How many of you DON'T mount all your trophies?

[Red Leg]

Unless a trust fund baby or planning a natural history museum, an active hunter eventually runs out of space or resources or both - or he can quit hunting. I have had a couple of acquaintances take life changing safaris in Africa but will not return because of no more room for trophies. That strikes me as a form of madness.

As one gets older, it also begins to dawn on most mortals that all the dead fauna actually represents an eventual burden to one’s heirs. My last true mount was a European Capercaillie - a lifetime hunting quest. I also bring home all my roe deer as Euros. The few true taxidermy mounts are very selective. But nearly thirty years ago I began making photo journals of my hunts and our adventures. All my game animals and their stories reside in them. Unlike a ratty old wall pedestal sable a grown grandchild might actually find those tales of real interest one day. I also have several of my best trophies memorialized in photos printed on canvas.

To put it briefly, I like to think of my of my trophy room (and house for that matter) as representative of my passions and experiences (including art, library, and historical memorabilia) not the sum total of them.

Capercaillie

Photo journals

Canvas photo trophies

 

[Hillbilly Marine]

I have never had anything done taxidermy wise. Either I was always moving, too broke to afford it, or just never caught the bug. All of my friends have many deer mounted but, to me at least, they were either poorly done or placed. Also, in my neck of the woods deer mounts are commonplace to boredom.

My firstsafari is next year and I am having a devel of a time deciding what to do with the critters on my list. The zebra is going to be a flat skin to hang on the wall because I have wanted one like that since I was a wee small boy. Gemsbok, warthog, impala, and wildebeest are up in the air.

 

[Tbitty]

On my first African safari, I took 5 animals and did all shoulder mounts. Looking back 3-4 years later, I wished I had been selective on it and done euros for all except my Blue wildebeest. At the time, I did not think I would return to Africa for many years, if ever, so the thought was to just do them all. Since then, Ive added a few more international hunts and more animals to the wall and am running out of space and have become much more selective of what is shoulder mount vs Euro. Almost exclusively my mounts (shoulder/pedestal) are exotics.

I've only ever mounted 2 of my many whitetail deer: I retro-mounted my biggest whitetail from my youth (didn't have any $ then to get a real mount done, was juat horns on skull cap for many years until I shot a huge body old buck that I could use the cape from and it would look right for size of body to antler ratio), and my first ever archery buck (first archery animal, too), a new-to-me hobby I picked up a few years back. Beyond that, I have a blackbear rug from Canada and a javelina. Only 1 other whitetail got a euro treatment I did myself. The rest are horns on skull caps.

The garage has lots of room for Euros or regular horns on skull cap only, which I enjoy having for my own reflection on the hunts even if not impressive to anyone else. So that's where most of my US animals go. Good Lord willing, Ive got many years of hunting ahead of me that will surely overrun my current wall space. But until then I will always keep the horns at minimum, unless it would be something stupid cost prohibitive (like shipping an impala skull only, but who's going to only shoot an impala???). More "special" animals will get mounted as long as I have room.

 

[Stetsonham]

Although I can do my own taxidermy, I enjoy the hobby and it saves me lots of $$ but I have found myself already with my only two trips no planning to mount animals I killed on those trips… long term I see a problem with to many mounts. For example I had my first springbok dip and packed back home. In the time I have had it I decided it’s really nothing special and I will wait for a bigger one if I mount it. So I paid to dip & pack the hide ship it and tan it… so kinda a loss there.
I already have a good amount of mule deer, bear, lion , elk mounts so being picky there aswell.

 

[Green Chile]

I say on every trip I’m not bringing anything back…and then you find a 48” sable or 30” nyala…or 50# ivory. You can’t leave that level behind. I plan on doing more non-exportable so that decision is already made.

 

[HWL]

Pictures only.....

HWL

 

[TOBY458]

I’ve yet to mount a single trophy taken in Africa, Australia or Alaska. I do have skulls, horns, etc, but no mounts whatsoever. I’d rather spend the money on more hunting.

 

[Troubleshooter]

For North American game for me mounting is the exception. I have a bunch of antler sets including some pretty good ones.

Either I was always moving, too broke to afford it.......... Also, in my neck of the woods deer mounts are commonplace to boredom.

Similar situation here, although I will mount first of a species or exceptional animals -- mostly because now I can finally afford to do so. As others have stated, such was not always the case. I did keep a euro of my first Red Stag and a skull cap from my first deer, neither of which were particularly impressive. But hey I was young and it was something that I could do myself without hiring a taxidermist that I couldn't afford anyway. Also fleshed and tanned my own deer hides, which I will gladly pay someone else to do now.

As income increased and hunted species diversified, I did choose to have a few animals professionally mounted. But for deer in particular, I more often shoot a meat doe these days, so taxidermy isn't a consideration. African game has been mostly shoulder or pedestal mounts, but with a few euros on plaques tossed in for good measure. I figure that it's called "disposable income" for a reason! But going forward, I think more will come home as euros or horns only, or just as photos.

I will say that African mounts can take over a room very quickly though!

 

[Nyati]

Never mounted anything, only euros, and don´t keep them all.

For space reasons, I am limited to around 60 trophies.

 

[skydiver386]

So what does become of the buffalo horns and skull or the kudu if the hunter decides not to take them or use them? I assumed (you know where that gets you) that someone could profit from the left behind trophies?

I may be wrong, but I'd imagine that's where a lot of the items sold to tourists in the Duty Free shops come from. Gift shops all over SA had items like Kudu horns, Zebra skins, etc.

 

[ftrovato]

I’ve never mounted anything in my life, and I never plan to. It’s always been tacky to me, regardless of the “impressiveness” of the animal. I’ve literally given away the antlers from a 12 point (likely high scoring) buck because I just could not care less about them, and the person I gave them to used them to make a chandelier type thing for her husband’s cabin, along with some antlers they already had.

The only antlers in my whole life I’ve kept have been from my 17pt buck, and I still can’t bring myself to even hang them because I find that sort of thing just really ugly from an interior design perspective.

I plan on hunting plains game (my main ones I want to hunt are giraffe, eland, kudu, zebra, and some african game birds) in the next 5 years and I intend to bring 0 trophies home, the only thing I want is some tanned skins to make some things out of.

If I ever get the budget to go buffalo or elephant hunting, I will probably not mount or bring those home either. Just want the leather to make stuff out of and that’s it.

I cant wait to put my hand on my European buffalo & eland heads when they finally get to me and hopefully feel the hunt come rushing back....to each their own.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Mine are almost exclusively skulls or cap mounts. I have one shoulder wall pedestal mount of a respectable mule deer that my daughter did for her taxidermy business showroom. I have tanned capes for kudu, black wildebeest, and nyala in storage but I think only the one kudu cape will be salvageable. My prettiest kudu skull is thankfully only 44.5" and it may yet someday become a manageable pedestal mount. That is enough fur and glass eyes for my little house. When my daughter was taking her taxidermy course, she begged me to let her mount one of my elk cap mounts for class project. "NO! I don't live in Buckingham Palace!" The smaller one is four points shy of B&C. Even as cap mounts under a 9' ceiling they're a huge pain in the arse. Almost poked an eye out a couple of times vacuuming the floor. Instead a friend who later succumbed during COVID gave her a nice pronghorn rack to use. Wish he hadn't died so we could give that shoulder mount back and free up valuable wall space!

Skull mounts are much more transferable and easier to decorate around. Shoulder mounts are obtrusive. They just are. And they typically do not age well. I appreciate the artistic ability to do that work well but I am not a big fan of it in my home.

Cat was a class project. Bear skull and Chinook salmon are for clients. Eye gouger elk rack is partially visible. Bird mount is promotion for another local taxidermist. Wall space is a problem!

 

[BGHNTR416]

I mount too much, my office is small and about out of room. Still, if I manage to kill a good trophy it will go to the taxidermist and I will find a place for it. I love to sit in my office and look at my animals. Gives me great pleasure to do so. A few animals I look at and think, "why the heck did I mount that!" but that's ok. Those get moved or given away and I put up the next treasure. If I ever make it back to Africa I will surely face a heck of a dilemma. That will be a good problem to have I suppose! With 2 kids just starting college the wallet will remain empty for awhile!

 

[Rare Breed]

Unless a trust fund baby or planning a natural history museum, an active hunter eventually runs out of space or resources or both - or he can quit hunting. I have had a couple of acquaintances take life changing safaris in Africa but will not return because of no more room for trophies. That strikes me as a form of madness.

As one gets older, it also begins to dawn on most mortals that all the dead fauna actually represents an eventual burden to one’s heirs. My last true mount was a European Capercaillie - a lifetime hunting quest. I also bring home all my roe deer as Euros. The few true taxidermy mounts are very selective. But nearly thirty years ago I began making photo journals of my hunts and our adventures. All my game animals and their stories reside in them. Unlike a ratty old wall pedestal sable a grown grandchild might actually find those tales of real interest one day. I also have several of my best trophies memorialized in photos printed on canvas.

To put it briefly, I like to think of my of my trophy room (and house for that matter) as representative of my passions and experiences (including art, library, and historical memorabilia) not the sum total of them.

Capercaillie

Photo journals

Canvas photo trophies

So identical to you!!! I do the same things. Interesting my grandchildren seem to enjoy my picture albums more as they sit in my lap looking through them with me as I plant the desire for Africa in them!

 

[coreydb]

I was surprised at the number of hunters who go on cull hunts with no intention of mounting anything. They just want to shoot. On my last hunt in SA, the outfitter's other PH called in to report of a successful hunt with his client's kill of 90-plus animals....90? I didn't ask for context, (duration, number of countries, problematic/invasive species on crops or farm animals), but 90?

 

[LWPhunt]

I did shoulder mounts of the main stay animals you think of in SA and others too, Wildebeest, impala, nyala, Kudu, sable, gemsbok, eland, cape buffalo. All the rest flat skins and euro's. From this point forward won't bring any heads back, but flat skins can make some cool stuff, so that is the plan. I have stopped with whitetails, elk, mouflon, roe, only euro's. The only animal left that I want as a shoulder mount, is a Tahr out of New Zealand. That shaggy cape is too cool. Coming soon.

Depends also if your wife has issues or your house is a style that allows for all that stuff, to each his own.

 

[Tim Blackwell]

Come on everyone, stop this negative talk. We don't need threads like these on this great site.
Won't someone think of their friendly local taxidermist? We need to go to Africa too!

 

[TOBY458]

Come on everyone, stop this negative talk. We don't need threads like these on this great site.
Won't someone think of their friendly local taxidermist? We need to go to Africa too!

Just keep on mounting those deer heads!

 

[Tim Blackwell]

Just keep on mounting those deer heads!

I'm trying. Got more taxidermy to pay for haha

 

[Challer]

I’ve never mounted a single trophy of any kind. The idea of encountering dead animals in the middle of the night just bothers me far more than encountering a live animal in camp. But I’ve also never done “grab and grin” photos either.