I'm assuming that you don't get every deer, elk or pronghorn you shoot mounted. But which ones do get hung on your wall?

Biggest, first, most memorable hunt or hardest to take?

Just curious what others use to base their decision on.

If I could afford it:

the biggest, most memorable, the most hardest to take.

I'd also add that I'd get something mounted that I knew was going to be my only oportunity to bag. A one time hunt for an exotic for example.

Special trophies. This is a 6x6 from a very special backcountry hunt with a good friend.



Every time I look at it I remember those 10 days in the high country. Regards, Guy

I live in a small house with limited wall space. I don't have a lot of extra income, so I decided that I was only going to mount animals if they were exceptional.

Something that when you looked at them you said wow that is a really nice animal. I don't use the B&C score as a guide line either.

I only have 2 deer mounted 1 mule deer and 1 whitetail. It is not the biggest whitetail that I have taken, but it just looks so good.





That is what I use as a guideline for mounting animals.

Graylake

All game animals are unique and have a special quality to the hunter who bagged them. Those decisions, to mount or not to mount, are best made by the hunter. I prefer to mount even side to side symetrical racks with good mass. I save all my racks and those with broken tines or unusual growth characteristics don't look good mounted unless exceptionaly high scoring. Huge non-typical racks are very striking to look at and make great mounts. It takes one high scoring rack to make a striking mount.

I still have my first 7 point buck rack from back in the 60's but never had it mounted. It brings back fond memories, but is not a symetrical nice looking rack and is not mounted.

I buy new rifles with the money instead. Unless it is a highly valueable rack I do not think I well have anymounted expect for the racks I cut them off and screw them to the wall. No cost there.

I've always had this 'thing' for taxidermy work and my home resembles a museum to that end. I have eleven whitetails mounted along with various small game mounts, tanned hides, birds, and fish. Some of them I mounted myself, others I had done.

I need to build on a couple of new rooms so I can continue.

None of mine are of world class size but each came from a special hunt or hunter. I have my Dad's best, my grandad's best, my brother's best, and a few of mine mounted. Family tradition and all that. I look at one of these mounts and replay the hunt and the times.

Life is good.

I European mount pretty much every big game animal I take. It cost $4 for the peroxide and $40 to take my wife out for dinner when she finds the bear/deer/elk/moose head boiling away in the canning crock in her kitchen!

NCBOMAN
Got any pictures of your room mate?

So far I have one animal mounted, and one being mounted. Both of them are elk...my first one, a little 4x5 raghorn because it was my first bull, I "got to the hill" with my dad in the backcountry. The second is my herd bull from this year, because my dreams have been haunted by a bull like this since I was able to start hunting. And because I hunted my butt off all season long...also, I "got to the hill" with my father. I know that there will be times in the future that I may not be able to go with my dad, and whenever I see these mounts, I'll remember the times that me and my dad were able to go together. The only other animals I will probably mount in the future would be if they were HUGE, B&C class animals.