Grand pa’s old mount, what to do with it?

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Jan 18, 2023
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My dad gifted me my grand dad’s only mounted deer. Killed back in 1979. I remember how proud he was of this mount. Thing is, it’s in tough shape.
I have a taxidermist that can make it into a skull mount. What would you guys do? I really have no room for it as is.
 

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Agreed. Skull mount seems like the best option. Nice buck but those shoulder mounts take so much more room and eventually get scuffed up like this one.
 
I would go with either a European (skull) mount or pull the antlers and mount them on a plague.

A friend has a set of antlers tied to a sting hanging on his wall.

All depends on what you want to do.
 
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Nice set of rattle horns. I keep mine hanging in front of a window down stairs in my cave all year so they are displayed so to speak...
 
Antler plaque. Skip the velvet covering and go with leather with a nice leather braid around the pedacles.
 
I would cut the bottom gun holder part off the plaque. Run a router around the whole thing to make it look nice and re-stain it. Then I would ask a taxidermist if they could restore it.

It's tough. My dad has two mounts that I will probably end up with when he dies. I was with him when shot both of them. I definitely don't have room for both. I'll probably pick one to keep and either cut the rack off the other or use them to rattle so I think about my dad when I use them and maybe he could help me kill a few more deer.
 
If you have one of grandpas guns you could cut off the rifle holder (but do the opposite of what @Yoder is suggesting, save and router the edge of it not the mount), and turn the antlers into rattling antlers, then use the rifle holder for grandpas gun, and when it's not season, dangle the rattling antlers from a hoof to complete the presentation.

Just a random alternative idea that saves a bit of the wall hanger but converts the mount into something more practical
 
I think it all depends on what it means to you.

I think I would have it put on a plaque. It would mean just as much to me as having it remounted with another cape.
 
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