What is your shoulder mount criteria?

[Feathernfurr]

With so many different factors at play between species, location, weapon, sentimental value, I’d love to see some people’s arguments and criteria for what gets shoulder mounted. This topic came up recently with a close friend, as we considered the big bucks that adorn our father’s walls, and the ones that now reside in the attic or garage from their earlier days of hunting.

Personally I’ve only shoulder mounted two animals:
158” 5pt whitetail that is my personal best, and the last deer killed on a property my family has hunted since my father was a teen. The property was sold by the family we leased it from.
125” 2pt with eye guards whitetail that I obsessed over for a season.
The scores have some play for me, but it is really more the sentiment. I chased both bucks for an entire season holding out to harvest them specifically

I’ve euro mounted all of my elk, including a 305” with recurve. I think my hesitation with shoulder mounting elk is the need for space to adequately display one. I only have 9ft ceilings in the house lol.

I think if I was to have a strict criteria it would have to be:
-high degree of sentiment

If sentiment is lacking it would fall to score
-Rocky Mountain elk 345” p&y
-Whitetail 130” p&y
-Colombian Blacktail 125”p&y
-Mule Deer 160”p&y

After that I think it falls to uniqueness/funk
-albino/melanistic/leucistic
-insane mass
-double beams, drop times, palmation

Thoughts or opinions?

[Sundance]

I'll never impose my standards on another person's mount, they are a personal totem and the significance can only be measured by that hunter. I've seen a lot of "smaller" animals at my taxidermist, I know each one holds a special valve to that hunter.

Deer for me is making book or the new personal benchmark for that sub species. Anything unique will be factored in as well, at this point I'm really looking for a mule deer and a whitetail to round out my wall. Elk has to be a solid 6x6, which I've never taken. Anything OIL will go on the wall, bears are a case-by-case basis and usually depends on if we need another rug or mount for a cabin. I try to mount 2-4 birds a year, but finding a taxidermist is getting tough.

[Feathernfurr]

You’re not kidding, it seems like it’s harder and harder to find quality bird taxidermists. As far as deer goes it feels like all of them have crank their prices way up, and the quality doesn’t match. It feels like you have to be willing to fork over $1000 to get high quality these days.

[Sundance]

I've seen too many taxidermist threads go sideways to call out names. My taxidermist has increased their price and my last mount was a longer than normal lead time. I knew the lead time was going to be long going in, but I trust their quality of work and it was possibly the best buck I'll ever get. Worth every penny and the wait once I got it back, which is what I care about in the long run.

[Feathernfurr]

Same train of thought. My best whitetail is nearing the end of a 24 month wait for completion, but absolutely worth it for the quality of the product the taxidermist provides.

[huntnnw]

165-170 plus for whitetails unless something very unique. Muleys are 180” plus unless like whitetails something unique like a 30” wide 2pt etc. elk 340 plus

[MADMAX]

I like euros
Just sayin

[The scout]

I like euros
Just sayin

  I don’t like the way shoulder mounts look, don’t care how big of a deer or elk it will be euro for me. Don’t like bear rugs either, euro the skull and maybe take some claws. Just love the meat.

[jjhunter]

I’d say 180” plus for muleys….although I personally have 4 hanging in the rafters that probably need mounting some day.

160” plus on whitetail

Only euro for elk, regardless of size.   

[blackveltbowhunter]

Has to be a good hunt, and pretty cape. I care less about the score

[Feathernfurr]

Interesting seeing whitetail perspectives from two different regions. East coast guys will probably never kill a 160” in 4-5 decades of hunting. Wide main frame 4x4 are the genetics there. Hard to break 140” without some insane tine length when you don’t have those extra tine measurements of a 5x5 or 6x6. What’s everyone perspective on weapon of choice in the equation? I’m generally archery only. I think I’d be more inclined to mount 160” muley with the bow over a 180” with the rifle.

I agree with most that I do love a euro though. I like being able to pick them up and look at them and reminisce on the hunt in a way you can’t with shoulder mounts.

[Buckjunkie]

To each their own, but I am out of room. Everything from here on will be a euro mount unless it’s a 400” typical bull elk, a 200” muley or my first sheep if it’s big. Big is a 170+ Cali or 180+ Rocky.

I will not spend money on a trophy room that I could spend hunting.

One thing to consider is what do your heirs do with your trophies. If Cabelas doesn’t want them, they are a waste of money.

[Karl Blanchard]

I'm kind of over mounts. I've got multiple and honestly the bar started too low. You stuff a few 170 muleys, then you get into the 180's. Now you're out of room but continue to improve on your personal bests. So you get euros that are bigger than your mounts. 

Probably my biggest regret was mounting my sheep. I wish I had euro'd it and done a soft tan with the hide. Sheep heads are SOOOO cool to pick up, hold, count rings, etc. 

Elk always euro's because they are too big for my little house. I'd like a BIG antelope mount for sure just because they are way cooler looking with the hide on. Mtn goats definitely mount because the hair is incredible but the horns are less than impressive. Just my 

[raydog]

I'm kind of over mounts. I've got multiple and honestly the bar started too low. You stuff a few 170 muleys, then you get into the 180's. Now you're out of room but continue to improve on your personal bests. So you get euros that are bigger than your mounts. 

Probably my biggest regret was mounting my sheep. I wish I had euro'd it and done a soft tan with the hide. Sheep heads are SOOOO cool to pick up, hold, count rings, etc. 

Elk always euro's because they are too big for my little house. I'd like a BIG antelope mount for sure just because they are way cooler looking with the hide on. Mtn goats definitely mount because the hair is incredible but the horns are less than impressive. Just my 

Boy, I sure feel bad for ya Karl

[Ridgerunner]

Tough question as so many factors are at play.  Right now the only thing I'm planning on mounting is my grand slam of deer that I'm working on.  A mature buck of each of the 5 major species I think would look sweet on the wall together.  With two sheep mounts and an antelope mount I don't have a ton of room.  I really like Euros and being able to handle the horns.