Which ones to mount?

[Mtgoat]

I expect almost everyone is going to have an opinion about this question. The short version is "I shot several animals on my first safari. Which ones I have shoulder mounted?"

This time last year, when I had no thoughts of ever hunting in Africa, I was feeling like my trophy room was close to being comfortably full. I figured that I had room for 2 - 3 more shoulder mounts.

Then I decided to go on a plains game hunt. I got a nice kudu (around 50") an exceptional (at least that's what I'm told) blue wildebeest, 2 gemsbok (about 36"), a hartebeest that is special for me because of how tough it was, springbok and impala. Since I wasn't sure about what I wanted to do, I had capes, skulls and horns for each of the animals shipped to the US.

My wife thinks that I should have shoulder mounts done for all of them because "they have such pretty faces".

I had a shoulder mount done for my first caribou, and with 20/20 hindsight, I think that was a mistake. It's a decent bull, but not huge. I shot a much nicer one the following year. I don't want to repeat that mistake with my African animals. Like others on this site, I'm hooked on Africa. I have another safari booked for September 2014 and I'd like to keep going back as long as I am able.

This year's animals should reach the US soon - possibly this week. Then, it's going to be decision time.

So, what do you think?

 

[bluey]

gday mtgoat
im going with the little lady on this
:thumb:

 

[Mtgoat]

gday mtgoat
im going with the little lady on this
:thumb:

Problem is that if I do that, things are going to get really crowded. Also, I'd have to find a new home for two pictures that are in there - but I may not be able to avoid that.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I'd have to agree with your wife, but I understand your conundrum. Personally I'd go with a Euro mount of the Blue Wildebeest and have the skin made into a rug. I'd also do a Euro mount of one of the Gemsbok and a shoulder of the other. Nothing wrong with two shoulder mounts, but it's really not necessary. But having one is a must in my book for the reason your wife stated.

Impala in my mind are one of the more underrated trophies in Africa and are shoulder mount worthy. But I have 3 of them now and that's two too many.

The Red Hartebeest is something I wasn't all that hung up about until I saw them in person, definitely a shoulder mount there.

Springbok......geez, I'm back to the pretty face thing.

Not much help am I?

 

[bluey]

i dont particulary go for a crowded tropy room , but at the moment we have heads in every room ,except the bathroom and laundry .
have 4 at a mates place ,2 at the inlaws ,and when we are down the city in a bit over a week we have a big samba head that my young daughter stalked a few months ago and a big bird to pick up .
what do you do let the big ones walk, we are in the process of buying a little 80 acre farm ,where l will have the trophy room ,we need .
we juggle our mounts , reposition them to try make space (musical heads we call it ).
but you do what you do ,and make the best .

 

[Grady]

In my opinion, you have to mount the Hartebeest since it was something special to you. Next, you need to get a bigger trophy room and follow your wifes wishes and mount the rest. A happy wife means more hunting trips.

 

[James.Grage]

MT

Seeing as you have your animals in the salt and headed to the taxidermist.

You have some capes to trade or sell.

Before i leave on a safari i look at my limited available wall space and plan before hand on which animals i will have mounted. As few as 1 and as many as 3 per trip. They have to fit the wall space available and look good and not crowded.

Not all animals will look good in the wall space available. They have to fit the space.

I try to measure, a mount from the bottom of the chest to the top of the horns to see if it will fit in.

Like from my last safari i have a waterbuck that is being mounted and it should fit the spot available, however if it is to big, i do have another spot i could put it. some mounts will just get rearranged.

 

[spike.t]

i would go shoulder mounts of the wildebeest and hartebeest, and euro skull mounts with the others . i would say you arent too bothered either way with the others and you are headed back, so if you get better ones or decide you want a shoulder mount of one of the others , then take the animal you want for a shoulder mount then.

 

[enysse]

I would not mount the kudu, the rest if you wanted to mount go ahead. A kudu mount takes a lot of room up and you can do better down the road, plus it looks good as a Euro mount.

 

[Mtgoat]

In my opinion, you have to mount the Hartebeest since it was something special to you.

Agreed. We had a party last weekend and someone asked which of my mounts was the most special to me. They were surprised when I pointed to my mountain goat. Its horns are the smallest of any animal in the trophy room. However, it was a special experience. It was self guided, done under extreme conditions (12,000 ft elevation, blizzard followed by bitter cold, 100 mph winds) and it was an animal that I really wanted.

Next, you need to get a bigger trophy room and follow your wifes wishes and mount the rest. A happy wife means more hunting trips.

Yes, as she said recently "Happy wife means happy life."

Bigger trophy room is not an option. We debated long and hard over the question of moving or adding the trophy room to our current house. We couldn't add enough space to make it worthwhile to go through another remodel. Moving is not an option.

 

[Mtgoat]

i dont particulary go for a crowded tropy room , but at the moment we have heads in every room ,except the bathroom and laundry .
have 4 at a mates place ,2 at the inlaws ,and when we are down the city in a bit over a week we have a big samba head that my young daughter stalked a few months ago and a big bird to pick up .
what do you do let the big ones walk, we are in the process of buying a little 80 acre farm ,where l will have the trophy room ,we need .
we juggle our mounts , reposition them to try make space (musical heads we call it ).
but you do what you do ,and make the best .

The fishing business must be good!

Putting trophies in other rooms of the house (except my office which has a low ceiling) is not an option. Building the trophy room was my wife's idea. When we did, part of the arrangement was that all of the trophies would go in there and not in any of the other rooms.

In theory, I could put something in my office at work. However, there are 3 windows facing south and west. I'm afraid that the sun would bleach the hair fairly quickly. Then there is the issue of other people not having quite the same appreciation for the mounts as I would.

 

[death-from-above]

Maybe I am a little biased (I am a taxidermist) , but IMO , "if they're worth shooting...they're worth mounting".
Congrats on a successful trip.

 

[bcarper]

Pedestal mounts saves on space, I have a pedestal with a blesbuck on the bottom,bushbuck, above him, and a 26" impala on top, looks fantastic, and you can move it anywhere you want to. Brian My next trip I want a Nyala, wildebeest, maybe a hartebeest.

 

[Mtgoat]

Pedestal mounts saves on space, I have a pedestal with a blesbuck on the bottom,bushbuck, above him, and a 26" impala on top, looks fantastic, and you can move it anywhere you want to.

That's a very good point. It would be a good way to reclaim the space consumed by at least one of the windows.

 

[Mtgoat]

Maybe I am a little biased (I am a taxidermist) , but IMO , "if they're worth shooting...they're worth mounting".

I agree - at least up to a point. Those animals that I don't have done as a shoulder mount will end up as a European mount. Both are mounts.

 

[death-from-above]

Sounds like a plan... Send us some pics friend.

 

[Mtgoat]

Sounds like a plan... Send us some pics friend.

Pictures of the animals or the room? You can see the animals here: http://www.africahunting.com/namibia-hunting-reports/11558-i%27m-back-my-first-safari-namibia.html
You have to scroll down a ways to find the pics.

I'll see what I can do about trophy room pictures during the day on Wednesday when I'll have the benefit of some natural light.

 

[BRICKBURN]

...........

This time last year, when I had no thoughts of ever hunting in Africa, I was feeling like my trophy room was close to being comfortably full. I figured that I had room for 2 - 3 more shoulder mounts.

Then I decided to go on a plains game hunt. I got a nice kudu (around 50") an exceptional (at least that's what I'm told) blue wildebeest, 2 gemsbok (about 36"), a hartebeest that is special for me because of how tough it was, springbok and impala. Since I wasn't sure about what I wanted to do, I had capes, skulls and horns for each of the animals shipped to the US.

My wife thinks that I should have shoulder mounts done for all of them because "they have such pretty faces".

....
I shot a much nicer one the following year. I don't want to repeat that mistake with my African animals. Like others on this site, I'm hooked on Africa. I have another safari booked for September 2014 and I'd like to keep going back as long as I am able.
.........

OK, you asked for it. Here's the test for the "pretty faces" strategy. "Which ones do you want in the bedroom honey?"

You have already done the taxidermy remorse shuffle. i.e.. Caribou Do not do it again.
Another test: Close your eyes and recall the hunts. Which ones are special? The rest Euro mounts. Sell the capes.


In the event you are made of money; Rent a storage unit and play "musical mounts" and do as your wife told you.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Until a couple years ago my wife put u with my mounts in the bedroom, including a Shiras moose from Idaho........have I mentioned what a lucky man I am?

 

[Mtgoat]

OK, you asked for it. Here's the test for the "pretty faces" strategy. "Which ones do you want in the bedroom honey?"

Tried it - guess she doesn't think that they're that pretty after all.

You have already done the taxidermy remorse shuffle. i.e.. Caribou Do not do it again.

That's what I'm hoping to avoid by getting advice from you and the rest of the crowd.

Another test: Close your eyes and recall the hunts. Which ones are special? The rest Euro mounts. Sell the capes.

That is sage advice and well put. Thank you. It's a bit like the advice that an art professor gave when my wife and I were first married and asked how to decide what print to buy (we were too poor to buy paintings back then). Her answer was simple - "Buy the one that sings to you."