Howdy men,

I finally got my first California mule deer a few weeks ago and rather than doing a shoulder mount, I decided long ago that I would do a European mount for my 1st Sequoia buck.

The taxidermy panels I'm looking at are the following:
this or this

Have any of you hunters used this company's panels, and if so, were you satisfied?

Here's the buck:


Opinions appreciated. Thanks,

I've had that site bookmarked for a couple years now. I've never dealt with them but they've been around awhile if that means anything. I carve some plaques for myself and buddies-I'm not an expert though so take what I say with a grain of salt. Their plaques are "flat carved" you can see a surface where the surface of the plank used to be. It's not a really big deal but it just looks a little goofy to me. in their favour they are some of the most detailed plaques available and I doubt you'll find any better-especially for those prices.

good luck-show us a pic when you're done

the chef

Those are very nice panels, although I do find them to be extremely pricey.

As you probably know, having your trophy skull beetle cleaned will yield the best looking and most long-lasting results for your european skull mount. If you need suggestions on where to get it cleaned, I can pass them on to you.

I have seen similarly designed panels in other industry catalogs, but I can't find them online... I'll do a little research for you and see what I can pass along...

Thanks men!

Mckenzie taxidermy supply has a pannel # rpem3 that look very much the ones you posted.

Rich

quote:

Originally posted by Wildlife Taxidermy by Richard G. Santoma:
Mckenzie taxidermy supply has a pannel # rpem3 that look very much the ones you posted.

Rich

Thanks Rich. I checked their website and found the product, but not a picture of it.

Here is a picture from there catalog.

Rich

Nice, thanks! Much less expensive.

Well I'm an opinionated old fart!!

Those aren't even close to the quality of work from the Elen hunting people. I guess it depends how much you want to spend though, if it was a trophy I was proud of I'd not choose something like that.

The parts that really catch my attention are the finial at the bottom -totally flat and without any contour at all. The oak leaves are very lightly recessed as well as having been done with a rotary tool. There is no lip around the panel part, important if you want to "frame" the skull. And the actual panel part has no texture. Any carver will tell you that something with texture will actually accentuate the item attached to it.

http://www.bildhauer.com/ Here's another site you might want to take a look at. It's kind of hard to get around if you don't speak German but a little persistance will pay off.

Trust me and pay the extra few bucks for a top notch carved panel and you will be proud of it for years to come. Maybe your kids will keep it and it will become an heirloom when you die instead of tossing it in the trash with "dad's other junk."

the chef

Hey chef,

Don't worry; I'm going to get the one from Elen. It brings back memories from a hunting lodge near the town where I was stationed in Germany (Bamberg, West Germany, 1st Armored division).

My mule deer is going to look very good on it, I think. Hopefully I’ll get up another deer to mount next week, as I'm heading to Wyoming to hunt.

Whew!!! I was terribly worried!! I think it's different supplying a plaque to make a profit on at a certain price, compared to getting something that will be appreciated for years to come.

You've restored my faith!!

the chef

Teat Hound,

I would advise doing the skull first especially if you intend cutting it, and then ordering the panel when you know exactly the size you want...

Regards,

Pete

quote:

Originally posted by Pete E:
Teat Hound,

I would advise doing the skull first especially if you intend cutting it, and then ordering the panel when you know exactly the size you want...

Regards,

Pete

That is my exact plan, should have the skull back in a few months. My guy is rebuilding his beetle colony right now. After I see it, I'll order the panel.

Another thing, if you cut the skull after it's cleaned and whitened etc. it will be quite brittle. Best to cut it first I think, especially if you're using beetles. The beetles will also have a little les work to do. If you're boiling then you can cut it within a couple days of the simmering party and it won't be brittle yet.

the chef