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Old 11-09-2023, 07:27 PM
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Default Euro mount update

I'm thinking about a whitetail or mule deer mount. Euro mounts are so popular now. And do look awesome. Are shoulder mounts a thing of the past? They're bigger, harder to move and take up a lot more real estate.

I love the look of a shoulder mount. But what about the price and wait time? Or are those not a factor?

I think a shoulder mount is more beautiful, and a euro mount is cooler.

Is the buck of a lifetime an automatic shoulder mount? Or a wicked looking euro?

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Old 11-09-2023, 07:34 PM
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I love Euros. Always have. I have one velvet WT shoulder mount and bugs got into the velvet and screwed it up one summer. ****ed me off. I can pull euro mounts off the wall when folks want to look at a critter.

Remove price from the equation and euros are still more fun to do yourself, play with and look good anywhere. 2 cents


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Old 11-09-2023, 08:12 PM
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I think shoulder mounts are much nicer than euro mounts.
I have zero shoulder mounts.
If I had the money to get them done, and a big enough house to put them in, I would get everything I've ever shot shoulder mounted.
But most of my deer are just antlers on a plaque, with a few euros mixed in there.
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Old 11-09-2023, 08:14 PM
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I love Euros. Always have. I have one velvet WT shoulder mount and bugs got into the velvet and screwed it up one summer. ****ed me off. I can pull euro mounts off the wall when folks want to look at a critter.

Remove price from the equation and euros are still more fun to do yourself, play with and look good anywhere. 2 cents


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Crapy news for sure about the velvet.

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Old 11-09-2023, 08:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Dewey Cox View Post
I think shoulder mounts are much nicer than euro mounts.

I have zero shoulder mounts.

If I had the money to get them done, and a big enough house to put them in, I would get everything I've ever shot shoulder mounted.

But most of my deer are just antlers on a plaque, with a few euros mixed in there.
Ya I told the boss that I was going to cover the living room wall with shoulder mounts. And she said no way.

I'd have to shoot something first for that. But I'd sure like the look of it.

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Old 11-09-2023, 08:34 PM
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Shoulder mounts are reserved for something special that I will have limited opportunity to hunt or something I feel I likely won’t take another like it. Euro mounts are for animals that are nice but I will likely match or surpass but still want to remember the hunt

I like both and both have their place
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Old 11-09-2023, 08:34 PM
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Shoulder mount for deer like this

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Old 11-09-2023, 09:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Smoky buck View Post
Shoulder mounts are reserved for something special that I will have limited opportunity to hunt or something I feel I likely won’t take another like it. Euro mounts are for animals that are nice but I will likely match or surpass but still want to remember the hunt

I like both and both have their place

This response sums it up for me. Unless like in my case this year where I shoulder mounted the animal I thought I’d never surpass and I was blessed enough to shoot a larger one. Lol It never ends once you start.


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Old 11-09-2023, 09:31 PM
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This response sums it up for me. Unless like in my case this year where I shoulder mounted the animal I thought I’d never surpass and I was blessed enough to shoot a larger one. Lol It never ends once you start.


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That’s okay, I agree with this take. And if your fortunate enough to do better or have another special one, well, it’s only money lol


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Old 11-09-2023, 10:02 PM
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Take up to much room so I’m in the euro club or even just skull cap club too if I’m feeling abit lazy...hahaha.

Bird taxidermy though I always have room for
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Old 11-09-2023, 11:09 PM
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Euro for me for the following reasons, in no particular order:

1. I don’t have the money to do a wall mount;
2. Even if money is not issue, I just cannot justify shelling out this much cash for a mount (the euro is free and is just worth a few buckets of water, I macerate);
3. Wall mounts make me feel like I am in Cabela’s and not at home; even skulls are hanging in the shed, except for one that is in the house;
4. If/when I join the dust, what is to become of the mounts that I spent this substantial amount of money on? Dumpster is likely the answer, eventually. I’d rather spent this cash on, say, vacation somewhere. I mean for the cost of these things, I can add as much and have a great getaway to Europe for the whole family, travel our great country (for the cost of the mount), some all-inclusive type thing somewhere warm, etc;
5. If, in an likely situation, I shot something that was a record of some sorts or otherwise “special”, I’d probably mount it and applied for a permit to sell at the same time so that once I decide it is time for it to go, or when I kick the bucket, all the paperwork is in order for myself or my kids to sell it and have something to show for it;
6. If I start forgetting my hunts, a wall mount is not likely to remind me any more than a euro mount would and likely neither would if it gets that bad, lol. Some of the best days I had in the last few years are also written about here on this forum in my “annual” threads, which I keep thinking I should save or print out in case this place goes down. I looked at some of the older threads and pics aren’t there anymore, which kind of sucks because I think they add a lot to the story. Wish I started with this thread thing earlier too;
7. Wall mounts collect dust and are harder to clean.

There are probably more reasons I can write about, but I think these are the main ones. I would say 2, 3, and 4 are likely the main reasons for euro mounts.
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Old 11-10-2023, 03:26 AM
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Shoulder mount all the way if its a trophy. The not quite eye candy ones get euro.

And it depends.

Sometimes I pull down a euro and a good taxi will sell me a cape and mount it up.

If I die with money on the wall in mounts I lived a good life.


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Old 11-10-2023, 08:15 AM
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These are all valid opinions. It's a tough choice.

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Old 11-10-2023, 08:15 AM
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I have both, depends, money, room, etc....euros I do myself and have done many for others, shoulder mounts I send them off to reputable taxidermists and wait and wait and then pay but well worth it....last one I had him cut the form to creat a unique one of a kind look....said he had it in the shop on display but wanted me to get it out cuz others were wanting the same look for thier shoulder mount.
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Old 11-10-2023, 08:18 AM
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Euro for my biggest, firsts, or only’s. Skull cap for everything else.

If I kill something, I don’t want it to look alive again. That’s one of the joys of hunting. Success is final and can’t be taken away (as it can in so many other areas of life).

That being said I can appreciate the art of taxidermy and don’t see anything “wrong” with it. Just don’t want it in my house with my animals.
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Old 11-10-2023, 08:20 AM
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Originally Posted by 58thecat View Post
I have both, depends, money, room, etc....euros I do myself and have done many for others, shoulder mounts I send them off to reputable taxidermists and wait and wait and then pay but well worth it....last one I had him cut the form to creat a unique one of a kind look....said he had it in the shop on display but wanted me to get it out cuz others were wanting the same look for thier shoulder mount.
I guess seeing another mount that catches your eye helps with the decision making.

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Old 11-10-2023, 08:22 AM
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Originally Posted by 3blade View Post
Euro for my biggest, firsts, or only’s. Skull cap for everything else.



If I kill something, I don’t want it to look alive again. That’s one of the joys of hunting. Success is final and can’t be taken away (as it can in so many other areas of life).



That being said I can appreciate the art of taxidermy and don’t see anything “wrong” with it. Just don’t want it in my house with my animals.
Does it give you the hebegebees when you get up for a leak in the middle of the night and a shoulder mounted buck is watching you

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Old 11-10-2023, 08:45 AM
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Early season whitetail capes are nice looking, so I went with a shoulder mount for my archery WT this year. I'd do the same if I shot a buck in velvet. That's a goal of mine.
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Old 11-10-2023, 10:33 AM
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Does it give you the hebegebees when you get up for a leak in the middle of the night and a shoulder mounted buck is watching you

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Even better:

I was 13 or 14, went to visit my great uncle. “Your room is downstairs. Light switch is at the bottom.”

I turn on the lights and I’m nose to snout with a wood bison. Those as…les (the rest of my family) said my feet didn’t touch the stairs on the way up.
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Old 11-10-2023, 10:52 AM
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Originally Posted by 3blade View Post
Even better:



I was 13 or 14, went to visit my great uncle. “Your room is downstairs. Light switch is at the bottom.”



I turn on the lights and I’m nose to snout with a wood bison. Those as…les (the rest of my family) said my feet didn’t touch the stairs on the way up.
Oh ya that will haunt you for life lol

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Old 11-10-2023, 11:06 AM
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This may be a dumb question, but what kid of price range is it to have a top quality shoulder mount done versus a head mount versus a euro mount? I honestly have no clue... I imagine like anything the spread can be quite large and some guys are worth more money than another.
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Old 11-10-2023, 11:09 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tirebob View Post
This may be a dumb question, but what kid of price range is it to have a top quality shoulder mount done versus a head mount versus a euro mount? I honestly have no clue... I imagine like anything the spread can be quite large and some guys are worth more money than another.
Last euro was $200 deer I just dropped off for a shoulder mount is $1395+tax
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Old 11-10-2023, 11:10 AM
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I shoulder mount any trophy I can, ole lady doesn’t love shoulder mounts so outside of my office and the basement I fill the house with all other types of taxidermy, Turkey fans, euros, skull caps wrapped in leather etc.
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Old 11-10-2023, 11:14 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tirebob View Post
This may be a dumb question, but what kid of price range is it to have a top quality shoulder mount done versus a head mount versus a euro mount? I honestly have no clue... I imagine like anything the spread can be quite large and some guys are worth more money than another.
Euro would start at about $150+ and probably up to $350, but free if you do it yourself and requires no skill, really.

Wall mount would start at about $1,250 but I was quoted $3,400 for what I wanted (deer). That’s when I thought there is no way I will ever get one because I have way better use for that money, haha.
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Old 11-10-2023, 11:20 AM
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Originally Posted by fishnguy View Post
Euro would start at about $150+ and probably up to $350, but free if you do it yourself and requires no skill, really.

Wall mount would start at about $1,250 but I was quoted $3,400 for what I wanted (deer). That’s when I thought there is no way I will ever get one because I have way better use for that money, haha.
$3400 were you going to get him smiling with a gold grill
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Old 11-10-2023, 11:31 AM
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$3400 were you going to get him smiling with a gold grill
Platinum, lol. I guess I should I say it was pedestal type of mount with something very specific in mind. Like I mentioned above, wall mounts make me feel like I am at Cabela’s. I could probably get it cheaper elsewhere, but that would involve a lot of driving and way too much effort. So free skulls it is, for me, haha.
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Old 11-10-2023, 12:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tirebob View Post
This may be a dumb question, but what kid of price range is it to have a top quality shoulder mount done versus a head mount versus a euro mount? I honestly have no clue... I imagine like anything the spread can be quite large and some guys are worth more money than another.
Wall pedestal will run you around $1800 nowadays
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Old 11-10-2023, 01:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tirebob View Post
This may be a dumb question, but what kid of price range is it to have a top quality shoulder mount done versus a head mount versus a euro mount? I honestly have no clue... I imagine like anything the spread can be quite large and some guys are worth more money than another.
Euros: I did one for around $200 in supplies including the burner. It stinks while simmering, and the smell really sticks to you. Big animals like elk and moose are somewhat time consuming do well, deer are easy. The end result is scent free and awesome.

I had one done for iirc $150 by a member on here - my wife was pregnant and I knew better than to be simmering a moose head, even in the back yard. She even likes the euros hanging up in the house, but one shift of the wind and I would have been sleeping outside.

If you’re gonna do it yourself, don’t wait and don’t freeze it either. Both will cause a smell to sink into the bone and it’ll have to stay outside. I made a mistake by freezing my first muley and doing it the next spring. Ended up having to cut the skull off and throw it out, just kept the antlers.
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Old 11-10-2023, 02:04 PM
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I did a euro on my ram that took me 7 years to take. A shoulder mount was $2,000. Couldn’t justify that.
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Old 11-10-2023, 03:09 PM
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Shoulder mount for deer like this

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" like "

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