I recently had a nightmare getting my mounts from SA. Im not sure who to blame, and Im sure I had some role in the foul-up. During a conversation over some fine custom guns, one of the hunters with multiple Afrikan hunts behind him, said that he no longer has the animals mounted. He said that what he saves in taxidermy, he uses for the next hunt. Instead he takes lots of quality pics and mounts the pictures in his trophy room.

I cant see me JUST doing pics; but Im certainly open to skins and skull mounts PLUS pics. I had my 2012 safari professionally videoed. It was a huge success, so much so that Im thinking about having all my hunts videoed by PROFESSIONALS.

Question:
Would choose pictures over mounts?

Choices:
Traditional mounts
Pictures only
Professional photographer / video
BOTH pics and mounts

 

IMHO, nothing beats well done mounts. But, the idea of pictures of the hunter with the animal are a powerful tribute to the hunt, the hunter, and the hunted.

Rich

All these things like pictures,mounts,videos,books,etc... help you get by in life smoother or at least until the next hunt.Don't be silly.A picture can't compare to a mount it is something entirely different-you need both.

My outlook
Pics, euro mounts ( lot cheaper )
Bringing trophies to your house and display them gives lot of respect to the animals as well
The. Only thing that really bugs me is that I can't bring some meat back, especially elephant
Damn the USDA

I made a slight compromise--European mounts or just the horns and skull plate with a nice photo. Personally, I never had much appreciation of taxidermy and, when I realized this, donated, sold, or discarded the mounts and skins (I've only four left to go--leopard, lion, cape buff, Dall sheep). I've never regretted it. My house was down sized after retirement and the current log home too dusty as I heat with spruce wood. Plus, the money saved is substantial thereby allowing more hunts or more double rifles. Taxidermy in America was good quality but too long a wait (up to two years+) and my experience with Zim and SA taxidermy is the taxidermist's kids must have done the work.
Of all the facets in the world of hunting, taxidermy is probably the most personal choice for the hunter. I made the right choice for me and I have friends who have more shoulder and full mounts than I can count.
Cheers, gents,
Cal

This is a great question and I have sat on both sides of the fence as the years have gone by. A couple of my own data points that stir around inside my brain housing group:

1) I have a great appreciation and respect for all animals.

2) I enjoy taxidermy and I’m fascinated by the evolution of techniques used to create a lifelike representation of the animals I have hunted.

3) All taxidermy work that I have had done is for my sole enjoyment and I have derived great pleasure over the years looking at each trophy and remembering the adventure, the hunt, friends and family that were present.

4) The cost of crating, shipping, and mounting can be VERY expensive.

5) The space required for displaying mounts can be significant and adds to the overall cost associated with the concept. For example, a dedicated trophy room.

6) As an investment, taxidermy has zero value outside of personal viewing pleasure.

7) Taxidermy takes up considerable space. Once the hunter passes, trophies are typically discarded by either throwing them away or selling them at pennies on the dollar or donating them to some entity.

8) With all this said, I am embarking on my last taxidermy project since the skins are already in country and at the taxidermist. My trophies will be transferred from our house to our ranch as we downsize.

9) Pictures are easily shared with friends, family, and acquaintances. Photographs are generational and find their way into books, magazines, family histories, journals, etc.

10) Going forward, I will only do European mounts and use the money saved to go on more hunts.

I prefere pictures and spend as much time I can on African soil. I do have 3 mounts but only of European animals.

Whenever this subject comes up, I get a pretty substantial ass kicking for my view of it.

But…Here goes nothing.

FOR ME, PERSONALLY, I feel that the taxidermy is part of the entire process. Going on Safari and just killing the stuff and leaving it there is somehow shallow.

Again, FOR ME, the entire process is

Planning
Booking
Buying useless stuff I won't need or use
Buying tickets from Steve Turner
Getting gun permits lined out
Visa, Passport requirements
Health stuff, shot, pills etc.
Packing
The nervous anticipation on the trip to the airport
The arrival
The hunt
The KILL
The pictures
The going home
Trophy shipments

And the end of the process is the mounts.

Opinion, not the gospel.

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:
Whenever this subject comes up, I get a pretty substantial ass kicking for my view of it.

But…Here goes nothing.

FOR ME, PERSONALLY, I feel that the taxidermy is part of the entire process. Going on Safari and just killing the stuff and leaving it there is somehow shallow.

Again, FOR ME, the entire process is

Planning
Booking
Buying useless stuff I won't need or use
Buying tickets from Steve Turner
Getting gun permits lined out
Visa, Passport requirements
Health stuff, shot, pills etc.
Packing
The nervous anticipation on the trip to the airport
The arrival
The hunt
The KILL
The pictures
The going home
Trophy shipments

And the end of the process is the mounts.

Opinion, not the gospel.

Steve

x2 That is my view of things as well.

If I am not going to eat it, take the fur, tan it or utilize the animal in some way, I don't need to kill it.

Now if I had agreed to participate in a cull for environmental/conservation reasons and to supply meat to locals that would be different. I would not expect my participation to go beyond the stalk and pulling the trigger……… but in that instance I would not be expecting to pay hefty trophy fees either. I have done lots of killing and I do not need to do more of it if for no other purpose than to pull the trigger.

In my opinion, having the actual horns/antlers from your game compared to just the pictures is the difference between a hunting trip and a photo safari

If I couldn't bring my animals back, I wouldn't go.

quote:

Originally posted by Skyline:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:
Whenever this subject comes up, I get a pretty substantial ass kicking for my view of it.

But…Here goes nothing.

FOR ME, PERSONALLY, I feel that the taxidermy is part of the entire process. Going on Safari and just killing the stuff and leaving it there is somehow shallow.

Again, FOR ME, the entire process is

Planning
Booking
Buying useless stuff I won't need or use
Buying tickets from Steve Turner
Getting gun permits lined out
Visa, Passport requirements
Health stuff, shot, pills etc.
Packing
The nervous anticipation on the trip to the airport
The arrival
The hunt
The KILL
The pictures
The going home
Trophy shipments

And the end of the process is the mounts.

Opinion, not the gospel.

Steve

x2 That is my view of things as well.

If I am not going to eat it, take the fur, tan it or utilize the animal in some way, I don't need to kill it.

Now if I had agreed to participate in a cull for environmental/conservation reasons and to supply meat to locals that would be different. I would not expect my participation to go beyond the stalk and pulling the trigger……… but in that instance I would not be expecting to pay hefty trophy fees either. I have done lots of killing and I do not need to do more of it if for no other purpose than to pull the trigger.

x3 For me!

My mounts are part of the adventure. My trophy room is also my office - daily I work amongst the memories of my hunts...

Good one Steve
How could you think you'll catch flack for it?
No one can dispute that.
I agree, If you can't bring it back might as well go on photo safari as far I'm concerned...

I got boned out of my animals on my first safari, paid for things to ship and they never did. I lived in Europe at the time and I got swindled.

I learned two things.

1. Never book a hunt with an outfitter or booking agent who is in his final season before retirement.

2. Always figure out your trophy process before you step foot on the aircraft to fly to the destination.

Honestly, now trophys are nice but my wife hates them and they just add cost to the safari process that can be used on other hunts.

think of the money you could have saved if you'd just made a video of your first time with your girlfriend instead of marrying her. Over the years, just watching that two hour movie would have paid for at least one three week safari for DG every other year.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
think of the money you could have saved if you'd just made a video of your first time with your girlfriend instead of marrying her. Over the years, just watching that two hour movie would have paid for at least one three week safari for DG every other year.

Just brilliant....

I do Euro mounts for most of my trophies but I hang the pictures with them.

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
I do Euro mounts for most of my trophies but I hang the pictures with them.

Now that is really classy where the horn is accentuated to its best, after all isn't it the horn or antler that make it a trophy?

The photos too convey the hunt more than just a full head mount.

With the rapid advent of digital technology, we will soon be able to view life size 3D images of our trophies. Plus, at my age and financial situation, I am unable to seriously contemplate a trophy room addition to our small house that will cost between 70 to 100K. That money be best spent to enjoy more hunts, as long as I am physically able to do so.

I enjoy good taxidermy work, but that art form has a limited future.

Geoff

Unless it is a really high dollar hunt, I think the festival of skulls is a wonderful way to go.

I wouldn't kill a high altai argali and just hang his skull on the wall. But the typical african safari results in a large number of trophies, so I think that is a good way to do things.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
think of the money you could have saved if you'd just made a video of your first time with your girlfriend instead of marrying her. Over the years, just watching that two second movie would have paid for at least one three week safari for DG every other year.

Hi Rich, fixed it for you.

Steve, that was rude, funny, but rude.

I have lots of pictures from my various hunts and have quite a few skull caps with antlers attached and a few European mounts I did myself.

I have only one shoulder mount of a decent for me at least white tail, but the only reason I have that is because the land owner of the place where I shot it offered to pay half if I wanted it mounted.

My biggest problem with the mounts is derived from two main and related considerations. One, I have no kids, and mounts take up lots of space, two, which is related to number one, is that even if I had kids and with Lora, and she has accompanied me on many of my hunts, but her, nor kids if I had any, would not know or understand what the killing of any of my "trophies" meant to me.

I guess as I get older and melancholy and remembering old friends that have passed on, I have seen so many mounts that really meant something to the person that made the kill, relegated to basements/attics/garage sales.

It is a special kind if sadness, knowing that something that meant a whole lot to someone during their lifetime, fades away after they do.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
think of the money you could have saved if you'd just made a video of your first time with your girlfriend instead of marrying her. Over the years, just watching that two hour movie would have paid for at least one three week safari for DG every other year.

If your first time with your girlfriend cost as much as a safari to Africa, you might indeed want to film it.

that's the difference between high school and being married.

HS: takes you longer to undress and get your socks off than your rocks off.

Married: do you bother to take your socks off?

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
IMHO, nothing beats well done mounts. But, the idea of pictures of the hunter with the animal are a powerful tribute to the hunt, the hunter, and the hunted.

Rich

Pictures?

You take pictures?

I just added up my past and future cost from 4 safaris in taxidermy

It would pay for 1.5-2 Cape buffalo hunts .

I don't do anything fancy - mainly Europeans and rugs. I have 2 shoulder mounts and one full mount in here.

Add in full costs of dip and pack, shipping custom clearing and taxidermy - one needs to seriously consider what it is worth.

For me it seriously not worth it - pictures and videos are the way to go.

Going forward I am a picture guy mainly.

Mike

Just to put the cost part of it into perspective, I shot a pronghorn in Colorado a few years ago, the hunt was basically free.

When I walked into the local taxidermists, they quoted me "around $450" for the mount.

2 years later I spent $1600 to get it to my house.

That said, there are some animals that I feel must be mounted, while others look fine with a skull and photo. I saw one recently, I can't remember exactl where, of a whitetail skull, mounted on a panel made from old timber, with a photo of the animal mounted into the same panel, which looked very nice.

Some animals demand to be mounted. They carry the experience of the hunt that was involved in taking them. Picture just can't do that in some cases.
Grizz

Do what you want and within your budget. Quality photos and the odd euro mounts are very affordable.

I will take all your Leopard and Lion skins, bones and all.

I have enough plains game. There is no need for me to do shoulders mounts on more than one of the same trophy. I will do euros, or some type of horn display.

I will have a combination. Great pictures are very appealing but will never be the same as a mount.

Now, any large mule deer will ALWAYS get a shoulder mount!!

My head keeps telling me to just to photos and save the money for the next trip, but I haven't so far. I have done some skull mounts. This last trip I just did skull mounts, but I had the hides caped for shoulder mounts and a full mount on the Nyala. This was more because I am running out of space.

One aspect I have noticed over the past few years, skull mounts, do not produce the same negative feelings that shoulder or full body mounts do.

CHC - Totally agree with you about negative feelings being reduced. BUT, those folks that would render negative feelings about my trophy room simply are NEVER invited to my home. That has worked so far. Hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving!!.

I have lots of mounts, but the last two trips to Africa, nothing brought back except pics and memories. This will continue unless a "very special" specimen should be taken that isn't already a part of the room.



Larry Sellers
SCI(International)Life Member
R8 Blaser

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
One aspect I have noticed over the past few years, skull mounts, do not produce the same negative feelings that shoulder or full body mounts do.

Taxidermy costs, all in, can very easily exceed the price of a typical PG safari.

That is approaching absurd.

Happy with what I have mounted, but won't be mounting much else, if any, on the next trip.

Aesthetically, less is usually more.

I go on the hunts so I can have the animals on the wall. I enjoy every aspect of getting them. From making that decision of what animal I want to go after, to learning about it's habitat and where I need to go in order to get it, to researching outfitters of the equipment I need if I'm doing it on my own. The travel, what there is to see there and then after the hunt, getting the animal mounted and putting it on the wall. If it's not worth paying the taxidermist to mount it, I wont shoot it.

I've video taped a few hunts and found that I never watch them. I think it's the same as taping your wedding. Who ever watches the video except right after you get home?

The pictures go into an album that get shared right after the hunt, but I never look at them again unless I'm showing them to somebody who is planning on going there. But the animal on the wall is appreciated every day!!!!

Eddie

Gents:
I forgot to add to my August post is along with a photo to go along with the European mount or the skull plate, I add the bullet if I was able to recover it. It's nice to see the mushroom if a soft or if the solid deformed at all.
Cal

I don't know how representative I am of the people on here who hunt. I started after my wife died and I was settled in my house which is a more or less standard condaminium. Meaning it has ceilings ALMOST 8 ft tall. Has absolutely no heigth to mount say a Kudu shoulder mount. My late wife had decorated the walls with many oil paintings that are of some value and have much sentimental meaning to me.So I never brought any trophies back till the last hunt when I decided to take a trophy elephant. I have them displayed on a large coffee table in a rack as they sometimes display samauri swords. I do have two Zebra rugs that were actually gifts from my outfitter. My other primary hobby is Photography and I have many pictures of all aspects of my hunts. The main thing I have returned from Africa with has been memories of adventures only dreamed of when I was young. They are as vivid today as when they happened. And I never tire of enjoying them over and over.

One thing about rugs and European mounts is they seem much more "accessible" or "approachable" than most mounts that are high up on a wall. By accessible, I mean, walk up, get close, and maybe even pick them up and touch them. I really like a well done pedestal mount for that same reason. As another person posted, I prefer the less is more thing when it comes to taxidermy displays. Personally, I lean more toward the category of person who believes in spending money to hunt more than to mount stuff. That being said, I have commissioned or purchased a couple of original oil paintings. I feel these have a lot of appeal, are likely to hold their value, are easy to display, and are something my kids will want to inherit.

Just got this today from my boys as a late birthday gift. Will take pride of place in the trophy room.


Come out good hey.