Euro mounts- Am I smoking the devils lettuce?

[Tra3]

@Dudders nice wall!
ok, which is your favorite? And why?

 

[Dudders]

If i was only able to keep one it would be the kudu horns at the top of the picture, why? The mass at the bass the colour of the horn and the symmetry of them, As you walk in they are hidden by the floor above as you move closer they appear into view They are the one sett everyone wants to take home. But there is an adventure and story behind everyone of those skulls of time spent with friends and familiy each with there own special place in my memories.

 

[Dudders]

Here's the Fallow side

 

[YancyW]

I lean towards euro most of the time. If it's Rowland Ward or very special for some reason, then I will spend the money on it.

 

[Ryan]

As a wise professor I had in college often said: "It depends"
Skulls are simple, take up less space, and to me just as much tactile as visual. Head mounts take up more space and are more dramatic and visual. Each has a different affect on me and people that see them. Happily, my home has both.

To me a buffalo skull looks better most of the time compared to a head. Those horns just blend into the rest of it too well and get lost. And the same goes for caribou and moose, the nose just overloads it and it takes a barn or really big room to house it. I love my big caribou skull mount (below), but I'll never get a caribou or moose head mount. I'd say most Alaskans side with me there. On the flip side my eland is a head mount (below), which my PH at the time was pretty adament about. He said a skull mount would not do it justice since the horns are a minor part of it. I agree for the first one with no regret (nothing saying I couldn't have called the taxidermist and changed my order) though if I took a second it would be a skull. My first black wildebeest is a skull and rug and it's great but my second will be a head mount of some sort. I want to see the whole picture there, with the mane and nose ruff. I will say a duiker or steenbok skull doesn't do it for me, it's at least a head mount there. The rest is a mix with no regrets. I will say I'm not buying or making a bigger house for trophies, just not my thing. So I lean towards skulls for that reason too. And looking around sporting goods stores plus the comments about dealing with relatives mounts I'm reminded that no one wants my trophies when I die, so what I have will be in a big bonfire.

 

[rookhawk]

I like euros — I like the simplicity of it - I like that I dont need to deal with their hide or hair getting dust and cobwebs in it. But this’d past weekend— my neighbors came over and we’d were looking at the whitetail I have taken on this ranch (all euros) and all four of them said— a 161 needs to be shoulder mounted on a low fence ranch in the hill country- thats a trophy— kill another buck with a good cape and make it happen. ‘’I was floored” I love my euros— I dont like waiting 1-2 years for a mount to come home —and I guess I am probabaly leery of when my Dad passed — he had many mounts and they were a PITA to deal with in fact— I didnt deal with them— I had no money and no space to deal with them then and he didnt leave me any to help with CHORE.
Euros mounts in my oppinion as much easier to deal with , smaller, take less space, still offer the memories of the hunt. I dont care about scores— I hunt what I like. Am I alone ? Do I do an animal a disservice if I dont shoulder or pedestal mount it? On the upcoming hunt— I will shoulder the kudus, the buff may be shoulder maybe pedestal and the the sable will def be a pedestal — the eland will be euro, warthog - euro, zebra-skin and others will be euro— nyala— undecided — bush buck as well — impala— euro — gemsbok euro — i will have the skins tanned and the meat will be used— Am I missing something — do you feel like one animal is deserving of a shoulder over another? Plains game mostly — I guess I hold the big 5/6 in different regard. But that being said — I’d euro a buffalo if I liked the plaque or the buff was a second or other reasons ... — I surely would— others outside of Leopard— I have no interest in— I think cats deserve a full body — they are special— but I dont want any of them currently . Am I out of my mind? Sorry about run on sentences and punctuation — I are an Aggie.

There are other options beyond euro mount too. I like antlers/horns with the skull cap, covered in leather, suede, or tweed and then mounted to a plaque. They look very distinctive and women tend to like them quite a bit. I’m not personally a fan of bleached skulls so this is yet another alternative.

In addition, you can do pedestal boxes for hippo tusks, you can do carved plaques for boar and warthog tusks, etc.

Another way gaining popularity is a square wood block or a square marble/granite block with a brass rod coming out of the top that fastens to the skull cap of the trophy. You can display a set of horns on a credenza, coffee table, or bookshelf in this manner providing another way to enjoy mementos of prior hunts.


There are many unique ways to display trophies when you run out of room for shoulder mounts.

 

[ArmyAV8tor]

I like Euros as well. I have a piece of the hide from each animal on the wood behind the skull that shows the differences in color and the wood is cut into the shape of Namibia minus the Caprivi stem.

 

[VertigoBE]

I like Euros as well. I have a piece of the hide from each animal on the wood behind the skull that shows the differences in color and the wood is cut into the shape of Namibia minus the Caprivi stem.

Hi @ArmyAV8tor would you be able to post some pictures? Interested in what this looks like with the hide as a background.

Thanks!

V.

 

[gizmo]

Well first off, "Gig'em". Secondly it is 100% your personal taste. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. If you like it and are happy, thats the end of it. I personally dont care fore euro's at all. Rarely do I do one that fits my personal taste but at the end of the day, from my perspective, if thats what the client wants and is happy, well then so be it. Don't let others influence what you like. If you mount or dont mount something a certain way because of outside influence then you will never be happy with it. It is YOUR hunt and YOUR memories!

 

[Muskox]

I like Euros as well. I have a piece of the hide from each animal on the wood behind the skull that shows the differences in color and the wood is cut into the shape of Namibia minus the Caprivi stem.

Care to share a photo of that, it sounds wonderful!

 

[Muskox]

I saw 4 gemsbok on White Sands on Sunday night coming home from the hospital. If I draw a tag this year, I am doing Euros.

I love Taxidermy, but I have shot 3 oryx before and while I think they are beautiful they are a huge pain in the ass if you live in a normal sized house.

I am supposed to pick up my free range aoudad next month. He got mounted as he is my first wild sheep. He's not very big, but I am going to get at least the first wild sheep of each species I take mounted. If I draw a tag in New Mexico or Texas this year for aoudad and take a huge one, I might reconsider that.

I don't see going to Africa and getting everything mounted as something I would do. I might have done that 20 years ago, but I have moved about 30 times since I last hunted Africa and I am glad that I didn't have those shoulder mounts to deal with.

I'd get predators rugged, zebras, and really one off or huge animals occasionally but not as a rule.

 

[Gemsbok45]

I like both,the older I get the euro works for me but Nyasaland,bushbuck I would shoulder mount.I did my first Buffalo and have since taken quite a few more and bigger but all euros. Great topic.

 

[C.W. Richter]

'Have a pile of both, but in this economic climate you'll be lucky if you save any $ (over mounts + old shipping prices) vs. euros and the new $hipping love! They do take up space and I often wonder if I should start a natural history museum at the farm (hang 'em all in 1 dedicated building and charge $1 per unwed mother, plus kids) in lieu of leaving my kids to deal with it all oneday...I often wonder if professional movers will handle mounts?! LOL I'll be like Noah and have to move 'em myself 2 at a time in the future...In that case, I favor the Euros!!! Best argument for a Euro mount-ever from my Son: "Dad, you don't have to get a shoulder mount of my (42") cape buffalo like yours (40+/-"). You heart shot yours, but I shot mine between the eyes, and IF you get that mounted for me, I'll never see that perfect shot ever again!" God works in mysterious ways...

 

[ArmyAV8tor]

Here are the Euros with hides.

 

[johnnyblues]

As most folks here who know me know how much I enjoy taxidermy. Most of my life I never really had the room or ceiling height for mounts but I went ahead and did them anyway. Now I have a very nice man cave so all the mounts I’ve done have a respectful place in my home. If you like euros than so be it. As long as your out and enjoying our sport is all that matters.

 

[PARA45]

I have a little bit of everything. My first safari, all the animals were shoulder mounted. I have some very special white tails and mule deer and they are shoulder mounted as well. I also have some white tails Euro. I like both styles. The way I see it, it's your house, your money and your trophies. As long as you are happy with what you have, who cares what the rest of the world thinks.

Here is a picture of my living room. I am also lucky to have a wonderful wife who doesn't mind having dead animal heads on the walls of our house. She even told me that we have too much empty space, and that I need a few more African trophies on the wall. LOL!!!!!

 

[Red Leg]

Like many, I mix them. Sometimes Euros not only save space, but they also work better with antiques and certain design ideas for a trophy room or any other space. If one hunts enough, eventually Fiscal or Newtonian laws begin to influence trophy collection. I have a friend who found Africa a life changing experience, daydreams about returning, but will not because he has no more room for trophy taxidermy. That is, to my mind at least, a definition of insanity. I actually bring relatively few physical trophies back any longer. But I am an avid photographer, and I memorialize every animal and hunt in large format photo-journals that I create about our every adventure. Unlike dead things on the wall, they actually may be of interest to a grandchild. We also love art. Every shoulder mount, or even a Euro, can take away a place that would be perfect for a painting.

 

[VertigoBE]

Like many, I mix them. Sometimes Euros not only save space, but they also work better with antiques and certain design ideas for a trophy room or any other space. If one hunts enough, eventually Fiscal or Newtonian laws begin to influence trophy collection. I have a friend who found Africa a life changing experience, daydreams about returning, but will not because he has no more room for trophy taxidermy. That is, to my mind at least, a definition of insanity. I actually bring relatively few physical trophies back any longer. But I am an avid photographer, and I memorialize every animal and hunt in large format photo-journals that I create about our every adventure. Unlike dead things on the wall, they actually may be of interest to a grandchild. We also love art. Every shoulder mount, or even a Euro, can take away a place that would be perfect for a painting.

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Gorgeous house and trophies @Red Leg ! Must be great to go perusing through all those memories and souvenirs on a daily basis!

 

[Red Leg]

Gorgeous house and trophies @Red Leg ! Must be great to go perusing through all those memories and souvenirs on a daily basis!

Thanks much. The previous owners had run their business from the carriage house. We gutted it and turned it into the Trophy Room, guest house, and gentlemen / ladies' bar. It is a good place to spend time over a single malt.

 

[norfolk shooter]

@friendswoodmatt You like what you like NEVER do things others want you to do with your hard hunted memories. I agree some things are special and as so deserve a mount but most of my things are all euro