Taxidermy Mounts and End of Life

[hodgeman]

The sad truth is that once you're gone...your mounts are largely worthless.

I attended an estate sale when an elderly gentleman in my town passed, he had an enormous collection of mounts- Alaska and Africa mostly. Likely approaching $1M in taxidermy and it all sold for pennies on the dollar.

I have a few euros, which are really all I'm interested in any more.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Possibly donate them in advance to a local gun or shooting club.

 

[Reburn]

Interesting thread as it applies to all our surviving family.

I have a close friend who does estate sales and he told me unless it’s of interest ( score, nontypical, hard to get, perfect taxidermy, etc) the values are poor at best.

His advice is to find friends now while you are alive that would want them for sentimental reasons and put a tag on back of the mount that it goes to: John Doe

He said average mounts go for cents on the dollar or nothing so be realistic as not many hunters are going to buy someone else’s trophy.

You would be surprised. Poor is releative. When your dead it doesnt much matter. To your family any $ is worth more then paying to take it to the dump. Clearly you have never been to a taxidermy auction. Yea some of them go for 150-250 for a average whitetail mount. Some have gone less then that. All are worth 25-50 cents on the dollar on what the taxidermy is worth if its decent work. You would be surpised the number of restraunts, gas stations, gun stores, lodges and other places that have taxidermy that was bought.

 

[dieselchessy]

I had kids and taught them to hunt. My mounts will likely go to them.
I’ve never bought another guys mount, but my Dad does. You see them for sale at Estate sales often. He puts them up on the walls next to his mounts and enjoys them for what they are. They sell cheap though.

 

[Jbehredt]

There seems to be a pretty good market for them around here. I assume it’s transplants trying to make their new digs a little more “coloradoey” Whatever that means.

 

[lyle_destroys]

I have mounts done for my enjoyment while I’m alive. If my kids want some of them when I’m gone thats cool, but after I’m dead I do not care even half of a little bit about them.

This is where Im at but I also do my own euros mostly. But I hang my stuff up as a reminder of that experience, for me alone. It would be great if someday my great grandkids can appreciate some of the things that meant a lot to me.
I had a great great uncle who killed a polar bear around the 20s or 30s. What I would do for pictures or a rug of that guy...nothing remains.

 

[roadrunner]

I don’t have a lot of mounts. But I think they are neat. I guess by the time I die democrats will have their way and hunting will no longer be allowed. So maybe they will be worth a lot of money for my kids to sell lol

Poli's like RINO Romney would end hunting too...

The only shoulder mounts I'll do anymore are for kids while they're at home. After they leave, it's on them. I will never do another for me, unless it's a bighorn or something like that.

 

[#1antler]

There seems to be a pretty good market for them around here. I assume it’s transplants trying to make their new digs a little more “coloradoey” Whatever that means.

Well I'm from Colorado also. I know they will be available at bargain prices if someone wants to PM me.
Such a shame!

 

[Sevens]

I get stuff mounted because I enjoy seeing it. If it ends up in the trash or a dump when I die, fine by me.

When I was young, the huge trophy room with an indoor mountain at a Weatherby Award-winner’s home, I thought, was the coolest thing ever. Enjoyed seeing it each year at the Christmas party of our local SCI chapter. To this day I am inspired by it and would love to have the same. Realistically, I probably won’t. He was never married, had no kids, owned his own company (read lots of discretionary income and no family obligations). The taxidermy I have gives me joy though, and hope to have something more dedicated to it in the future where I can sit and admire all the hunts I have had and those still to come.

I have often wondered if that guy’s home came up for sale, and I was able to buy it, what would I do with all the taxidermy. It’s not worth anything to me and I’d be clearing his stuff out for mine, but would be hard pressed to throw out all those argali sheep he had.

 

[Agross]

I've started selling my shoulder mounts off. I put mine on Craigslist and had some interest. I did have a broker in L.A. area want to buy the entire lot of them at $200 each. Luckily I'm not hurting for money or space right now (I have them in a storage container next to my house). I'm going Euro from here on out as well. Even if I get my cape buffalo in May, I'll take lots of great pictures and do a Euro. Ill never sell my 202 inch whitetail.

Sorry to sidetrack, but 202" whitetail!!? You gotta show us a pic of that beast. What state did you shoot em in?

 

[CHWine]

Sorry to sidetrack, but 202" whitetail!!? You gotta show us a pic of that beast. What state did you shoot em in?

Ok just went out to the container. He's actually 204 3/8 B&C.

 

[Wapiti1]

The mounts I and my wife have are our memories. We often sit and talk about them. When my folks pass, I'll get theirs. Most I was in on, so they have a meaning to me. My brother doesn't have an interest in them.

When I pass, my daughter will have to display them in her front yard for a month, or no inheritance. By then, it will be somewhere around 50 mounts and who knows how many skulls and euros. Those are the rules. A lawyer will oversee the embarrassment, and I will laugh my ass off in heaven, whether it exists or not.

My hope is that she lives in a place where the full mount leopard scares the hell out of any dog that strolls by.

It's a simple deal. To those that cherish the memory, they matter, to others they don't. Once you're dead, it doesn't matter unless you can figure out how to use them for fun or profit.

Jeremy

 

[Agross]

Wow, thats some character! Great buck and thanks for posting the pics.

 

[Danomite]

I’ve only done euros to date with 15+ animals, and not kept others, partly because I’m not very sentimental and I don’t expect my heirs to care about these things.

On the underside of the skull, or on the backside of the mounting wood, I do write my name, date of kill, state and unit, and maybe another interesting detail or two like who was there, cartridge, etc. I figure it will help me remember the hunt and when someone ultimately has to deal with it the small story will be interesting.

 

[johnsd16]

That elk will have value and if it is good work there are lodges, restaurants and CA transplants in ID, MT, CO.... that want them for their homes/cabins. May take time but the consignment furniture place in Spokane valley sells lots of NA game heads for pretty steep prices. Dall sheep for $1200, and so on. Find a place like that and consign them.

 

[Dust Rider]

SCI safari times magazine often has advertisements from different company’s that buy whole collections and offer estate planning for mounts and weapons.

 

[weekender7]

After reading through this thread, I told my wife when I am gone she can do anything she wants with mine and I won't say a word lol. She didn't say what to do with hers, she has about the same amount I do, lots.

 

[WCB]

We have talked about it a bunch as my grandfather is 91 years old and has a bunch of taxidermy, about everything you could name. The big ticket items that even my wife says we are absolutely not getting rid of ( we are taking) is his full body lion mount and his sheep slam. This as she is pushing for a new house because we are running out of room for taxidermy of our own. Probably take the antlered things and make a chandelier or other items. Even if it is pennies on the dollar will sell what we can and nobody wants if easy enough. The birds and fish will probably just get tossed as most of them are older anyways.

I know he has already gotten rid of some but still has probably 100 mounts still. My dad just built his trophy room and has around 50 mounts and My wife and I already have 20 mounts and 4 more deer at the taxi right now plus another 10 or 11 euros. It is what it is.

I am planning on getting pictures from as many hunts as I can and having those fill the walls of my gun room when we move as there are tons of memories not related to mounts that need to be displayed. But I like sitting back and looking at the mounts and remembering the hunt...Euros are nice and most will be done like that from now on but no the same feeling as a mount. Antler plaques or just tossing outside seems disrespectful and a waste.

 

[roosiebull]

I have mounts done for my enjoyment while I’m alive. If my kids want some of them when I’m gone thats cool, but after I’m dead I do not care even half of a little bit about them.

Same... I don’t expect my mounts to mean much to anyone when I’m gone