I screwed up-to mount or not mount?

[Axis II]

So here goes. I killed about a 150'' buck last night non typical 12pt and my 2nd buck and 4th total deer. At first with Christmas a week away and money non existent I told the butcher I wasn't mounting it and then find out an hour later that I can freeze it and get it done later so thinking 2 deer before me I would call the butcher and tell him cape it and he says already skinned. I was sick.

I know I can get a cape and have it done but I'm a little torn because he was old and grey and short faced and I doubt they can do it the way he was originally. I have it setup to do a euro mount but I feel those are a little weird and don't think ill like it. plus cost is like $150 and that could go towards a nice shoulder mount deposit.

what would you guys do in my situation?

 

[SoonerMedic]

Do a European mount yourself and save $150?

 

[Axis II]

Do a European mount yourself and save $150?

I rent and don't have time, supplies, etc to do all this.

 

[gspn]

money non existent

he says already skinned

If you can scrape up enough to get a euro mount then do that. Otherwise, I sure wouldn't be spending money I didn't have to get a deer mounted. Deer mounts make nice memories, but money in the bank is far nicer.

 

[red rick]

Yeah , I would just do a European later on when I had the money . A friend of mine in my club does a really nice European mount for $120 dollars . He just went up from $100 dollars last year , but he does the nicest ones that I have seen . The meat processor / taxidermist that I had process my deer this year charges $179 dollars and they do not look near as good as the ones my friend does . He is doing another for me soon .

 

[Axis II]

I found a guy beetles to bones about 40min away 100$ Beatles eat it but don't think he's an actual taxidermist. Kind of suspicious on that one. taxidermist to boil and seal it wants $160. That's the shoulder mount deposit too. I screwed up either way now trying to fix it. I figured 75$ or so not almost $200

 

[Patocazador]

You can always make more money; you can't replace the memory that the mounted deer will bring through the years every time you look at it. Money is over-rated IMO.
Get it mounted with another cape is my suggestion.

Euro mounts are antiseptic looking to me not the same as a face and hair with gnarly antlers on top.

 

[jmorris]

I doubt they can do it the way he was originally.

He’s dead, as long as you don’t say anything, no one will know.

 

[SoonerMedic]

I rent and don't have time, supplies, etc to do all this.

Your supplies and time would total about $50 max. But a cheap hot plate from Walmart or elsewhere. It doesn’t even have to boil as long as it gets the water really really hot. Then some oxyclean detergent, a stainless steel pot big enough to get the skull in and some 40% peroxide from a beauty supply store. It took me a couple hours max and it came out very good.

 

[Tinybob]

Freeze that head, wait till the deer season rush is over and do some shopping around. I'll bet if you can't do it yourself you can find somebody that can do a European for around $75 in a month or two. Either mount only lasts so long but the European lasts longer. It doesn't take up as much space, collect as much dust and it's not as expensive. Just my opinion.

Another option that is really cheap is a $40 false European mount kit from Walmart or another store with sporting goods. I used one. It's not pretty but it is just a little better than just nailing the rack to a nicely shaped board. All you supply to the kit is a cordless drill and an 1/8" drill bit.

 

[Glockula]

This would be pretty easy to do, even in an apartment. Euro mounts are not hard. I have 7 euro mounted bucks, no full mounts. I am not a big fan. If well done I think the Euro mount is better. I am not a big fan of full in the fur mounts.

Congrats on the buck!

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Congratulations on a successful hunt.
The only screw up would be spending money you don't have on a mount.

 

[FL-NC]

Personally I would euro it.

 

[BigBore44]

So here goes. I killed about a 150'' buck last night non typical 12pt and my 2nd buck and 4th total deer. At first with Christmas a week away and money non existent I told the butcher I wasn't mounting it and then find out an hour later that I can freeze it and get it done later so thinking 2 deer before me I would call the butcher and tell him cape it and he says already skinned. I was sick.

I know I can get a cape and have it done but I'm a little torn because he was old and grey and short faced and I doubt they can do it the way he was originally. I have it setup to do a euro mount but I feel those are a little weird and don't think ill like it. plus cost is like $150 and that could go towards a nice shoulder mount deposit.

what would you guys do in my situation?

First congrats on the deer! Second, Do you have pictures? If you don’t feel you can afford it, wait till you can. I kept a buck in a freezer for 5 years before having it euro mounted. I eventually decided he wasn’t big enough to have shoulder mounted. But a 150” buck is worthy of most walls unless your last name is Kisky or Lakoski.

 

[Axis II]

Congratulations on a successful hunt.
The only screw up would be spending money you don't have on a mount.

When they guy hit me with $160 i said well heck another $40 i could have made a deposit for the shoulder mount.

 

[Axis II]

First congrats on the deer! Second, Do you have pictures? If you don’t feel you can afford it, wait till you can. I kept a buck in a freezer for 5 years before having it euro mounted. I eventually decided he wasn’t big enough to have shoulder mounted. But a 150” buck is worthy of most walls unless your last name is Kisky or Lakoski.

I posted them in the Ohio gun season part 2 thread. I'm at work now and don't have them saved.

I am not 100% sure he is 150'' my buddy who kills big 150'' yearly or every few years said he wouldn't be surprised if mine went 150''. I'm more of a points and mass guy then score. The pics don't do it justice cause it was dark and i had to crop them to fit on here but he's a monster with mass. A large part of me says that having another cap put on him would just be wrong and may not be just like him.

 

[BigBore44]

I’ll look him up.

 

[BigBore44]

Yep. He’s a nice deer. I’d say with his mass, he’s a 150” deer.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I actually prefer euro mounts unless it's a really huge rack.
It costs almost nothing if you do it yourself. They take up less wall space and are easy to keep clean.
I have several shoulder mounts that I wish I had done euro.
140-160 inch racks look more impressive in a euro mount IMO.

 

[Captcurt]

Nice buck and would look good mounted or Euro'd, but I don't think that he will make 150. Don't want to bust your bubble and I don't want to be demeaning, but I am guessing 135 tops. Measure him and let us know. I have been wrong before.

 

[red rick]

Here is the European mount that my friend does . Some may not like it because of what he does to the skull . He smooth's it out with bondo and then paints it . I didn't think I would like it , but I do . He would have left it natural if I wanted it that way . He is doing another one for me and I am going to get it done the same way .

 

[ColtPythonElite]

A nice frame pic is cheaper and takes up less space on a wall.

 

[Axis II]

Nice buck and would look good mounted or Euro'd, but I don't think that he will make 150. Don't want to bust your bubble and I don't want to be demeaning, but I am guessing 135 tops. Measure him and let us know. I have been wrong before.

that's fine with me. Pics don't do it justice, my buddy has taped his own and then had buckeye big buck score it and he was within like an inch. Im just happy its a 12 non typical.

 

[Tinybob]

If nothing else cut the horns off and put them on a plaque. Maybe attach the tag and spent brass and a picture of you with the deer.

Inch scoring is just seeing how your buck measures up to a scale somebody developed a long time ago.

Any wild buck that lives long enough to get as big as yours and hasn't been fed for the purpose of growing antlers is a trophy indeed.

JMHO but that's a good un! Glad you didn't give up in the face of adversity.

 

[Nature Boy]

Have your taxidermist locate a cape that’s close and do a shoulder mount.