Shoulder Mount or European Mount?

I'm not sure where you live, but bucks like that are few and far between around here. Shoulder mount, because it is your first. And it is a heck of a first, btw. Congrats!

Mounted skulls always remind me of the first "Predator" movie. With most deer I just mount the horns on a plaque sans skull. However, I do have one high point eight I shot out in west Texas, my best to date and it ain't no 10 lb and sure as HECk don't spread 20 inches. The G2s are about 11" on it and I just decided to waste the money on it. It's a nice mount, though. Old retired fellow here did taxidermy and did this for me. He's passed away now, but was a good taxidermist. He did a mallard and a javelina for me, too.

Hmm, just checked the picture and see it's a mulie. Now, I don't feel so bad about my little 8 point whitetail. ROFL! I vote shoulder mount, though. That's a nice buck and I'd say it'd look REAL good on the wall.

Nice buck!

I'd go European mount personally. I've always thought the shoulder mounts were a touch morbid. I always figured that if it's dead, it should look dead, hence the preference for the bare skull and horns. If I wanted to see it in lifelike repose, I'd have taken a photo rather than a rifle shot.

But that's me. I have no problem with other people doing shoulder mounts. Just not my style.

Good lord, where do you hunt? The best I could ever do around my area is an average 8 point. And i'll take that any day of the week.

Shoulder mount it!!!!! thats a really nice deer, enjoy the moment for all of us who wont be hunting this year!! including me............

European. I only get shoulder mounts if it's something large, or if someone else is paying for it. Plus my wife will only let me hang Europeans, although I did put my Fallow over the fireplace, and it's still there. I do regret not mounting a mule deer I shot, it scored about 142. I didn't mount it, because it was the smallest one shot at that ranch that year. I may get another cape and have it done in the future.

That's a nice looking 4x4. I'd probably do a shoulder.

European mount. That is a very nice buck. But the one you shot next year or in four years if you have to draw could be bigger. In colorado anything above 20 inches is respectable but there are bigger deer out there. During your life how many shoulder mounted deer do you want? I would hold out the shoulder mount for a monster.

I just figured, if I "held out" for a really big one, I could be dead before I mount one. Hey, mount that one full shoulder and if you get muy grande later one, mount that! Don't hurt to have a couple and, really, for me, trophies on the wall are about memories conjured, not decoration or necessarily braggin' rights.

I just think European mounts ain't real pretty. Personal thing, I guess, but I like seeing the DEER, not hanging skeletons on my wall.

I voted for shoulder mount. It is your first one. And a nice one to boot.

I agree, first buck, nice buck, should mount.

I voted European mount for practical reasons. Even the best shoulder mount taxidermy job is going to eventually dry and crack and have hair slip a bit in the long run and end up looking ugly. A nice skull mount though will look the same indefinately with just a little dusting now and then.

either way you go will be fine. some shoulder mounts are exceptional. i have 2 myself. iv only actually got 1 european but it looks great. around here you dont see to many of them so its sumthin different. either way will do your buck justice. congrats

I have a shoulder mount on my first nice 8 pointer, and all that I ever look at is the antlers. I have antler mounts on my biggest rack, and on a medium rack, and I am completley happy with them all. European mounts look cool too , so if you have the dollars, it'll cost you $350-$400 for a QUALITY shoulder mount, and about $100 for a european mount, maybee less if you go with the arfificial skull rather than boiling the meat out of the skull or sticking it into a fireant bed. I will go with the cheap antler mounts from here on out, unless I happen to bag Buckzilla.

sometimes in Georgia we decorate our cars with antlers, an antler spoiler wouldn't look too bad!

nice buck McGunner!

boil out the whole skull

And hang it on the wall, jawbone included. Just takes a big deep bean or pasta pot.

Wire through the earholes and out the spinal cord hole and you are ready to hang. I think I have ten hanging up this way.

This is your first Buck. Shoulder mount. HANDS DOWN!!!!!!!! now you don't have to mount every deer u shoot, but since this is your first buck and a real nice one at that do it justice and shoulder mount it. Then only mount your future deer if their bigger. Congrats.....

If you have a place for it, and it is your first buck, (a VERY nice first buck to boot) I think you will be happy to have the shoulder mount.

A good mount should last and look good for many years. The trouble that many have had in the past with the hides cracking after a few years was due to extreme temperature and humidity changes. Now, with heating and air systems being better able to bring stability to the indoor environment, mounts do better now. Also, taxidermists today have good epoxy type glues that help hold the hide in place which keeps them from shrinking or expanding around the eyes and nose. Even if a mount does happen to get a small crack around the eye or nose years down the road, it is a simple fix. Hair should never slip from a mount. If it does, either something is causing friction to the area, or a small demestid beetle has infected it, eating the hair folicles which cause the hair to fall out. Nothing lasts forever, that is a fact, but a good mount by a good taxidermist should give you many, many years of pleasure.

Evocatii,
After reading this, I'm going to do a European mount on the buck I killed with the 1881 Marlin. He's the largest I've taken but I have seen 29" to 30". I'm going to look for a nice peice of walnut, 1/4 saw it, and make a plaque to put the skull on.

That's a nice animal, I'd have a shoulder mount for it being the first, and mounts have come a long way. I have a couple Mckenzie wall pedestal mounts. Go to their website and take a look, may cost a bit more but they sure look great.

Good choice! I'd of shoulder mounted it as well.