How small a buck would you shoulder mount?

406LIFE

406LIFE

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Thinking about doing a 3x4, 130" Mulie. Don't have a shoulder mount for the wall and would like one, but it's not really a "wall hanger." Plus $600 for the mount makes me pause a second.

Other than first bucks, what's the smallest you would do?
 
Its something that's very subjective. Depends partly on quality of deer where you can hunt. They all look nice with quality taxidermy work. If unsure, you can always do a plaque or euro mount and shoulder mount at a later date. Depending on finances, there's no rule saying you can't mount next years too if you shoot a bigger one. I mounted my first 160 Miley and now it would probably take a 180, but if I shot a big framed 3x3 with some character that didn't score as high, I might shoulder mount too.
 
Do what you want to do. I shoulder mounted my first racked buck, a (maybe) 75" whitetail almost 30 years ago, and a couple more since, but euro mounted my biggest buck two weeks ago, which was a really really nice non-typical, and even my elk. I, me personally, have gone away from shoulder mounts. I still look at the small buck that I had a shoulder mount done and am still just as proud of it as any others...small or not!

But, if you do shoulder mount your buck, do it justice and spend the cash for a quality taxidermist mount.
 
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Only you should decide what is a trophy to you, and what to do with the antlers/cape if you take an animal. The average hunter seems to be listening way too much to the "experts" on TV as to what a trophy or "shooter" animal is. I recently invited a couple friends on a deer hunt to the Midwest. They told me they had been watching hunting shows for guidance regarding what size animal to shoot. Are you freakin kidding me ?!?!? 406LIFE , if that deer is special to you (and they all should be), you have a place to hang it, and a little extra cash, then have it mounted. Every time you look at that buck, great memories of the hunt will be jumping back at you !
 
406LIFE said:
Thinking about doing a 3x4, 130" Mulie. Don't have a shoulder mount for the wall and would like one, but it's not really a "wall hanger." Plus $600 for the mount makes me pause a second.

Other than first bucks, what's the smallest you would do?
Click to expand...

We had the same situation. Mom shot a 130" 3x4 in Colorado and decided to shoulder mount it because she wasn't sure if she'll ever be able to go on another Mule Deer hunt. In that case, its the biggest one (and only one) she has killed. I went out there with the plan that if I shot anything smaller than a 150" that I wouldnt mount it because I'm planning to go every couple years. The wife is picky about how many mounts I can have on the walls. I've convinced her one of each animal is appropriate so now I'm just hunting more animals :)
 
For me there is no minimum size, every deer has story that is special and may make it worth mounting. When I have gone in the taxidermist shop, I have seen basket rack 6 points to Boone and Crockett bucks. I have even seen a few does. The stories are always different from first deer for the child, to last deer with Dad to whatever else you can think of!
 
I’ve come to appreciate euro mounts more than anything. Save space and I think they look awesome. I wouldn’t think anything of someone mounting a 130” Deer if it was what they wanted.
 
If you wanted to shoulder mount a spike I say go for it. I have one animal that is shoulder mounted, a small 8 point that I killed when I was about 13. Everything since then has been a euro mount. I just like the way they look. I don't think I will do another shoulder mount unless its a world class animal.
 
A real trophy is one you can pin it's rack to a cork board with a couple thumb tacks. I believe all dinks should be displayed appropriately.

Most people don't even notice I have a trophy of a lifetime buck hanging in my office at work. This is an archery buck that I mistakenly thought I could put an antlerless B tag on due to short length. But due to his magnificent beam length, I had to put an either sex B tag on him. These are the kinds of monster bucks than roam the river near where TJones and shoots straight live.

He graces my wall and reminds me of an amazing hunt and my fledgling decision making abilities in the mid 90s. I do also remember he yielded about 30lbs of marginal tasting venison.
 

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406LIFE said:
Thinking about doing a 3x4, 130" Mulie. Don't have a shoulder mount for the wall and would like one, but it's not really a "wall hanger." Plus $600 for the mount makes me pause a second.

Other than first bucks, what's the smallest you would do?
Click to expand...
If you're not sure you want it I wouldn't do it, regardless of size. I'd take the $600 and hunt another state or two, or bank it for another animal down the road that you're sure you want done.
 
With the ceiling heights in our current house my decision making process is pretty simple. Meaningful animals get antler or Euro mounts as they will fit :) So far I have my first elk (a small 5x5), my first buck (small 3x3 whitey), my son's first buck (small 4x4 WT) and my pronghorn buck. I also have my bear from this year at taxi-he will be a rug and skull. The only thing that I know for sure I will shoulder mount and that mama has given full approval for is a bull moose when I finally get to hunt one. I think to most mounts are all about the memories.....I kinda feel sorry for the folks who want to do the "mine is bigger than yours" contests.
 
I have a little different take on it. Consider the quality of the hunt with as much weight as the relative quality (size) of the animal. If you get out of your truck and there stands a B&C buck and you blast it, I think that is a much less worthy buck for the wall than a smaller one that you maybe earned by packing in a long ways or playing a great game of cat and mouse or whatever. The reality of it is, 98% of the "looks" at that mount will be made by you, so if it makes you happy, mount that critter!
 
406LIFE said:
Thinking about doing a 3x4, 130" Mulie. Don't have a shoulder mount for the wall and would like one, but it's not really a "wall hanger." Plus $600 for the mount makes me pause a second.

Other than first bucks, what's the smallest you would do?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't mount it personally but it's really not up to me, everyone is different and I would never question why anyone would mount a particular animal. Sorry, it's your choice.
 
I’m a cheap bastard, and as such have a grand total of three shoulder mounts. In retrospect I could easily pare that down to even fewer.

It’s more relative to your budget than anything. I’d buy a tag any day of the week over a shoulder mount.
 
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