Opinions for my first shoulder elk?

[Pete112288]

So I am curious on some opinions for my first shoulder mount elk. I have a few things in mind but having a hard time deciding. Also, just for kicks, any guesses on what he would score? Never really care that much on scores, just curious.
I know I want a straight forward facing mount. I dont have a lot of room or options of where to put it in the house, and with a blacktail shoulder and a half bear mount that both turn one way or the other, the big boy I want facing straight. And I have 8ft ceilings in the whole house.
Also, I know I want plenty of shoulder, I like the mounts that go far enough back at the shoulder and such that at the bottom you can see where the hair is getting dark at the top of the front legs. I love the color variations of the hair. And esp on mine, the neck in some places still has light brownish redish kinda look to it, and other spots is the darker brown. I have been tickled to death on how pretty the hide is.
And I know I want a closed mouth.
I just am having a hard time deciding on full upright, semi-sneak, or full-sneak. I look at example after example and cannot decide. It is hard for me to get a good idea of how the antlers will set, as most the examples I can find are much bigger antlers with big whale tails and such. Any opinions on how mine would sit in a straight forward version of the 3 poses?
Anyone with any examples of similar sized bulls?
Thank ya much!

[JakeLand]

I think a side mount ! half curled so it looks like he’s looking back over his shoulder

[fishngamereaper]

A full upright is going to be about 5' tall. Are you going for wall mount or pedestal.  I have animals done the position they where standing when I shot them...kind of my thing to honor them I guess..but I have 10 ft ceilings in my man  room and 20' vaulted in the living room ..

I would do semi sneak if your going to wall mount it, and upright if you use a pedestal.

[Westside88]

I’ve really come to like the pedestal mounts with a slight turn. Especially without real high ceilings

[boneaddict]

Elk are a little more "custom" to where they are going to go than deer.   They just dont fit anywhere and look good.  Ceiling height has alot to do with it, and of course the size of your elk will determine what ranges of poses you can request

[PlateauNDN]

Full body lip curl twisted half upwards looking 90° with 1 hoof up and 200"?

[Pete112288]

It will definately be a shoulder mount for on the wall. I was thinking of leaning towards the pose the elk was in when I shot it. It would be a straight facing semi-sneak

[LabChamp]

Hopefully the taxidermist can fix the hide. Most I know want the cut from the antlers down the top of the back to conceal the stitches

[jrebel]

Being that you cut him up his front, all the way, I would go with a sneak pose turned a little (right or left depending on your spot) and a mild lip curl.  May even look at a wall pedestal to show off more of the side of the elk and hide where the stitches are going to be.  Taxidermist are really good at hiding stitches, especially with the long hair on elks neck but as years go by, it may become more noticeable.....thus hide that area the best you can with a pose.  Nice elk by the way. 

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS728US728&biw=1920&bih=937&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=r36oXcLnGfjP0PEP4J62uAk&q=elk+shoulder+mount+wall+pedistal&oq=elk+shoulder+mount+wall+pedistal&gs_l=img.3...301093.305246..305542...0.0..0.95.1054.13......0....1..gws-wiz-img.Rk-HSZ2xea4&ved=0ahUKEwiC-8C4xKPlAhX4JzQIHWCPDZcQ4dUDCAc&uact=5#imgrc=OgzjI6PZa28QmM:

Wall pedestal like this but with a sneak position and mild lip curl would by my choice. 

[cedarriver]

 Morning Pete, Congratulations on a beautiful bull. Here's my thoughts. #1 you cut the cape wrong, it should be split down the back, as has been mentioned. It can be repaired, but may cost a bit more money. ( Nothing a good taxidermist can't fix) My motto lol. #2 Straight mounts look stiff to me, But that's up to the client. What you could have done is, have an offset shoulder semi sneak, but have the taxidermist turn the head so he's looking
 90 degrees out of the wall. Have the bigger shoulder size on side that you will be viewing him more from. That way he's looking 90 degrees out of the wall, but is still turned so he has more life. May cost a bit more too. Elk forms are big and take more material than a deer. Not too many upright forms out there, due to antler clearance issues with the wall, (antlers past the back of the form, and unable to hang on wall). But Research does sell some old ones that are more upright than most. Personally I like the semi sneak position, but full sneak look good as well, and would give a bit more clearance for the ceiling.
 Good luck, Rick

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

First off, congrats on the bull!
In regards to your mount options.....something to consider, you said you were thinking a straight forward facing. If you do that you will loose a lot of character and size to the rack. In a straight position tines tend to loose lenghth to the eye because they are inline with the main beam and other tines in front of it. Even a slight turn to either side would be a huge improvement and give it more character. He is super symmetrical, from what I can see, so either turn would would work. Keep in mind a 'slight turn' is exactly that...a very slight turn, so anywhere he is put in a room will work (meaning hes not looking into another wall), unless you plan on putting him near a corner.
A pedestal, as mentioned is an option, but the caveat to a pedestal is: 1.they take a fairly large amount of floor space. 2. they typically cost quite a bit more. 3. they are much lower meaning kids, dogs, etc can screw with them easier. With that said, the advantage is they are very cool looking and they bring the mount down from the ceiling coverage.
If you want a wall mount there are all kinds of options to bring that mount down from ceiling height. The first and easiest is his position. Dont do and 'upright pose', choose something like a semi-sneak or even a full-sneak that will draw him down; it will bring him further out from the wall, but will decrease you overall height. The other option in a wall mount if your looking for height restrictions AND decreasing distance  out from your wall is what I do for quite a few mounts with clients in the same situation....We do a pretty hard turn (decreased wall distance) and then upturn his head a bit into a 'sniffing' position which draws his antlers down. I love this pose and it actually makes antlers look longer.
The other pose is a form they came out with a few years ago called 'Hang Em' High', which was designed for for lower ceiling heights. The bull is looking down, but it brings his head and neck down, thus decreasing overall height. Here are a few photos of each mount. The first 2 are the 'upturned' hard turn pose. The other 2 are of the Hang Em' High pose in bulls i did recently. Theres a previous post of mine a few months back also of another bull in a custom pose that is a 'Wall Pedestal Bull ' elk that the client REALLY needed ceiling clearance. This customized form really dropped the beast to a manageble level as well as kept it close to the wall; check that thread out with the pics, actually I just attached one...
 Best of luck to you and again...congrats on your bull man!
Joel/BRT

[boneaddict]

I love that first one!  What are your thoughts on the way he cut it?  Will it stand out after a couple years?

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

I love that first one!  What are your thoughts on the way he cut it?  Will it stand out after a couple years?

Yeah, he cut it completely wrong. It CAN be fixed but no matter who it takes it to is going to cost him extra $$ for the sew work on that mount. The other option is to get a completely new cape, which in all honesty would be cheaper than the labor and time its going to take for repair of that cape. If its done properly it shouldn't show, even over time if the mount is cared for properly.

[Pete112288]

I am going to snap a couple pictures of where I have that I could hang it and see what y'all have to say. After reading what has been said so far I think I will do some sort of sneak with a slight turn. Looked at a few straight on ones more thoroughly and agree about how the antlers don't look quite as good straight on.
BlackRiver, I do like that second example of yours, the one with the real dark antlers. Something like that might end up being a possibility.
I know my skinning job leaves some to be desired for taxidermy. I haddnt thought that far ahead when I was gutting it and had already cut up the chest pretty far. I don't mind if it's not completely perfect in that aspect as there is so much more about this animal and this hunt that it represents to me.
I was kinda surprised that the taxi I took it too haddnt said anything about the camping job.

[Brute]

Nice color on your bull.
Just a thought since the cape is cut wrong.
How about just tanning it and hanging it on the wall with  a european mount of the antlers?

[Pete112288]

I appreciate the idea. I had thought of that once before with a deer I got as well. Hanging the hide on the wall and having the eruo over it. I like shoulder mounts so much though. This year is the first time I have ever killed big game while not hunting solo. And it means the world to me that it was my dad with me. And I figured I couldnt pay for it, my dad has been pretty strapped as well, but managed to ruffle up money to give to me to get the process going. All this without me asking for any of it. So in all, getting it mounted the way he and I have always talked about... a shoulder mount. Even if between here and when I pick it up and pay the rest, I have to work a bunch of OT then so be it. haha. That is also why I wont cry if you can see a stitch or two when your standing right by it. It will still look great in my eye.
I wish I would have given the rack a rough measure, at least in height and width before I took it in.
I think I am going to be stuck with mounting it between the TV and the left corner in the one pic below, where the hutch is now. With a slight turn to the mount's left or your right.
Also thought about where the double fish mount is in the other pic, between the chair and loveseat, it would be over an end table when I finish making the table, haha, but then it would be facing the mount's right or your left and I already have a bear and a deer that face that way. Or where my other 5x5 euro is, but I think it will stick out too far as the room is so narrow and that is a main walkway.
I hate how narrow this room is, haha.

[jrebel]

Pete, I 100% agree with staying with your original cape and it will turn out amazing.   My first mount was a white tail deer (much shorter hair) that I cut all the way up the chest.  The taxidermist said he could and would stitch it but it would 100% show.  He did an amazing job but you can still see the cut hair.  None the less it was the hide that was meant for that deer and it has reminded me never to do that again.....LOL.  Elk have much longer hair and in a sneak position....no one will ever know the difference.  Can't wait to see the finished product....make sure to post pics.  Nice elk. 

[Pete112288]

I appreciate everyone's opinions, that's why I asked for them. And thanks to everyone on the congrats about the bull, I've been on cloud 9 haha. I posted the story, it's long winded though haha. As I am often told most my stories are haha. I'm a paint the whole wall guy, not just the picture.