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To Mount or Not to Mount?

mamenninga

mamenninga

New Member
How do you all decide whether or not you are going to do a shoulder mount on a deer? I shot my biggest buck to date this year, around 145" nice, basic 10. I am struggling whether or not to do full shoulder mount, and just curious how most of you decide.
 
Take the story and journey of killing your deer into account. Buck I shot this year is about the same size as a 9 pointer but with all the things surrounding the kill there is no way I can't put him on the wall.

Good luck in the decision.
 
I think muddy is correct in telling you to take the story of the hunt into account. One thing else to consider is if this is your biggest buck thus far in your hunting career, why not mount it. It is obviously something to be proud of and shows progression in your hunting experience. That is what we all strive for is to take a bigger buck than in the past. I wouldn't even bat an eye at mounting it if it were me.
 
If he's your biggest..of course.

I'm kind of a sicko in this regards. In the past 5 yrs I'll have put 4 shoulder mounts on the wall. I hope that when I drop dead I leave my loved ones and absolute pile of shoulder mounts to curse me for.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Saskguy</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I hope that when I drop dead I leave my loved ones and absolute pile of shoulder mounts to curse me for. </div></div>

That made me chuckle Kaere!
 
Well.. It only costs me about $100 to have one mounted /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif .. so pretty much anything big enough for the record books or anything with a good story/goofy looking rack... I have to take advantage of very expensive taxidermy school... I'm going to need a lot of wall space over the course of my life.
 
Every time you look at your deer on the wall, you will recall every detail about the hunt. AND he's your biggest /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Sounds like it's worthy of a shoulder mount to me. Personal decision but I wouldn't hesitate on a deer of that size.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: muddy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Take the story and journey of killing your deer into account. Buck I shot this year is about the same size as a 9 pointer but with all the things surrounding the kill there is no way I can't put him on the wall.

Good luck in the decision. </div></div>

Yup, what he said.

I decided to get my deer mounted this year for these very reasons.

The 'Bonker
 
I've set a certain "goal" that I won't have a deer mounted unless it exceeds that score.

If I had a place to display them and money wasn't an object, I'd probably get them all mounted.
 
I decided early on that the first deer i was extremely proud of weather it was size, the hunt, or something else that made him special i was going to do a shoulder mount both of mine in are the same score area as yours but the first was my first mature deer and first with a muzzleloader and my second was my first buck with a bow after 5 years of taking does. after that i have told myself that i wont shoot a buck unless he is bigger than what ive already got or there is some other circumstance that justifies me shooting a smaller one, maybe charecter in a rack or great history w/ an older but smaller buck. i dont think anyone will have a perfect answer the trophy is in the eyes of the beholder. if i am ever lucky enough to shoot a 200"er i am spending the 1800 bucks on a full body mount.
 
I now shoot 2 types of bucks- both are mature: fully mature pigs that don't score well (sometimes I do Euro mounts on them and give capes to buddies) AND high scoring monsters- of course I mount each one.
When I started it was MUCH DIFFERENT, I have a lot of mounts that I'd never mount now BUT 1st I'd never even shoot to begin with (just because I personally want to challenge myself more).

I would mount something if it's a big buck and one of your 1st good ones. Unique big bucks. Good size bucks with big memories. Etc, etc. Depends where you are in your hunting journey.
My standards for mounting deer (and shooting them) have changed SO much in even 5-7 years, I guess it's where you are in your hunting life- do you have 20 mounts of big bucks OR are you just getting going and haven't got a big one yet? Obviously this is a unique issue. I think you'll know in your gut when you pull him outta the woods if you should mount him.
Alot of my mounts were from when I got started hunting (smaller but nice bucks I was proud of), here's some mounts of mine (some are really big and some are great memories and some of my 1st good bucks that NOW I probably would never shoot)....
MountWall1Web.JPG

MountWall13Web.JPG

MountWall4Web.JPG
 
How did you feel when he was coming in for the shot? Were you excited? Did it feel like your heart was beating out of your chest? How did you feel when you approached him on the ground? Did your buddies give you high fives and handshakes and many congratulations. Would you be just as proud of him on the wall. Would you look at him and remember the hunt, detail for detail and tell the stories to your children and grandchildren?

If the answer is yes to these questions, then getter done!! Mount it and enjoy it forever. Don't skimp on price / quality though. The only deer that I have on my wall that I am not so proud of are the ones that I went cheap and got cheap!
 
If there is someone on this site who has more big buck mounts then that I would love to see it! Woah...Impressive...Makes the three on my wall look very sub-par...haha

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sligh1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I now shoot 2 types of bucks- both are mature: fully mature pigs that don't score well (sometimes I do Euro mounts on them and give capes to buddies) AND high scoring monsters- of course I mount each one.
When I started it was MUCH DIFFERENT, I have a lot of mounts that I'd never mount now BUT 1st I'd never even shoot to begin with (just because I personally want to challenge myself more).

I would mount something if it's a big buck and one of your 1st good ones. Unique big bucks. Good size bucks with big memories. Etc, etc. Depends where you are in your hunting journey.
My standards for mounting deer (and shooting them) have changed SO much in even 5-7 years, I guess it's where you are in your hunting life- do you have 20 mounts of big bucks OR are you just getting going and haven't got a big one yet? Obviously this is a unique issue. I think you'll know in your gut when you pull him outta the woods if you should mount him.
Alot of my mounts were from when I got started hunting (smaller but nice bucks I was proud of), here's some mounts of mine (some are really big and some are great memories and some of my 1st good bucks that NOW I probably would never shoot)....
MountWall1Web.JPG

MountWall13Web.JPG

MountWall4Web.JPG
</div></div>
 
Put that deer on the wall! He deserves it! It's your biggest one to date, why not? If you ever shoot one bigger in the future, put him on the wall too! If you ever shoot one smaller in the future, take into account things like the hunt itself, history, rack features, uniqueness of the cape (i.e. double throat patch) or just go on a gut feeling. But you've got my vote:

Put him on the wall!
 
I was in your boat a few years ago...and my wife actually helped me...she kept saying...you'll get a bigger one, then you will be disappointed with that one...she was right. I finally shot one about 4 yrs ago, and she said, that's one you should get mounted, and the same thing happened last year. If you think it is the biggest deer you will ever shoot, then you better get it mounted, but if not...then for me, it just raised the standard on what I now shoot, but I still enjoy each buck that comes by my stand.
 
You better put him on the wall you never know if or when youll ever get one bigger. Dont take this personal because its just my opinion but I think if your not going to mount a buck then why kill it? I guess it just makes more sense to me to shoot a doe if the antlers are just gonna end up in a pile in the garage never to really be admired, again dont crusify me for saying that its just my own personal opinion
 
DO IT.

This may not be your case, but if it is more of a financial decision then just get the cape tanned and hold onto it until you are ready. Many people don't mount stuff because they don't want to fork out the coin right then....just have it tanned and in a few years maybe you'll be ready to do it or will have changed your mind. At least you'll always have the option.
 
Here in michigan, if it's over 100 inches it's a trophy worthy of a $435 shoulder mount. Heck I've got two 90 inchers mounted.
 
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