How many inches to justify a shoulder mount for you?

[BuzzH]

Score shouldn't define the trophy, but I set a bar of 330 when I started hunting elk in 1980 for a shoulder mount. First bull I shot in that caliber was 372 gross, I have it shoulder mounted. Shot another that gross scored 356 with about 14 inches busted, also shoulder mounted.

Have shot several more in the 270-330 range that I did European's on.

If I ever kill another one bigger than 370, would probably consider it, but nothing under that.

 

[TheGDog]

Not a lot of successes yet. Started hunting late in life in 2014. I euro'd the 3 mule deer myself (2 rifle 1 bow, all from the ground, 40yd, 25yd, 25yd). I did pop for a full-body mount on my Bobcat though! Them being so elusive AND sooo freaking soft to the touch... and the fact that I lucked out and got it before numb nutts Newsom OK'd a stupid ban on take of Bobcats for 5 yrs, kinda made sense to do it. But Whoo!!! I had no idea mounts costed that damn much! Boy that stung! But ya know.. ya get to thinking about the hours involved and do the math and you're like Meh, I guess it's sort of a fair price. They had it for greater than a year. He said Covid really messed up their ability to acquire their supplies, hence the delay.

Long Story Shorter... if it makes you smile and get jazzed and feel pumped when you look at it, get it mounted! You're the only one who has to be happy with it!

 

[Tauntohawk]

I drove 44hr from PA to Idaho with my dad in 2017 to commemorate when I turned 30 and he turned 60. We wanted a back country adventure unlike our yearly exploits chasing deer and turkey back east.

I'd like to think I have more elk hunts in me but that very likely could be the only one I do with my dad (he says he won't do mountains like that again)

I said the whole drive out I wasn't throwing money at a full shoulder mount unless it was 350+ blah blah blah but the moment we stood over our first elk I knew cementing that memory on the wall was worth it. It might be an average meat bull of a lot of elk hunters but priceless to me.

In fact all my mounts are based off memories and not scores. Like the year we had a really tough year for our family but we got out that fall and my wife shot her first ever buck with a bow, then I shoot my best buck with a bow, 3 days later I shoot a better buck with my bow. I wanted to show case them all together so I came up with a drawing and had my taxi put together a trio mount.

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[TxxAgg]

I appreciate mounts and like to see them, but I'm never mounting anything again.

I sold all my whitetail and African mounts before my kids were born. Our small house feels bigger now, and money that would've gone towards taxidermy now goes towards college funds.

 

[wweaver]

I believe there is another part of the equation = how far Iam from something large with four legs or a motor. It’s sort of algebra with inches times miles divided by number of square feet left in your house/shop/garage with a 10 ft ceiling minimum plus 50.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I would say competely dependent on genetics but anywhere from 280-330+

Agree on the genetics piece. Where I'm from in Western, IA, a 120" 8 point would very often be 3.5 years old or younger. I'm not sure a 3.5 year old bull would be that size, but I'm no expert by any means.

 

[TheTone]

I drove 44hr from PA to Idaho with my dad in 2017 to commemorate when I turned 30 and he turned 60. We wanted a back country adventure unlike our yearly exploits chasing deer and turkey back east.

I'd like to think I have more elk hunts in me but that very likely could be the only one I do with my dad (he says he won't do mountains like that again)

I said the whole drive out I wasn't throwing money at a full shoulder mount unless it was 350+ blah blah blah but the moment we stood over our first elk I knew cementing that memory on the wall was worth it. It might be an average meat bull of a lot of elk hunters but priceless to me.

In fact all my mounts are based off memories and not scores. Like the year we had a really tough year for our family but we got out that fall and my wife shot her first ever buck with a bow, then I shoot my best buck with a bow, 3 days later I shoot a better buck with my bow. I wanted to show case them all together so I came up with a drawing and had my taxi put together a trio mount.

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You’re average meat bull is way above the average bull killed in Idaho especially for general tags. Most elk killed here are spikes and two year olds

 

[Bearwhisky]

Not to sound all philosophical, but it really just depends on how much the animal means to me/the story behind it. Example, last year I shot the biggest deer of my life and I had zero interest in getting it mounted. I was invited to a friends place for the first time to hunt. he put me in a stand and I shot it 30 minutes after the sun came up on the first day. I had a blast and was thrilled to take the deer, just didnt have that urge to mount it. On the contrary, I used to hunt a property religiously. Put in a ton of time and work and scouting. After 3 years, shot a decent buck (to me) that is significantly smaller than the previous mentioned one. I got that one mounted and look at it all the time and remember the hard work and good times had at that deer camp. The other on is a skull mount that I threw in a pond and let the fish clean up for me. I also tend to think that skull mounts look just as cool or cooler than taxidermy. YMMV


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[long hunter]

Its your hunt, your trophy, not all mounts are scored in inches, 2019 shot my first antelope decent buck not a monster but a very good buck, his head now graces my wall, this year will be my first mule deer hunt if I connect same deal, 3 white tails grace my wall, my first, and a very nice 8 and a big 9 point, my father was with me on those hunts he is no longer here, A Ontario black bear also is hanging on the wall same story, As I get older I often look at those deer and the memories are soothing over his death. Also euro skulls just the other day was wondering around the mountain lookng for the right piece of wood for a skull tree, My work shop is hanging with antlers from past hunts they all have special places in my memories. Good hunting and good luck.

 

[txhunter581]

I have seen a shoulder mount of a cow. And the guy was proud of it. Every elk is special. If it is special to you, mount it. Doesn’t matter what I think. And doesn’t matter what you think about one I mount.

 

[mproberts]

For me it was always 350 for elk and 180 for mule deer. This year I got super lucky and shot a bull just over 350 on the last day of a great hunt. I'm going to get him shoulder mounted because I have a great space for him at my cabin and I honestly never thought I would arrow one that big... but it is likely the last shoulder mount of anything I will ever get.

I honestly prefer the look of euro mounts, the ability to touch them, the cost of them and also the fact that they don't need to be in a climate controlled space. Everything else I shoot is going to be euro'd and hung out in a large metal garage building very similar to how @Randy Newberg does his.

 

[Gooseslayer]

Deer 180” plus

elk 330” plus

 

[S.Clancy]

I font think I'd ever shoulder mount an elk or deer. Maybe if some day I kill a sheep that will get the nod.

 

[Mojave]

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

But an elk takes up A LOT of space so it'd need to be a big one for me to actually shoulder mount. My only elk is euro mounted and I got a cool mounting plate for it from my neighbor... Will post a pic later. I love it.

Funny how women are, my wife hates taxidermy but skull mounts are fine.

I have quite a few German roe deer that I cut so they laid flat with a saw bracket they use for it. I am going to use the same tool on my next antelope.

 

[trophyhill]

With 8' ceilings and a small house, Euro for me

 

[Farmer72]

I guess I would say 372-7/8 since that is the one shot last year and shoulder mounted. Of course it was also my first time archery hunting for elk also so I felt I needed to have it mounted.

 

[ungrounded]

Till you run out of wall space

 

[slim9300]

Lots of bulls and my biggest right at 330”, and I have no desire to shoulder mount one. I just do Euros but I also don’t have room for a shoulder mount as you can see, since most already don’t fit. Haha.

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[trophyhill]

Lots of bulls and my biggest right at 330”, and I have no desire to shoulder mount one. I just do Euros but I also don’t have room for a shoulder mount as you can see, since most already don’t fit. Haha.

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Love the Euro's Conlan!

 

[Elkoholic87]

Lots of bulls and my biggest right at 330”, and I have no desire to shoulder mount one. I just do Euros but I also don’t have room for a shoulder mount as you can see, since most already don’t fit. Haha.

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Is the bull you shot at 330" the one on the far right?