Once again I appeal to the collective wisdom of the forum for ideas. I'm hunting in RSA 26-April 05 to 8-May 05. The first 5 days will be somewhere between Kuruman and Botswana border, the last week will be a couple of hours North of Pietermartizburg. My primary interests include eland, blesbok, nyala, bushbuck, reedbuck. I may also take any of blue wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, warthog if we come across a monster.

I haven't outgrown my trophy room so I'll have these mounted. My question is what kind of mounts for each - shoulder, pedestal, European, etc? There is no guarantee that I'll get all or any of them, but I want to go with some kind of plan so I know how to skin and prepare the trophies that I do get. Also, the budget isn’t unlimited, so let’s put the money where it will make the most impressive mounts.

My living room ceiling is 10'6" at the highest, with some high spots already taken. I think the eland has to be a European mount. What about the hide - is it worth skinning the critter whole to do something creative with the hide or would the dipping, shipping, tanning, etc. be ridiculously expensive? There is more flexibility with the others. What do you suggest?

By the way, I'll be at Afton House in Johannesburg 24-26 April 05 and in Hilton 8-9 May 05. If you're in the neighborhood I would be pleased to meet you.

Eland - European Mount
Blesbok, Nyala, Wildebeast, Waterbuck, Impala and Bushbuck, Warthog - shoulder mount

Some to think about
Baboon - Skull mount
Duiker, Grysbuck - Full size
Zebra - Rug

If you get both the nyala and bushbuck, consider a pedestal mount that incorporates both of them together. Shoulder mount on the waterbuck and blesbuck. Pedestal on a really big impala otherwise a skull and skin rug. I like warthogs as a skull mount, looks cool on a desk top. Warthog leather is real nice if you want to get it tanned.

I like my eland as a skull mount (hanging in my living room) and I had the hide tanned to leather for a coat (someday). Would do a skull on the wildebeest and make a floor rug of the skin. The reedbuck would make a pretty shoulder mount as well. I had my reedbuck done as a skull with a casting taken of the horns for a shoulder mount. Someday I will get the shoulder mount back. The skull looks pretty awesome.

Dip, pack, ship, runs about the cost of a R/T ticket to RSA. I can recommend a very reliable outfit to handle that part of your trip if you like.

Ann, you beat me to it. I'd have to second the nyala and bushbuck in a pedestal mount. I've always thought they'ld make a great combo. If you get a baboon, have him full body mounted. If you have exposed beams (not sure if that's what you call 'em) for you ceiling you could have the baboon hanging around like he lives in your house. European mount for the eland sounds great, they have never been an animal I thought made great shoulder mounts (with exception to the Lord Derby). I'd do the rest of what you get in shoulder mounts. I personnal like to see the beauty of the animals so I always preffer shoulder mounts over European mount.

actually I did my nyala, baboons, and bushbucks lifesize. I know this is expensive, but especially in the case of a nyala, if you miss seeing the whole animal, you have missed seeing one of the most beautiful antelope in the world. Babos are just fun lifesize (and to torment as well, when we could, many moons ago, we would take pop bottle rockets and shoot them off at the troop at waterholes, funny funny)

I agree on the Nyala - life size - if I had it to do again I would find room. I did my first Bushbuck life size and don't regret it, but sure wish I would have done the Nyala. The shoulder mt looks good in a group of 4 spiral horn Bushbuck on top with the Nyala under it and Kudu on the left and Eland on the right. The Nyala is the star of the group with 29 1/2 horns. You know hind sight is 20/20.