Shoulder vs Euro Mount

[Reed Thoma Outdoors]

I’ll be hunting 10 days and eland and blue duiker ( full body mount) as well as black wildebeest ,springbuck, Vaal reedbuck, bushbuck and then I have a few more opportunity animals on my list

I am still young and have not mounted a large number of animals so I will preface this with that. Everyone always suggests a euro on eland but to me that discounts the trophy significantly. I understand space is always an issue but if you are hunting an old bull the trophy really isn't the horns, it's the face mop, dewlap and dark color. I have limited space, but I still decided to shoulder mount my eland. Blue duiker should definitely be full mount. Black wildebeest could go either way, I like their shoulder mounts, but skulls look good too, if it was a blue I would say definitely euro. Springboks look good as wall pedestals, but skulls look pretty good as well (maybe a rug out of hide). Vaalies are good full mounts but to save space would go for shoulder. Bushbuck look great no matter how they are mounted.

 

[cgdemakis]

I am pondering this as well as I am off for a second trip at the end of May. I have a massive alaska moose done as a euro that is probably my favorite mount. I've done multiple white tails and pronghorn as euro mounts and really like them. I want certain species as a shoulder but what is nice is the quality of today's camera equipment and the beauty of the new metal prints makes it a beautiful display of a 16x20 full body, full color, posed after the harvest print next to the euro mount is hard to beat and in some cases, like the wildebeest, captures the animal better than a shoulder mount.

 

[sgtsabai]

I will, health permitting, be going for Cape Buffalo, Kudu and Impala, in the fall of 25. The buff is what I am really going for. I have a small house, 3 "bedrooms" but I don't think any mount would be appropriate in the bedroom, well maybe...lol. Cost and room have me debating with myself shoulder mount or euro mount, if I am successful. "No one ever looked at a buffalo skull and said-“he is looking at Me like I owe him money” good taxidermy will evoke such comments." Well said. My lady would ask "any good for plowing?" and my son would ask "did you ride him?", he's been riding water buff since 4 or 5 on his on, if Euro Mount. My American buddies and Thai neighbors would be having 2nd and 3rd looks if shoulder mount. I have found a reputable company on here that can/will import into Thailand, ah to say customs is a bit on the crooked side is a vast understatement. What to do, what to do. Good luck to the OP and all making these decisions.

 

[One Day...]

I personally think that they ALL look good in Euro mounts...

And it sure saves both space and money

Here is one of the walls in our previous house. Wall space was at a premium...

Here are three views of the great room in the house we just built. The second row of skulls is not installed yet, but ultimately the whole triangle will be full. And many frames are not hanged yet (we recently moved in), but they are coming...

So far, I have only kept one representative of each species, and aside from Kudus that will make the whole second row, I intend to keep it this way.

One recommendation if I may: DO NOT have the skulls painted white and the horns painted black or varnished, it really destroys the trophy as a representation of what the animal was (horns), and makes the entire thing look artificial... It is of course a matter of personal preference, but the vast majority of folks keep them natural.

 

[Hunt anything]

I’ll be hunting 10 days and eland and blue duiker ( full body mount) as well as black wildebeest ,springbuck, Vaal reedbuck, bushbuck and then I have a few more opportunity animals on my list

This is my take, an admitted taxidermy addict.
eland: shoulder or wall pedestal so you get the idea how truly big they are.
blue duiker: full body
black wildebeest: euro
val rhebok: full body
springbok: wall pedestal if it’s a really good one, my experience in the EC they are small compared to the one from the Kalahari.
bushbuck: shoulder or wall pedestal, those really dark cape bushbuck are stunning if he has good white markings.

 

[D-Orcutt]

I personally think that they ALL look good in Euro mounts...

And it sure saves both space and money

Here is one of the walls in our previous house. Wall space was at a premium...

View attachment 597184

Here are three views of the great room in the house we just built. The second row of skulls is not installed yet, but ultimately the whole triangle will be full. And many frames are not hanged yet (we recently moved in), but they are coming...

So far, I have only kept one representative of each species, and aside from Kudus that will make the whole second row, I intend to keep it this way.

View attachment 597185

View attachment 597186

View attachment 597189

One recommendation if I may: DO NOT have the skulls painted white and the horns painted black or varnished, it really destroys the trophy as a representation of what the animal was (horns), and makes the entire thing look artificial... It is of course a matter of personal preference, but the vast majority of folks keep them natural.

I like the layout you can fit a lot like that

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I’ll be hunting 10 days and eland and blue duiker ( full body mount) as well as black wildebeest ,springbuck, Vaal reedbuck, bushbuck and then I have a few more opportunity animals on my list

I’m in a similar position as you and were around the same age. I spent the last 3.5 years house hunting for something with enough wall space and land where I could build or add on down the road.

I’d do the springbok as a euro (still haven’t shot one). You can get your B. Duiker and Vaalie together (Vaal laying down?). You can always do a 2 or 3 piece pedestal mount. Bushbuck make awesome shoulder pedestals. I love wildebeest mounts and have a Blue wall pedestal with a black wall pedestal coming.

Depending who you’re hunting with and where you are in the EC, you might think about asking to run hounds for a caracal.

 

[mark-hunter]

One recommendation if I may: DO NOT have the skulls painted white and the horns painted black or varnished, it really destroys the trophy as a representation of what the animal was (horns), and makes the entire thing look artificial... It is of course a matter of personal preference, but the vast majority of folks keep them natural.

I remember some hunters polishing and painting white their sculls (young fresh certified unexperienced hunters) they were mocked and joked with. So, yes you are absolutely correct. European tradition does not paint sculls.

And....
Your collection is stunning! Just beautiful! Congrats!

For OP: some samples:

 

[Bowandarrowman]

Shoulder mount all the way if its a trophy. The not quite eye candy ones get euro.

And it depends.

Sometimes I pull down a euro and a good taxi will sell me a cape and mount it up.

If I die with money on the wall in mounts I lived a good life.

 

[D-Orcutt]

I personally think that they ALL look good in Euro mounts...

And it sure saves both space and money

Here is one of the walls in our previous house. Wall space was at a premium...

View attachment 597184

Here are three views of the great room in the house we just built. The second row of skulls is not installed yet, but ultimately the whole triangle will be full. And many frames are not hanged yet (we recently moved in), but they are coming...

So far, I have only kept one representative of each species, and aside from Kudus that will make the whole second row, I intend to keep it this way.

View attachment 597185

View attachment 597186

View attachment 597189

One recommendation if I may: DO NOT have the skulls painted white and the horns painted black or varnished, it really destroys the trophy as a representation of what the animal was (horns), and makes the entire thing look artificial... It is of course a matter of personal preference, but the vast majority of folks keep them natural.

How much does it save shipping with just euros?

 

[D-Orcutt]

I’m in a similar position as you and were around the same age. I spent the last 3.5 years house hunting for something with enough wall space and land where I could build or add on down the road.

I’d do the springbok as a euro (still haven’t shot one). You can get your B. Duiker and Vaalie together (Vaal laying down?). You can always do a 2 or 3 piece pedestal mount. Bushbuck make awesome shoulder pedestals. I love wildebeest mounts and have a Blue wall pedestal with a black wall pedestal coming.

Depending who you’re hunting with and where you are in the EC, you might think about asking to run hounds for a caracal.

Caracal is on my list as well There is around 10 animals but I’m going to put having a good time over completing my list

 

[Red Leg]

I have always done a mixture of Euro and actual mounts. As I have noted elsewhere, all of us eventually run out of space or disposable income. Also my tastes in the trophy room run to antiques so traditional Euro mounts, which are typically flat without the upper teeth on carved plaques, look appropriate. Though, most of my recent game animals have been preserved only in photographs.

I recently posted some of these photos on another thread.

 

[saswart]

There are the jokes about the policemen and pastor's sons. Well my dad has a Taxidermy business in SA and I personally prefer euro mounts, either on wooden plank or plain white skull on a wall (wall color should not be white though). Apart from animals without horns (female majority) zebra and cats, there isn't something in my opinion that would not look good in a euro mount. Added advantage is you can always use the Euro again in future and make a new standard mount should you wish.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I personally think that they ALL look good in Euro mounts...

And it sure saves both space and money

Here is one of the walls in our previous house. Wall space was at a premium...

View attachment 597184

Here are three views of the great room in the house we just built. The second row of skulls is not installed yet, but ultimately the whole triangle will be full. And many frames are not hanged yet (we recently moved in), but they are coming...

So far, I have only kept one representative of each species, and aside from Kudus that will make the whole second row, I intend to keep it this way.

View attachment 597185

View attachment 597186

View attachment 597189

One recommendation if I may: DO NOT have the skulls painted white and the horns painted black or varnished, it really destroys the trophy as a representation of what the animal was (horns), and makes the entire thing look artificial... It is of course a matter of personal preference, but the vast majority of folks keep them natural.

Yes! African taxidermists will try to shortcut and paint skulls white. Specifically instruct your taxidermist over there to NOT paint the skulls or they may do it anyway. Have your PH write it on the invoice. I'm finding it's fairly common practice. My first shipment was all painted and I spent a month stripping, properly cleaning, and bleaching the skulls. Also let them know you want all teeth attached ... and YOUR animal's teeth, not something salvaged from some other critter and stuck on with gobs if glue. Been there!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

There are the jokes about the policemen and pastor's sons. Well my dad has a Taxidermy business in SA and I personally prefer euro mounts, either on wooden plank or plain white skull on a wall (wall color should not be white though). Apart from animals without horns (female majority) zebra and cats, there isn't something in my opinion that would not look good in a euro mount. Added advantage is you can always use the Euro again in future and make a new standard mount should you wish.

That is a good point. Taxidermist can always turn a euro into a shoulder mount later but he can't turn some other taxidermist's messed up shoulder mount into a euro. At best he might be able to salvage a cap mount on board. Chopped off skull cap would require building up with bondo and covering with leather or velvet. Ugh!

 

[Tim Blackwell]

Shoulder mount everything!!


*Disclaimer: I am a taxidermist

 

[D-Orcutt]

Shoulder mount everything!!


*Disclaimer: I am a taxidermist

Haha fair enough

 

[C.W. Richter]

Under "Bidenomics:" Euro Mounts. He's costing 2 forced, additional deer shoulder mounts per month, on average, to Americans! Perhaps if DJT gets his last hurrah, we can make the losses back, and potentially go to museum quality full mounts! lol Between the extra tax collection, inflation, higher fuel/energy/food bills, et. al. I'm easily pissing 4 shoulder mounts away, monthly, for Jose BiDem. Biden (and his Swamp in general) have negatively impacted the hunting/safari industry. Pls tell your friends/relatives/coworkers to never make that mistake ever again!!

 

[PARA45]

I was going to suggest taking a look at @Red Leg's trophy room but noticed that he did post pictures. He has one, if not the nicest and classiest looking room that I've seen in pictures or in person, and he has both types of mounts.

 

[mark-hunter]

That is a good point. Taxidermist can always turn a euro into a shoulder mount later but he can't turn some other taxidermist's messed up shoulder mount into a euro.

My first two deliveries of dip and pack trophies for shoulder mounts came with horns removed from head, and salted capes. And with only a piece of top bone of the scull where horn basis grew. The rest of scull was not delivered.
The final shoulder mount was made by securing the "scalp" to animal mannequin base made of plastic (or similar material), and then the cape was dressed up.
So, in this situation the process is not reversible.
My third delivery of trophies for shoulder mounts came with full sculls and detached horns and salted capes.
So, Eland I made as European scull mount, and his cape was tanned in local taxidermy and stored to be used for shoulder mount when I build my trophy room and man cave,

So, in conclusion, to make shoulder mount to scull mount process reversible it is essential to make this clear to outfitter and to local taxidermy which prepares trophies for shipping. They should send full sculls with capes for every eventuality that comes later.