How many inches to justify a shoulder mount for you?

[eyeguy]

Do whatever you want and have $$ and room for. As you know what others think shouldnt influence you to much. For me diy muzz 330 bull got mounted and then got a 375 bull with the rifle that I really want to remember with a shoulder...

 

[cgasner1]

Thought I would post a picture since a few guys mentioned it but this is what i did before we had the bigger house so I could hang it


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[5MilesBack]

When I was young I never wanted to spend the money on mounts, and today I have nothing from all those animals.....not even the racks. My dad just tossed most of those when they moved while I was away, another set disappeared from a relative after leaving them there while I was in the military.

So now I feel like I want something to keep from them besides just some meat that disappears quickly. But it totally depends on the animal, the hunt, the circumstances, etc, not just a number. I had the one in my avatar mounted just because his cape was so gorgeous. Either way.....I was taking the cape to mount it or to sell it to the taxi. And then in the end......I didn't even get my cape back. It was pretty obvious, but that mount became expendable to me at that point, and moved on to a different taxidermist.

This year I got my CO moose back, and since that's once in a lifetime, I figured I had to get him mounted. I couldn't even begin to tell you how moose are even scored, not that I care. So to make room for him I donated one of my elk mounts. That's always an option. I can still see them when I want, but they don't have to be in my home. Should get my sheep back soon too. That's another one of those once in a lifetime animals most likely for me.

I don't have a single deer mounted, but that shouldn't be a big surprise to anyone that knows me. Elk rule. However, there were some bomber bucks back in the 80's when I was too poor to mount anything. My dad never cared for antlers.

 

[go_deep]

For the money a elk shoulder mount costs, I can hunt all year in Wyoming. Only critter id think about doing taxi work on is maybe a bobcat or a lion.

 

[magtech]

Measuring inches on a mount is like dick measuring...When is enough for you? For me, it was my first one. That could have been a raghorn and i still would have done it. The inches, like on a penis, really arent what im after out there.

 

[milljaco]

I love the look of a bull or Buck, skin on, on an old pack board like the earlier picture. Those turn out great and don’t take near the space of a shoulder mount. I am a big fan of euro and it would have to be something pretty spectacular to do a full shoulder on an elk.


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[woods89]

I'm in the camp of tags over taxidermy........

 

[roosiebull]

650"

dang! you stole my answer (your standards are higher than mine because i was going to say 500") i have one bull shoulder mounted, and it's not in my top 3 biggest even, but that bull taught me elk shoulder mounts take up too much damn space.... i'm a euro guy for elk, and they all get euro mounted. elk are big, and all pretty much look the same antlers aside.... each bull isn't unique in capes, they are just bull elk, their antlers are what gives a bull his individual difference.

Blacktail on the other hand, i have a hard time not shoulder mounting every single one, their capes are always awesome and unique, they make an awesome shoulder mount, and don't take a ton of space... i still euro most of our bucks, but i'm way more likely to shoulder mount a buck than a bull, because each blacktail buck looks different, and they have beautiful capes from OCT on.

i'm not going to say i'll never shoulder mount another bull, but i doubt it... if anything i will shoulder mount a rocky, so it can hang out by my roosie shoulder mount, because they will look different, and i think it would be a cool display.

 

[elkyinzer]

I'm on the all Euro train also. If I had a mansion with a great room maybe but I don't.

 

[TX_Diver]

I'd like one shoulder mount at some point but it'll be awhile, maybe even once one of my kids starts hunting. There are some cool mounting options for euros and they are much easier to move.

 

[bnsafe]

I mounted a VERY small 5x5. My first and only elk and a self guided bow hunt. I am very proud of him even if he is small, hence the mount. But, I dont think I would ever mount another one.

 

[MTbowhunter36]

Don't think I'd ever get one shoulder mounted. I've got a whitetail and mule deer mounted and I prefer the look of a euro.

I've got sets of elk antlers that I've shot in my office, garage, downstairs, underneath the porch, my dad's house and my friend's business and when I was young and poor I sold a bunch after I got married. I couldn't imagine half of them being shoulder mounted!



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[sndmn11]

dang! you stole my answer (your standards are higher than mine because i was going to say 500") i

I think they are dirty and filthy. If I whacked a 325" and he was parading around with the severed also 325" antlered head of his last opponent, antlers locked and entangled, I'd shoulder mount that.

 

[wildwilderness]

I'm in this dilemma right now. Between my wife and I we both mounted our first bulls (310 and 360). I had an archery tag this year and harvested my first archery animal (330). Because of space I had no intention of having one mounted, but everyone seems to think I should. The cape is at the taxidermist. I figure that gives me a year to figure things out.

You can still sell the cape. You could also swap out the 330 antlers on the 310 bull as well

 

[TexDoc]

My wife wants everything shoulder mounted because she's not a fan of the euro mounts...

That's a high-quality problem brother!

 

[wildwilderness]

If you want inches I think this is a good standard-

 

[roosiebull]

If you want inches I think this is a good standard-
View attachment 321587

i would probably mount a pacific walrus even if it didn't quite hit 100"

 

[88man]

300

 

[AntlerFever]

i would probably mount a pacific walrus even if it didn't quite hit 100"

what about the easier to obtain and lesser desired Atlantic walrus.

Before this thread I didn’t even realize guided walrus hunting was a thing. Looks like it might be kind of fun to be to be honest ….

 

[TodOz]

Hope I get to make that decision next month when I go on my first elk hunt... Memories are certainly huge and a first of any animal is likely going to be memorable. At least I have plenty of wall space in my man cave and 12' ceilings.