European Whitetail Mount

[archery288]

My dad finally finished his european whitetail mount...  took him a while but he is very meticulous and I think it turned out pretty good! (sorry for the grainy picture - I had to scan it as he doesn't have a digital camera)  Also, pic's of the buck on the trail cam a couple weeks before he shot it! kinda cool to put those next to the other ones in the scrap book I must admit!

[bowsandhose]

what a hawg sweet to have pics of him too. on a deer like that why not a shoulder mount???

[M_ray]

Jon Tell your dad Congrats for me that's a sweet whitey! I was thinking the same thing as bowsandhose, Does your dad allready have a bigger one?

[addicted]

i like before and after pics. nice buck

[archery288]

well its a sad story... he shot the buck and drilled it right behind the front shoulder, and watched it run a short burst and fall over!! sat in the treestand for 45 min. Thought to himself - "oh *censored*, that thing is dead!" got down out of the treestand after waiting for that time, and went over to the deer which hadn't flinched a muscle.  Observed all the blood all over the place and looked at his shot behind the front shoulder and told himself it couldn't have gotten any better. He set his bow down next to it, grabbed it and this thing jumped up and took off!! He about *censored* his pants!!! and was very very upset when I met up with him later that evening and thats when he told me the story... He didn't want to push it that night, but couldn't even imagine it getting up and running off after all the blood on the ground and seeing where the arrow hit!! Anyways, we found it the next morning about 70 yards away, and a bear or cougar had gotten to it and ripped the hide all to pieces and had eaten some of the deer.. it was quite depressing for both of us, but atleast he could salvage and make a euro mount.  He said if he can get another hide, he will mount it no doubt! anyways, thats why its not mounted.... neither of us can explain why the deer even got up or why it wasn't dead.. still a mistery!!??

[Cougeyes]

I'm sure this next season if you post a thread about someone saving a cape for you before the season starts you could get a nice whitetail cape for that buck.  Not everyone who shoots a nice buck will mount it or use the cape.

[archery288]

thats what I was thinking, we are having our elk mounted from this elk season and the taxidermist is on the hunt for a cape for him..

[PolarBear]

Nice buck and great euro job!

[bowsandhose]

that is a sad story, and that's one tough buck

[boneaddict]

I think he should just save the whole cape thing for the next big buck.  That mount turned out great and no need to upgrade.  Thanks for the story.  I've always been waiting for these TV shows when the cameraman gets on his hands and feet in front of the deer to video the guy to come kick the deer in the rump or nudge it with his rifle barrel......one of these days that cameraman is going to get it.  I don't mean to try to be funny with what happened to your dad.  THAT story sucks.  I'm glad he has these two memories.  The antlers look darker in the pics than on the mount.  Different light I guess.

[coonhound]

I agree the Euro looks great, and the trail cam pics are also great.  I'm sure there will be many hours of BS around the mount and pics over the coming years.

Tell him great job,
Coon

[archery288]

Thanks bone and coon! and yeah I can't wait to see that happen to one of the camera men or women on TV - it will be a classic!! and as for the antler color, it is just the lighting, they are pretty light in color and the days of the trail cam pics it had been raining and mixing with snow and not to mention it being dark, it doesn't show much color or light.. anyways, it was a great year and definetly a great buck and story from how the buck came in and what not.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Did he boil it?  Looks good but I can't realy see it because the flash has washed it out.

To bad about the cape.  I have a good idea where to get a cape for his deer.

[archery288]

yes I believe he boiled it after he had taken it to "skull dugery" with the beatles that had eaten all the flesh off of it first. and what is this about a cape??!!

[Michelle_Nelson]

Why would you boil a skull after it has been beatle cleaned?  After the beetles clean that needs to be done is degreese it.  Boiling does not degreese a skull it will actually make it harder to degreese.  I have a pretty good idea where I can get ahold of a whitetail cape.  Neck looks to be 19" - 20" right behind the ears.  The deer doesn't look very rutty to me in those pictures.  Where was that buck taken?