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

[Altitude sickness]

I do not mount anything any longer. No room left.

1st it overflowed into my shop. Then mounts given to relatives, then friends hunting camps and bars. Gave away or sold all full body mounts. Have two half body mounts left. I will be the classic guy eventually selling them for 1 cent on the dollar. Or giving them away.

Many generic animals that are average could be purchased at online auctions or eBay for a fraction of the price.

 

[mark-hunter]

Our colleague mr @Red Leg has put it perfectly!
I can say nothing more.

I am about to finish my trophy collecting, exactly for the reasons described.
I can see myself collecting very few more trophies, and that is about it.

At the same time, this opens an entirely new set of possibilities in hunting non-exportable or management animals, at very reduced prices. (like two safaris for the price of one)

 

[gram2117]

I have three mounts coming from my last safari but after two trips I am out of room. Anything else I mount would have to be truely exceptional. Also the money I have spent would have got me a couple more hunts. In addition, I have been dealing with my dads estate who was a taxidermist for over 50 years and also collected various outdoor items. I have no desire to leave that kind of mess to my heirs.

 

[Hunt anything]

Been looking around my room to figure out a plan for my upcoming trips trophies. Planning on mounts for a tsessebe, bushbuck, hartebeest and if I significantly improve on an impala. Anything else will be euros like wildebeest or anything I shoot. I think I have a plan but this will fill me up. In the future if I go back and ever make it to Zambia I will mount a puku. I will always mount bushbuck but the rest will be euros. The only mounts will be tiny ten full body mounts that don’t take up much room and if I ever shoot a truly giant buffalo. I will just have to make room for him somewhere.

Of course this is my plan but with my addiction to taxidermy I will probably revert to my old ways and mount anything above average.

 

[jb1069]

Not to highjack this thread, but as a guy planning his first trip, do you guys find that this matters at all to your outfitters whether or not you get things mounted? Does this effect their bottom line? I've only mounted one whitetail and a few turkey fans over the years. More of a picture guy but do not want to be Charlie CheapA$$ either with the outfitter if its part of their income. Id rather save the money for another trip or other day trip experiences while I am there.

 

[Tbitty]

Not to highjack this thread, but as a guy planning his first trip, do you guys find that this matters at all to your outfitters whether or not you get things mounted? Does this effect their bottom line? I've only mounted one whitetail and a few turkey fans over the years. More of a picture guy but do not want to be Charlie CheapA$$ either with the outfitter if its part of their income. Id rather save the money for another trip or other day trip experiences while I am there.

It should not affect them at all, unless they are a family business doing taxidermy work on top of the safari hunts. And even then, they get every flavor of hunter: pictures only, euros only, a few shoulder mounts, every animal shoulder/pedestal mounts, full mount everything.
Most should juat ask how you want it skinned before they let the knives start working.

 

[PARA45]

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

I'm running out of room to mount things on our home, and I do not have a dedicated trophy room the family room is my trophy room. My wife being my biggest fan has always something up her sleeve and has suggested some wall space not being used. However, there is only so much dead stuff on the wall before it gets too crowded.

So, after reading one of @Red Leg posts like the one I'm quoting here. I've been doing exactly what he does and creating some small photo journals hopefully my kids, and grandkids will enjoy reading and viewing when I'm gone.

I believe from now on, most of what I hunt will end up being a Euro Mount that maybe I could hang on the small single wide trailer we have on our new piece of land we bought.

 

[Arty0802]

Just my 2 cents (might even be worth less than that), but one trend that I've noticed in a couple replies in this thread is the idea of "impressiveness". More specifically, it seems as though the writers (and I'm not pointing fingers in judgement, just making an observation and responding) are inferring that the mounting of trophies is tied to ego. In other words, pointing to the shoulder mount on the wall and saying "Look what I did". While that certainly does happen, I would like to think that a majority of us have a more honorable frame of mind when it comes to preservation of harvested game. I cannot speak for others, but I firmly believe that a beautiful shoulder mount, or European mount, or whatever flavor you like, is a celebration of that animal and a display of respect. Will I mount every animal I harvest? No. As a few other have already pointed out, that would be numerically impractical. But when a particularly special specimen comes around then I think it's worth it to memorialize them. As hunters we do advocate using ALL parts of the animal, do we not? I personally think that in some small measure we owe it to the animal to remember them somehow.

One of the greatest takeaways from being a hunter is the accumulation of a lifetime of stories. What better way to relive the adventure than to walk into your office or family room and see that old gnarly bull elk that you scaled mountains for, or even that dinky little 4-pointer that was your daughter's first deer. I guess the point I'm trying to make is: a "trophy" mounted on the wall should have nothing to do with "me", but should be treated as a celebratory reminder of the animal and the story of how your paths crossed.

 

[Ridge Runner]

After this last trip to Africa unless it is an exceptional animal, I'm just doing photos and keeping a few select hides and horns and antlers to make things with. No more room for mounts.

 

[Osama Mahdi]

Hard to leave trophies behind, but it’s a must at some point. I almost left my second kudu in Africa, but his horns have a special coloration pattern.
I can’t imagine leaving behind any member of the Tiny Ten. By the way, I have a fully tanned genet skin if someone is looking to buy one.

 

[Sabre]

This thread should live as a warning to people just getting into hunting. However, if they are like me, they probably won't follow the advice in the beginning.

I love taxidermy mounts, and I also love Euro mounts. Between the two, I am now leaning very heavily into only euro mounts and flat skins from here on out.

For me, the tipping point was this year. There are a few things that really make euro mounts the smarter move if you find them appealing. One is the cost, two is the space, three is legacy/retained value.

For the cost of doing shoulder mounts on many hunts, especially Africa, or North American predators (predators in general), the cost of the taxidermy can easily equal or exceed the cost of the hunt. This means whatever level of travel hunting you are currently doing, you could likely double it if you did euros.

Anyone that hunts a lot and has moderate success is going to start running out of room if they mount everything as a shoulder mount or more.

Lastly, for the most part, big mounts end up being a burden to those close to you when you pass away. There are some that people will fight over, like a really well done full body bobcat or mountain lion. But for the most part, most people's kids don't want 30 whitetail shoulder mounts to move into their house. I have no shortage of friends and family that would love to take all the bear skulls and euro whitetail bucks etc. And even if they don't want them, they can sell those much easier and with a better ROI. Most shoulder mounted animals will bring pennies on the dollar as many people have said. And I know that's not why we mount them (at least for me it isn't), but as I get older I think, "if I were to die, would I rather my family and I used those thousands of dollars and took another cool trip together, or for them to have more shoulder mounts to have to feel bad about selling for pennies?"

 

[Sabre]

I wanted to say this as a separate comment because I think it's probably more important and applies to everything in life, not just taxidermy.

"The things you own end up owning you"

We all have hobbies we love. But the more items you collect, the more it starts impeding your life and can even change decisions people make. I know people that collect guns and have many gun safes. They have said they would like to move to a new house, but they can't mentally deal with the idea of moving all those guns and gun safes. So they stay in a house they don't like. Because their hobby owns them.

 

[mdwest]

We're at the point where the wife and I have agreed its time to stop with taxidermy unless something truly world class comes along or there is an event that is so epic/memorable associated with a hunt that we want to memorialize it with a trophy... and if that happens, something has to go to make room for the new mount..

We dont live in a mansion.. but our home isnt tiny... we've got 29 shoulder and euro mounts on the walls.. and many of them are massive.. we've also got 1 more shoulder mount on the way from an Ireland hunt, 5 more shoulder and euros on the way from the last Africa trip, and have an elk and a red stag in process as well.. so once all of that is done we're talking about almost 40 trophies in the house (not counting a handful of birds).. its starting to look like the final fight scene in the original Roadhouse up in here

From this point forward its going to be photos, coffee table photo books, etc..

 

[steve white]

Wifee votes no more....sigh

You don't want to make them blow a gasket--the owner of Lesters upscale clothing in College Station, Tx (now no more) had a moose or elk head over every secretary's desk. My wife told him she knew why--it was because his wife told him to move them out....he sheepishly admitted she was exactly right. Having said that, a woman can usually find a use for a flat skin.

 

[Rare Breed]

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.

I now only do albums. The exception will be a full body mount when and if I get my leopard to complete my Big 5

 

[3chunter]

I got to build a place for all my animal mounts. I have around 25 African animals, 12 ducks and geese, 6 deer heads, some other stuff. Just getting started hunting out west this year and hope to get a mule deer or two. I would still mount my North American stuff. Africa will have to wait a while because shipping and taxidermy is super expensive but I don’t know if I can go and shoot a trophy and not bring it back.
Guess what I am saying is i like mounts. I can look at mounts for hours. Since i was little I have dreamed about having a trophy room with various mounts. Will build it one day!

 

[MS 9x56]

Unless the hunt has special meaning and company to me I just take pictures now. As others have said I am running out of room also.

 

[Safari Dave]

The only reason I would do a shoulder mount now would be if it is significantly larger than the same species I've collected before, or it is a unique trophy or has a unique story.

Everything else get a euro mount, unless it's a small whitetail, and in that case I might just saw off the skull cap. (If it's a doe, it's been collected for meat).







My doctor's secretary had two caribou behind her desk. (She didn't strike me as a caribou hunter).

 

[Rubberhead]

I consider myself a digital taxidermist...

 

[dchum]

I consider myself a digital taxidermist...

My lord that wood duck photo is spectacular!

What camera did you order? Could a dummy like me operate it? I’ve never dabbled with modern digital cameras as the smart phone took over to fast.

I need one