Taxidermy Collection Upon Retirement

[rodell]

Unfortunately, I'm faced with what to do with my modest collection in the not too distant future. My son has no interest, although he has a couple of his own.

I'll likely be moving soon and the collection isn't going to fit in any reasonable way. I have about 12 shoulder mounts, including one very big elk. I have only one full mount, a Himalayan Tahr on a rock base.

Have any of you contemplated this scenario? What are your thoughts/ideas?

(I'll still be hunting and fishing, but for the freezer.)

[full choke]

I would say to sell them or donate to some organization or lodge who could display them.

[Mulie87]

My wife’s uncle has a collection that We’re wondering what to do with when the time comes. The wife and I have contemplated selling first and then donating to local sportsmans clubs. You can attempt to sell to big box sporting good stores as well.

[Pathfinder101]

Rodell,
I am a high school ROTC Instructor at Walla Walla High School.  Part of my curriculum includes certifying all of my Cadets in Washington Hunter Safety Education, so I teach Hunter's Ed for about 50 new students each year.  My classroom is actually an Olympic Style 10 Meter, 8 lane rifle range (we have a nationally competitive rifle team that I coach as well).  If you are looking for someone to donate mounts to, I would be glad to have any of your shoulder mounts of animals that are found in Washington State.  My class has 15 foot ceilings, so I can accommodate large animals like elk.  I could label the animals with your name and the year they were harvested, and they would live in perpetuity in our program.  We are one of the oldest Junior ROTC Programs in the United States ( one of the 5 original programs certified in 1918), so we are not going anywhere.  I have trophies and photos hanging on my walls from the 1920s.  Currently I only have whitetail and mule deer mounts that I use for teaching animal identification.  I have a pickup truck and would be willing to pick up donated mounts. Post or PM me if you would like to talk.

[257wbymagkiller]

Donate sell maybe try to trade them for something 

[TVHunts]

Rodell,
I am a high school ROTC Instructor at Walla Walla High School.  Part of my curriculum includes certifying all of my Cadets in Washington Hunter Safety Education, so I teach Hunter's Ed for about 50 new students each year.  My classroom is actually an Olympic Style 10 Meter, 8 lane rifle range (we have a nationally competitive rifle team that I coach as well).  If you are looking for someone to donate mounts to, I would be glad to have any of your shoulder mounts of animals that are found in Washington State.  My class has 15 foot ceilings, so I can accommodate large animals like elk.  I could label the animals with your name and the year they were harvested, and they would live in perpetuity in our program.  We are one of the oldest Junior ROTC Programs in the United States ( one of the 5 original programs certified in 1918), so we are not going anywhere.  I have trophies and photos hanging on my walls from the 1920s.  Currently I only have whitetail and mule deer mounts that I use for teaching animal identification.  I have a pickup truck and would be willing to pick up donated mounts. Post or PM me if you would like to talk.

Wow, what a perfect potential solution!

[Mulie87]

Rodell,
I am a high school ROTC Instructor at Walla Walla High School.  Part of my curriculum includes certifying all of my Cadets in Washington Hunter Safety Education, so I teach Hunter's Ed for about 50 new students each year.  My classroom is actually an Olympic Style 10 Meter, 8 lane rifle range (we have a nationally competitive rifle team that I coach as well).  If you are looking for someone to donate mounts to, I would be glad to have any of your shoulder mounts of animals that are found in Washington State.  My class has 15 foot ceilings, so I can accommodate large animals like elk.  I could label the animals with your name and the year they were harvested, and they would live in perpetuity in our program.  We are one of the oldest Junior ROTC Programs in the United States ( one of the 5 original programs certified in 1918), so we are not going anywhere.  I have trophies and photos hanging on my walls from the 1920s.  Currently I only have whitetail and mule deer mounts that I use for teaching animal identification.  I have a pickup truck and would be willing to pick up donated mounts. Post or PM me if you would like to talk.

 
Perfect, right there. Pathfinder101 has the perfect home for a noble cause.

[bornhunter]

Rodell,
I am a high school ROTC Instructor at Walla Walla High School.  Part of my curriculum includes certifying all of my Cadets in Washington Hunter Safety Education, so I teach Hunter's Ed for about 50 new students each year.  My classroom is actually an Olympic Style 10 Meter, 8 lane rifle range (we have a nationally competitive rifle team that I coach as well).  If you are looking for someone to donate mounts to, I would be glad to have any of your shoulder mounts of animals that are found in Washington State.  My class has 15 foot ceilings, so I can accommodate large animals like elk.  I could label the animals with your name and the year they were harvested, and they would live in perpetuity in our program.  We are one of the oldest Junior ROTC Programs in the United States ( one of the 5 original programs certified in 1918), so we are not going anywhere.  I have trophies and photos hanging on my walls from the 1920s.  Currently I only have whitetail and mule deer mounts that I use for teaching animal identification.  I have a pickup truck and would be willing to pick up donated mounts. Post or PM me if you would like to talk.

 
Perfect, right there. Pathfinder101 has the perfect home for a noble cause.

 

[rodell]

Interesting ideas. I've not known anyone who had any success actually selling their mounts, unless they had dioramas or huge collections. Even then it seems to be pretty hit and miss. I'm involved in a couple of communities of hunters and everyone reports about the same thing. People who have rhinos and lions have some success.

I did think about doing a stack mount, reconfiguring several of the shoulder mounts to be on the same pedestal. I've seen a couple at SCI done that way. I could at least keep a few. Since the mounts weren't designed that way from the beginning I don't even know how feasible that might be.

I've enjoyed them tremendously, but what WAS I thinking?

[NRA4LIFE]

If I recall, Teacherman on this site was looking for some items to dress up a classroom of his.

[Mark Brenckle]

I've seen a few at equipment auctions, they all sell but you may only get a couple hundred bucks for them.

[birddogdad]

when your son has no interest in your guns.. we are here for you ~~

[highside74]

when your son has no interest in your guns.. we are here for you ~~ :t :IBCOOL:up:

 

[Whtlhunter170]

I can say I personally know that ROTC instructor, my son along with 3 young ladies made up the rifle team that won a national championship under his coaching. If those mounts were donated to that program I can tell you they would be treated with great respect. Hanging them in a box store would a disgrace to the animal. It’s a bummer your son isn’t interested in them, we have probably 30 mounts at our house, when I look at anyone of them I relive the hunt again, most of them were taking with either my mom, son, or dad being the hunter, there great memories.

[LDennis24]

Can you maybe post up some pics of them and prices you were thinking of asking? Another idea is somewhere like the taxidermy museum in Ritzville. A guy there has built a large showroom full of specimens from all over with several from Africa.