Trophy Room Questions

[ryno111]

I just booked my second trip to Africa, and my first round is at the taxidermist. Time to decide where everything will go.

Fortunately, I need a home office, so I'd like to build something for double-duty. This is what I have so far:
1. 25 feet wide by 45 feet long.
2. 19 feet side walls (cathedral ceilings at 24 feet at highest point). I need the height to attach a lean-to for RV storage.

This will be my first taxidermy. I'm thinking that the tall walls should give me enough room for two rows of trophies. A bottom row for small/medium animals (think wildebeest, impala, etc...) starting about 9 feet high with a top row for larger animals (think big kudu, elk, etc...) starting about 12-13 feet high. Does this sound right? I don't want the animals to be "lost" so high in the room.

Also, does anyone know of flexible LED lighting or strips that could be installed now and moved later? I've heard that lighting is critical.

Based on other threads I've found, I'll hang plywood behind the drywall.

Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Fatback]

If you are going to hang mounts high it is important to make sure you have them posed with some downward angle, etc…. I also wouldn’t be afraid to mix larger and smaller animals at different heights, depending on the poses you choose. Definitely go with plywood behind the drywall, that gives you a lot more flexibility with deciding to hang mounts. I’ve got a large area that has mounts that the wall is 22 feet high and I’ve got my animals mixed in there. I will be taking them all down and re-arrangement them in the next year or so when I get my mounts back from my 2022 safari. It’s good to have a plan on where you want mounts to go before hand so you can get them posed to your liking. Looking forward to following along with this thread and seeing what you come up with.

 

[Inline6]

If you are going to hang mounts high it is important to make sure you have them posed with some downward angle, etc…. I also wouldn’t be afraid to mix larger and smaller animals at different heights, depending on the poses you choose. Definitely go with plywood behind the drywall, that gives you a lot more flexibility with deciding to hang mounts. I’ve got a large area that has mounts that the wall is 22 feet high and I’ve got my animals mixed in there. I will be taking them all down and re-arrangement them in the next year or so when I get my mounts back from my 2022 safari. It’s good to have a plan on where you want mounts to go before hand so you can get them posed to your liking. Looking forward to following along with this thread and seeing what you come up with.

Sound advice!

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Sounds like you have a pretty good plan and will have a large and impressive trophy room. I have 16 ft side walls. Your plan to put the first row at ~9ft ft and the next at ~12 ft sounds good. You might try a little lower, say starting the lower row at 7 or 8 ft. One thing to consider is having some of the mounts you plan for the upper row to get them mounted looking down. For some reason, taxidermists that I've dealt with don't like to do this. I think it requires a significant modification to the form. But when the animal is mounted high up, looking down at you is a cool look.

 

[ryno111]

Thanks Everyone for the responses. If you have any pics, feel free to send!

 

[Fixfire]

As suggested, I think mixing the animals, rather than in “rows” will look much better. Congratulations on having such a large canvas to work with!!! Gonna look fantastic!!!

 

[Fatback]

Here are some pics of my mounts. Also a good idea to make sure the paint is a lighter color, it helps the mounts stand out from the background

 

[K-man]

Yes lighting is very important and the hardest part is knowing where your mounts will be after the fifth or sixth safari. There has been lots of improvement in lighting in the last five or ten years but flexible lighting is still important. I used track lights that i converted LED when they came out. beware of too much natural light that can fade your mounts over time. Make sure your windows have low-e coatings to prevent as much fading as possible. I have to re-arrange my room after almost every taxidermy delivery. Good luck with the build!

 

[DLSJR]

Are you going to have a fireplace in the room? If so, consider some type of natural stone. I put this fireplace at one end of my room and it’s the spot that gets the most attention.

 

[wesheltonj]

I think a 5 foot slope on your cathedral ceiling might be too low.

 

[MontanaPat]

I built a new guesthouse/trophy room last summer and ran into a couple of things that might help you. I had planned to put plywood under the sheet rock also but ended up going a different way for a couple of reasons. Due to how the building was framed with 2x6 walls and the manufactured trusses were done with 2x4’s mostly the interior walls weren’t going to line up correctly without having to bump out some sections to get smooth lines. The way we corrected the issue was rather than using plywood under the sheet rock we used extra 2x10 lumber to block all of the walls between the studs from about six feet high up to the ceiling. This allowed for the sheetrock to be laid flat over it on all walls. You don’t need plywood below eye level since you aren’t hanging mounts that low so from 6’ up works fine for me and the cost was about the same. The other issue I had that you want to keep in mind is the depth of your window framing. I used Marvin wood windows and the window sills were made for 2x6 deep wall framing and had just enough space for sheet rock and not a double depth with room for plywood and sheet rock both. Just some things to keep in mind. Good luck on your build

 

[MontanaPat]

One other comment to clarify, the sheet rock issue lining up was in the gable ends of the cathedral ceiling when you went above the 10’ high wall level

 

[Rickmt]

Personally I prefer my heads to be lower in the room . I have 2 cathedral ceiling spaces and the higher you go the less impactful the trophy is. I buy rights and lefts equally so that when more trophy’s come I can mix them up for visual appeal.

 

[Rickmt]

 

[Fixfire]

Nice stuff!!! You need a buff to replace that wreath!!!

 

[Rickmt]

My Buffalo is on his way from Kwazulu Natal any day now !

 

[JES Adventures]

All sound advice thus far. My last trophy room had a 20 foot wall height which was too much for my taste.

On the new build I have specified 16 foot wall plates to a 24 foot cathedral ceiling.

This will should allow for better viewing.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Don’t waste money on too many windows. Even with quality glass, the sun ruins the mounts. Use few windows and more lighting.

 

[Rickmt]

I used 3m company film for my windows to block most harmful light . We like a lot of light !

 

[ryno111]

Here are some pics of my mounts. Also a good idea to make sure the paint is a lighter color, it helps the mounts stand out from the background View attachment 543702View attachment 543700View attachment 543703View attachment 543704

Wow...beautiful mounts! Love that moose and kudu.