Last one I had done was a full shoulder mount with a beautiful wood backboard and it cost me a whopping $128 dollars. Not even sure what cost is today.
Similar pricing here. That’s why I have European mounts... aka bug cleaned skull for one and plastic skulls with antlers attached for the other two.I paid 5 bills for this one, and my guy said he was going up to 600 next year. He's had the same price for 6-8 years now.
Great grand son to grand son, tell me the story how great grand pa stalked that big fellow.
I understand that there are taxidermists that can deliver a life-like mount, and there are "taxidermists" that wrap hide around a form, and you may or may not be able to tell what creature it represents. I have seen numerous examples of both, and you, sir, have DEFINITELY found one of the former. That is a truly beautiful mount, and you should be proud to have harvested such a fine animal.
That happened to me but in a reverse way or actually to my son when he was about 10 years old. He caught a Bluegill that weighed 18 oz and around here that is a real nice fish. I offered to have it mounted and he refused and threw it back! Said he wanted a "real trophy". I laughed since I have fished for bluegill all my life and only caught one that weighed slightly over a pound. Well the little smart ass caught one about a week later that weighed 21 oz. Same pond and out of the same hole. Of course he had to tell me I told you so and I started to put it in the cooler to have mounted and he decided to throw it back too. Believe it or not, he said he would rather try and catch it again after it grew some more! He never caught another one nearly that big and I spend countless hours trying to catch either one for the 2nd time. We both struck out. He got interested in girls and golf and quit fishing and I got divorced and lost the right to fish in the in-laws pond.Nice mount, but you just watch. Next year you'll kill one that you can put the rack in. I had it happen with a Smallmouth Bass. Caught a 4 pounder and had it mounted. The week after I got it home I caught a 4 1/4.