for each of them. And I don't "have" to have one mounted to remember each hunt, just some are more extraordinary than others, and not necessarily bc of size or score. I have a nice 100" symmetrical 8 pt mounted that I killed in 2010 on Thanksgiving Day. Just a nice buck, but what made it so special was that, it was the first buck that I'd ever taken on Thanksgiving Day, and I was hunting with my late Dads ol 742 Rem Woodsmaster trying to kill a nice buck with the gun that he had hunted with. Also, my Grandmother had passed just a few months before, and I had always shared my hunt with her upon returning from the woods, and this was the first deer killed since her passing that I would not be able to share with her. And lastly, the buck was one I had passed the year before, and he had a double throat patch. Just no way I could not have it mounted for all those reasons. He's the one on the right btw.

 

[Planking]

Every buck i kill goes on the wall. I make that decision before i shoot.

 

[cbhunter]

The last buck I put on the wall was one of the smallest I ever had mounted, just a typical 8 point. The reason I had him mounted was that I amazed myself at the shot I was able to make. I shot the buck at 400+ yds and was practically free handed. I had a rest if you want to consider a pencil sized tree that I had a hold of!!

 

[Tennessee Lead]

If I want to mount one I do. I have 7 mounted and 2 more in the work's now. I enjoy looking at them and reliving the moment. My father is my taxidermist so that makes each mount even more special.


Sent from my iPhone that I ain't smart enough to use with tapatalker

 

[BSK]

What's your criteria for mounting a buck and why?

Something that's memorable. And that could be size (antlers), age, or something special about the experience.

 

[Jon54]

I only do horn mounts. This way, I can either put them on the wall or on top of my gun cabinet. My last big deer was a 145 8 pt and when I asked the deer processor to cut off the horns, he said he wouldn't do it as a deer that big has to be mounted. Finally, an older gentleman came back and asked what was going on, I told him and 5 minutes later I had my antlers. A good picture and the antlers is all I need.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

Every buck i kill goes on the wall. I make that decision before i shoot.

You probably got a check of a trophy room

 

[Planking]

Every buck i kill goes on the wall. I make that decision before i shoot.

You probably got a check of a trophy room

Nothing like some have on here, im in Unit A. I get a shooter about once every 2-4 years. Picking one up next month hopefully.

 

[megalomaniac]

there are only so many walls in a house your wife will allow you to put game on... once those are filled, you have to be pretty picky. I'm at the point where it's not getting shoulder mounted unless its over 150" or so.

 

[muddyboots]

I wish I had everyone I ever killed mounted. Just not economically feasible. I prolly won't ever mount another. Euro mounts I think are great and lots less $$$.

 

[fairchaser]

For those of you who think your trophy room or wall doesn't have enough room for another mount; take a glance at one of Jim Shockey's trophy rooms.

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

You can only mount so many!!

I'm with BSK. They've got to personally be something special that matches my goals or definition of unique to mount!!

185P&Y

 

[Bone Collector]

Money plays a big part in it. that and the fact that I never kill any big enough to put up there

 

[TheLBLman]

I always "mount" or "display" the antlers.
At issue is whether or not it's a full shoulder mount, or just the antlers.

For a full shoulder mount, my criteria have steadily increased over they years, mainly because it keeps taking something a little more unique than something already on the wall. Currently, it's generally going to have to be something with something "excessive" in some dimension, to the point it makes that buck stand out as being very "unique". Score is only a minor factor, but generally now needs to be well above 140.

My 2014 TN muzzleloader buck made the grade for a shoulder mount, and was my first to do so since 2006, although I have taken bucks in between breaking 140 that only qualified for a "horn" mount. This past year's "trophy" (to me) was a 5 1/2-yr-old mainframe 9-pointer gross scoring 147. But what made his antlers most "unique" wasn't his score, but lots of "sticker" points, four of which exceeded an inch in length, and approximately another half-dozen around a half-inch. (He was checked in as a 13-pointer.) By some "old-school" standards of a point being a point if you can hang a ring on it, this one had over 18 points, maybe over 20 if we could make that ring hang on a 1/4" point. At a glance, he looks pretty "typical" and is fairly symmetrical regarding his main antler "frame", then you notice all those non-typical extra points which make this one very "unique".

 

[Gravey]

I have 6 on the wall which includes the first racked buck other than a spike I ever killed. The next one was because it was an 11-pt and then followed by what was a good 7-pt from Missouri. The next two were solid 8-pts and then last was a 10-pt from Alabama. Today I'm probably not mounting anything unless its bigger than what is already on the wall. By bigger I mean by mass, width, or points. My son has killed 2 bucks and I mounted both. His first was an 18 1/2" wide 6-pt with 11" g2's and the second was an 8-pt. Mine are in the bonus room but he wanted his in his bedroom. Working on my first euro mount now of this year's 10-pt.

 

[redblood]

For those of you who think your trophy room or wall doesn't have enough room for another mount; take a glance at one of Jim Shockey's trophy rooms.

shockey doesn't waste much space on whitetail

 

[TN RDG RNR]

Now days that would be my sons bucks. If I were to kill something over 150 might just make an exception,

 

[7mminatree]

It's started for me by having a business customer who was a taxidermist. I was able to barter for the first few. I got a dozen mounted, several of which are in my garage. Next one will have to be something special. Not so much in size, but the challenge of the hunt. And of course my youngest grandson, he's gonna get his first one mounted by grandpa, lol, provided I live long enough.

 

[102]

What's your criteria for mounting a buck and why?

Something that's memorable. And that could be size (antlers), age, or something special about the experience.

DITTO!!!

 

[benellivol]

It depends on the hunt. A mount isn't necessarily about size, it's about the memory.

I have a roughly 130 inch 10 pointer I've been chasing for 2 years. He's not some monster, but if I ever get him, he's going on the wall.

I've got one 115 inch or so 8 pointer I killed a few years ago on the wall. I killed it with my father in law, it was a cool hunt where the deer really showed out in the field and I made a 150 ish yard shot. The first two bucks I ever shot are euro mounted.

I've got plenty of ducks mounted that happened on either a once in a lifetime hunt or a day where we smoked them.

My two sons, they're probably going to have taxidermy everywhere.

 

[BSK]

LOVE those Euro-mounts Os2 Outdoors!

We Euro-mount every buck we kill, large and small (because it's free). Shoulder mounts have to be something special.

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

LOVE those Euro-mounts Os2 Outdoors!

We Euro-mount every buck we kill, large and small (because it's free). Shoulder mounts have to be something special.

I love Euro's cause I can take them down easily an put them in my hands or hand them to a friend to admire. I bet I can distinguish all my bucks blind folded by handling them lol

Yep essentially free is great! I do about 25-30 every year between me an friends.

185P&Y