Kyle,

Are you the guy featured on the picture in the Guns'n Ammo / Rifle Shooter article where Craig Boddington "Culls the herd"?

The guy with the 220 Swift, "waiting for the next ground squirrel to appear"?

If so, B O W to you! ! !

My spouse has no problem with my mounts; I don't know how many I have, but we are building a custom house right now and I am building a tropy room that is going to be about 650 square feet, shaped in an "L" shape with high ceilings. It will be a guy's room; maybe put a pool table in there and bar for sure. Loading room will be off to one side.

I don't particularly care to put my mounts in the living room, surrounded by family pics, etc, but a man has got to do what man has to do. Actually, a finished basement makes for a nice trophy room as well.

One thing I am not really into are life sized mounts; takes up too much room.

My better half is great; she never complains about any money I spend on hunting - ever. I am sure it matters that she does okay herself financially, but still. She likes to ride bikes and spends about as much on one as a quad would cost. Oh, she loves game meat as well, loves to camp, and while she does not pull the trigger, has been on hunts with me in Europe and New Zealand, and met me in Africa a few years ago after one of my hunts and then we both climbed Kilimanjaro (she is into mountain climbing). She will never go deer hunting, because she finds sitting still boring.

I have been with some women who won't have an animal head in their house. Why on earth anyone would spend their whole life with someone so unaligned with themselves will forever remain one of life's mysteries.

Happiness is a woman who knows what hunting means to a hunting nut.

AnotherAZWriter writes:

"Why on earth anyone would spend their whole life with someone so unaligned with themselves will forever remain one of life's mysteries."

Good question. Thanks for the post. I think the answer is that people change. I personally, although being a shooter all my life, only started hunting two years ago at age 40 having been married ten years. I started this thread somewhat facetiously as I fully expected to keep the boar head up. I'm not the same person my wife married ten years ago. I probably would have thought having a game head up was low brow and a little distastefull decor wise as well. Now it is my most prized possession : )

However, we have a nice modern home, well decorated, some nice fine art. I probably wouldn't even want trophies through out my home. But for my study I can't wait for my blacktail to arrive. I plan to get to Africa and eventually will need my trophy room!

My wife and I support each other, it's probably incidental that I make more money than she does since most of our money goes to support her Dressage Horse and riding : )

Anyway, Boar is still up as I write this note. Looking forward to deer season here in California next month.

-Sean

Hey Sean:

Good points. Everyone has to make their own choices in life and far be it from me to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't do. I only know what I couldn't do, and that is live with someone who is intolerant of what I like. Actually, even my wife is not perfect. She is a Democrat.

I do agree heads in the living room don't cut it. If I couldn't have a trophy room, I would definitely claim the basement and make it my hangout. Like I said, they make a pretty good trophy room and you don't have to worry about losing wall space to windows. Plus, you can set up your loading bench there and it does not look out of place. Try doing that in the living room.

I can't see the pic of your boar, but I have a really nice warthog mount that is my wife's favorite. She really likes skull mounts.

Now that you have started hunting, get ready...it doesn't take long to amass a big collection.

Reminds of a time someone asked my daughter if her dad liked animals as pets. She replied very matter of factly, "My dad prefers his animals DEAD and on the wall."

Hi Exabit,
One of my friends mentioned I was in one of Craig's stories lately but I haven't checked.
I've been lucky enough to have General Boddington hunt with me many times. It's been a great experience.

Great hunting with great hunters,
Kyler

I'll respond. Arts has it right. The subject of trophies has become an issue with several of my friends because of their wives.

I don't have nor do I aspire to having any trophies hanging on the wall.
I've been down the marriage path twice and divorced twice. I've found a several of wisdoms that I pass on to any young fella looking to marry.
#1 Wives are like the camel in the Camel and the Arab fable. The camel wanted just his nose, then his eyes, then his head..etc in the tent, and shortly the arab found himself out in the storm and the camel in the tent.
#2 Women/wives are relentless. Give an inch and they will keep going until stopped. Never give them the inch!
#3 The very nicest things about women, most every one of them have the basic attributes needed and there ain't no shortage of them.
Jim