Shoulder or European?

[N2TRKYS]

Shoulder mounts look way better than euro mounts to me. I would shoulder that one without a doubt.

 

[Danny Hoey]

Euro all the way for me......but my spike and cow would look pretty silly being a shoulder mount


Do whatever fits your house or location that you put it. IF you have the space and money do the shoulder.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I’d mount that In A heartbeat. I have a bunch of euros around the house but when and if I get a whopper he’s going on the wall.

 

[Crowmangler]

That's a bull of a lifetime ... shoulder on a pedestal with detachable antlers if you need to move it later.

 

[dlee56]

I'm a euro guy, love seeing the skull details on old animals. I did a euro on my 209" buck several years ago and I'm still glad I did.

 

[Dos Perros]

I euro'd the bull in my avatar knowing I'd never kill a bigger one. I don't have a great spot for a shoulder mount. And I figured I could always add a cape to him at some point later if I wanted to.

As it is now, he's on the floor/leaning up against a wall in my basement, and I do like putting my hands on him every so often. As silly as it sounds I'd like to take some family pics with him at some point.

 

[208Logan]

I euro'd the bull in my avatar knowing I'd never kill a bigger one. I don't have a great spot for a shoulder mount. And I figured I could always add a cape to him at some point later if I wanted to.

As it is now, he's on the floor/leaning up against a wall in my basement, and I do like putting my hands on him every so often. As silly as it sounds I'd like to take some family pics with him at some point.

That bull in your avatar is amazing

 

[Indian Summer]

That's a bull of a lifetime ... shoulder on a pedestal with detachable antlers if you need to move it later.

This! You’ll be good forever because you don’t need high ceilings with a pedestal mount. That bull isn’t just big it has character. Do it justice!

 

[william schmaltz]

I personally like Euro and think it looks great that way. But I'm the type of guy that has sheep and goat heads laying in the corner of my home office. Euros always unless you own a lodge or want to loan it out to a lodge/restaurant/store.

 

[Indian Summer]

Let me ask you a question which might have a bearing on your choice. Tell us about the hunt. Was it memorable? Tough hunt or sipping coffee in a box blind over a water tank? Guided or DIY? When you look at that elk will you be reminded of all the preparation and hard work or will you think about the giant check you wrote for someone else to tie him to a tree before you got there? Those things would play a role in my decision. I’d like to hear the story of the hunt for such a beautiful bull.

 

[MuleyFever]

I will never shoulder mount another animal except maybe a sheep/goat. I dont have an elk shoulder mounted ,and never will no matter how big it is, but I have some deer and even with just the deer I wish I would have just done a euro on them. They just take up so much room.

 

[bohntr]

I have two shoulder mounts of bull elk. They are beautiful and bring back some great memories of the hunt(s). However, they do take up a lot of room! As such, my last few bulls have been euros.

If you don’t have a shoulder mount of an elk, that would be a good one to use as your first! JMO

 

[Deerhunter6250]

I have one shoulder and it takes up to much space so now its in the garage. My kids told me they dont want the mounts when Im gone so only euros for me for all my mounts any more.

 

[idelkslayer]

I intend to shoulder mount 1 of every animal and euro the rest. I will say that the 2 shoulder mounts I have often leave me wishing that I could hold the antlers/horns in my hands but I also enjoy seeing the animal as he was when I hunted him. The cape is just as important to me as the antlers. I have a large whitetail that I did not save the cape due to a series of conditions and choices in the moment that I would do differently given the chance. I could easily buy a cape and mount that buck but I haven't because in my mind it wouldn't be the same with a different cape. (I'm not saying I never will, but so far I can't convince myself).

To answer the OP question. If I had the cape from that bull, I would shoulder mount it. If I didn't keep the cape from that bull I would settle for a euro mount and work on shooting another large bull (even if it's smaller than this one) for a shoulder mount.

 

[Firestone]

If you have the wall space I would mount it. Congrats on the bull

 

[208Logan]

Let me ask you a question which might have a bearing on your choice. Tell us about the hunt. Was it memorable? Tough hunt or sipping coffee in a box blind over a water tank? Guided or DIY? When you look at that elk will you be reminded of all the preparation and hard work or will you think about the giant check you wrote for someone else to tie him to a tree before you got there? Those things would play a role in my decision. I’d like to hear the story of the hunt for such a beautiful bull.

This last year I was lucky enough to draw a unit 23 Arizona tag. Those that are familiar with the unit know that this is a premium unit that produces big bulls year after year. I have been building points for this unit for many years and had been dreaming of the day that I would be able to draw the tag. I live in Idaho and knew that getting down to scout as much as I would like and hunt was not going to be easy and that if I tried doing it on my own that I would not be doing the tag justice. I made the decision to hire a guide even though I had never done that before. After talking to many outfitters in AZ I decided to go with A3. I told them that I was not like most people that hire them. I was willing to go in any hell hole and over any mountain. I wanted their experience and knowledge of the unit. At one point before the hunt I even told my guide that if he knew of a monster but did not want to pursuit it because of the hell hole that it was in that I would let walk away if he got me on it. I told him I was willing to pack it out with the crew I was bringing from Idaho.

All the research I did and the people I had talked to about this hunt had told me that long shots are the norm in this unit. It is very thick country and most shots have to be taken across the canyon. I spent all summer working on dialing in my loads and my gun. I was very confident in my gun and my shot placement by time the hunt rolled around in late November.

When the hunt finally came I was as prepared as I thought I could be. I was lucky enough to have my dad and a hunting friend join me for the long drive down from Idaho. I was also lucky enough to have a friend of mine that lived in Texas jump on a plane and fly over for the hunt.

We showed up a day early so we could get familiar with our surroundings and to meet the guide. I was able to work with Dan from A3 as well as Jay one of the owners. Right off the bat it was clear that these guys knew what they were doing. The country was nothing like what I was used to hunting in Idaho and it was soon clear to me that I had made the correct decision in hiring these guys to help out. They had spent all summer in the unit as well as the early hunts. They were familiar with what bulls were around and what we should hold out for.

Opening morning came and we had decided that we wanted to pursuit a bull that had been spotted two days previously named Donald Trump Jr. He was give this name because he was strong on the right since he was an 8x7. That morning we all split up and went to different vantages in hopes of turning him up. We glassed the same canyons and hillsides over and over again but we were unable to turn him up. Its seemed the only thing We were able to glass up were other hunter. (125 tags) Towards the evening we were able to turn up some 330+ bulls which were monsters to me but I was assured by Dan that we could do better and reminded me that it was only the first day. That night was spent around camp telling stories and catching up with old and new friends.

The next morning we got and once again spread out hoping to turn up the bull we had been looking for and hoping that another hunter had not got him the day before. That morning there was a little bit more chatter on the radio as the wind had died down and the elk seemed to be moving around some more. We were finding some nice bulls but we were still hoping to find "THE ONE". Not long into the morning Jay came on the radio stating that he had located Donald Trump Jr. Dan, my dad, and myself packed up and started hiking back to the truck so that we could try to have a chance at him.

We were able to get over to Jay and we were surprised where he found the bull considering he was a couple miles from where we had found him a couple days earlier. The bull had bedded down in some thick brush but the sun was going to be on him soon and we knew that he was going to have to get up to get out of the sun. We tried to get as close as we could to him but unfortunately the way he was positioned the closest we could get was 885 yards. This is why I spent the summer preparing and shooting. I would like to be closer but I was very confident with my shooting. We took the time and built up a little area with rocks so I could get prone and be solid.

After laying there for about 30 min waiting the bull out I felt the sun hit my back and started getting hot. I knew that the bull was going to get up soon. The bull soon got up and walked into a small window. I squeezed off a shot the shot was high but dropped him in his place. We were able to get another one in him to finish him off.

At the end of the day this will always be a great memory to me. I was surrounded by my dad and friends. I was also able to make some new friends. Some people will try to discredit my trophy because I hired a guide but I am happy with the decision I made and wouldn't change that.

 

[Elkoholic87]

Without hesitation, mount that thing.


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[Huntin Fool]

I vote shoulder mount, there is nothing quite like a well done shoulder mount and if you don’t you’ll likely regret the decision later

 

[wannakillabigbull]

If I shot a 363" bull I'd shoulder mount him even if I didn't have a spot on the wall, but that's just me. Incredible bull in a special place.

 

[Cahunter805]

Congrats on a tremendous bull and hunt of a lifetime. I vote shoulder mount especially with vaulted ceiling’s.
Just curious do you have any other shoulder mounts? Deer? Antelope?