Antler swap possible?

[tntklundt]

I have a question that I wasn't able to find a clear answer to when I tried to google it. If I have a shoulder mounted elk with a smallish rack and 10 years later I end up getting a much larger elk, is it possible to have the taxidermist remove the smaller rack and install the newer larger rack on the same old shoulder mount?
Thanks in advance

[NW-GSP]

I don't see why they could not do it but It might be the cost that will change your mind ( I have no Idea what It would cost I'm just saying that it might be the deciding factor) they might have to rehydrate the cape to make the new horns look natural and I would imagine at that point it would be better to just have them do a whole new shoulder mount

[furbearer365]

Yes, it can absolutely be done.  While in taxidermy school i saw my teacher take a set of mule deer horns that his father killed that previous year and re-hydrate the skull cap of another mounted deer, take out a few stiches, attach the new horns and sew it up and you could never tell the different.  But i would have to say that how the original mount was done and what materials were used will play a big part in how the new mount turns out.  So be careful who you ask to do it and make sure that they know what they are doing or you may get that phone call saying "Im sorry to tell you, but."

[bucklucky]

It is possible BUTT, if your mount is a small bull, the pedicles will more than likely be small. If you kill a big bull pedicles will more than likely be big,Its hard to make small peds fit big peds,  why wouldnt you just have a mount done with the origional big bull cape?? You would  save a good chunck of change yes butt a nice fresh mount with the big bull cape would look much nicer than on a little bull that has already been mounted. Lets see, I would say that may be a 6 hour fix @ $50.00 an hour so it would be a $300.00 job plus Tax = $323.70. And that is in a perfect world so if there is any other issues it could cost more dough. Have you ever seen a bull mount that had a cape on it that was too small and the taxi didnt know how to proprly make it fit. I have first hand and have fixed it. New cape and it was fixed  I would seriousely think about just mounting it with the origional cape, but that is up to you.

[tntklundt]

Ah, all good information. I like to plan so I am still talking hypothetically. I have my only branched bull I have ever shot at the taxidermist now. A smaller 5 x 5. I don't know that I will ever shoot a bigger one so the decision was easy once I got the wife to sign off on having a shoulder mount elk in the living room. I don't think I could ever convince her to let me hang a second one if I was ever to get one. theirs my dilemma
The bull was a very large bodied animal so at least that would probably look about right for size.
Thanks again for all of the information.

[muleysgirl13]

But if/when you do shoot a bigger bull couldn't you just taxidermy it have it replace the one hanging in he house and hang the smaller on in the garage or something?  I guess I just think unless you saved alot f money there wouldn't be a point of switching out the antlers... unless you picked up sheds and were going to cheat   

[tntklundt]

I could do that although I would feel bad about having a nice shoulder mount done and then have it sort of waste away somewhere other then over our fireplace.

I think it would be cool to have the cape from my first branched bull and the horns from my yet to be shot monster bull combined in one mount. I guess I know now that I have options and I can cross that bridge if it ever happens.

[littlebuf]

you just don't even ask the wife, that's what i do then i put um up real high and lock up the ladder. she's eventually going to get over it and until then, well hey im sure you like camping just head for the back yard

[fishcrazy]

It's better to just do it and ask for forgivness than to ask and be told no.

Or get a new wife that likes the head mounts.

Problem with my wife is she thinks she needs to keep up. when I get one mounted she now wants one of her own. Gotta like those problems in the marriage though.

Kris

[Rob]

you just don't even ask the wife, that's what i do then i put um up real high and lock up the ladder.

Yeah, but even though mine is short, she is fiesty and knows how to use a shotgun...  Not sure what she would shoot, me or the mount.  Probably both.

(I have used up most of my spare points with the full bodied warthog mount).

She told one of her friends the other day "you know, you meet a guy in Highschool who likes to fish.  Next thing you know you wake up one morning 17 years later an there is a warthog and zebra head in your house.  Who would have thought..."

[huntnphool]

Next thing you know you wake up one morning 17 years later an there is a warthog and zebra head in your house.  Who would have thought..."

 Better than a horse head in your bed