Trophy alternatives

[Taylorz1]

Im sorry if this has been covered but I couldnt find anything searching the archives- like a lot of people on this forum my house is already too full of mounts and rugs. Combine that with the high costs of taxidermy and Im of the mind to only bring memories and photos home after safari. “Alternative” trophies( like leopard hyoid bones or zebra rifle slings) are an interesting alternative to heads and hides. Rifle slings made from buff, grip caps from bosses, warthog tusk crafts etc etc seem like good alternatives. Id be interested in other ideas to be able to bring small mementos of the animals harvested without the sea-crate of woe$ that sometimes follows a great hunt. Thanks and best

Zack

 

[ryno111]

Following...

 

[Altitude sickness]

We are having several gun bags made from our Buffalo hide.
Many taxidermist over there will bronze a skull for you. Here is my Honey Badger skull

 

[Bhfs300]

I had my warthog skull bronzed. Brought some trinkets back also. Had rifle scaber made

 

[mdwest]

We made the mistake of getting the flat skins or backskins from probably the first 20x animals taken in South Africa... and ended up with a closet full of them...

A few years ago we finally got around to doing something with several of them.. my wife made several pillows.. kept some as decorative pillows for the bedroom.. gave a few away as gifts, etc...

I had James Leddy Boots make a set of western/cowboy boots for me out of my buff hide as well as a pair of safari hunting boots..

Ive made several pieces of leather hunting gear from the buff hide as well.. ammo slides, a rifle sling, a couple of knife sheaths, etc..

and I've still got probably a dozen hides left to do something with lol..

Ive still got one more crate in process from our most recent hunt in South Africa.. and a single sika stag from an ireland hunt a few years ago thats being worked on by @gizmo ... I have no clue where the taxidermy is going to go.. after that, we are finished.. we dont live in a mansion by any stretch, but its a fairly large house (4000 sq ft) and its busting at the seams with mounts, rugs, etc... from this point forward its nice photos and coffee table books filled with memories rather than euro and shoulder mounts unless something truly exceptional is taken..

 

[Rare Breed]

Im sorry if this has been covered but I couldnt find anything searching the archives- like a lot of people on this forum my house is already too full of mounts and rugs. Combine that with the high costs of taxidermy and Im of the mind to only bring memories and photos home after safari. “Alternative” trophies( like leopard hyoid bones or zebra rifle slings) are an interesting alternative to heads and hides. Rifle slings made from buff, grip caps from bosses, warthog tusk crafts etc etc seem like good alternatives. Id be interested in other ideas to be able to bring small mementos of the animals harvested without the sea-crate of woe$ that sometimes follows a great hunt. Thanks and best

Zack

On my elephant I am having a leg bone carved with the big 5 that is unique and will be easy to place

 

[Altitude sickness]

Like most. I wish I could get back the cash spent on taxidermy. I could pay for a trophy bull elephant hunt in Kenya

Yep fines included

 

[Longwalker]

Elephant tail hair bracelet and a similar one from my giraffe are all I took home from those hunts. I’m satisfied.

 

[Spearhead]

Thank you @Taylorz1 for posting this. My first trip 8 animals= pics only. Some regret, some wishes, but a helluva lot cheaper. I'm not made of money nor have a money tree in the backyard, and having to save a few years to go back gets me antsy. To each their own obviously. Love this forum.

 

[PARA45]

@Red Leg has posted the photo albums he makes from his hunts. I've been following this, and I've been getting some of those albums made. I'm also running out of room in the house, and most likely will have some nice pictures taken and call it a day.

 

[Hunt anything]

I had a pair of bookends made from my Cape buffalo feet, I would think eland, sable or gemsbok feet could be done as well,
Backskin pillows as well. Nyala, lechwe and bushbuck.

 

[Red Leg]

As @PARA45 suggests, I think photo journals and also framed photography on canvas are great ways to memorialize an adventure without burdening an heir with a bunch of dead animals. Sure, get a few special things done, but the photo journals particularly will be far more interesting to a grandchild or great grandchild one day.

I posted these examples on another thread a few days ago.

Ths photos (on canvas) are of the largest sable and only Kafue Lechwe that I will ever take. They were from @spike.t 's magnificent Takeri with Andrew Baldry and our own @PeteG . I think they work great with traditional taxidermy and obviously take up a lot less space.

 

[Marcus bock]

can/has anyone done anything with cape buffalo horns?

 

[mdwest]

can/has anyone done anything with cape buffalo horns?

Ive taken some small bits of buff horn (not from my buff, but from pieces available otherwise) and used them to make bolsters and handles on a few custom knives..

I tried to do some gun work with a few bits as well (grip cap, fore end cap, etc) but was unsuccessful with those attempts (was able to make the parts.. but not satisfied with the outcome)..

 

[Spearhead]

can/has anyone done anything with cape buffalo horns?

So
Done posted on here a few months ago, they had custom knives made and used the horn for scales. I'll look to see if I can find it. It was gorgeous and practical.

 

[Nyati]

Over 50 trophies in a 140m2 apartment, only euro-mounts will fit.

 

[Rare Breed]

@Red Leg has posted the photo albums he makes from his hunts. I've been following this, and I've been getting some of those albums made. I'm also running out of room in the house, and most likely will have some nice pictures taken and call it a day.

View attachment 648843

I too now only bring home albums with one exception. Whenever I am able to take my leopard he will have a full body mount given he will be so important to me!!!

 

[BeeMaa]

I think I might be doing a trophy picture that’s nicely framed and have the spent brass I used inletted into the frame. This would free up a bunch of space and I’d have the memory.

Then flatskin the hides for rugs, wall coverings or leather projects.

 

[Edster]

I’m keeping my eye on this

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digitaltaxidermy.com

At this point in time they don’t have any exotic backgrounds or animals done. If and when they do I will explore it further. Seems like a great way to preserve / present the animal.

 

[Vanguard2279]

I also had mounts made of stuff that I probably shouldn't have. Having said that, there is very little taxidermy that I will have done in the future. Limpopo Bushbuck and Spotted Hyena as shoulder mounts and Hippo and Crocodile as Euro's. Pictures will suffice for everything else.