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Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections #7181409 05/27/18 11:36 PM
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txtrophy85 Online Content OP
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For those that have taxidermy collections, do you strive to fill your trophy room with record book caliber animals, representative class animals or just to compile a bunch of animals.

Taking sentiments out of it ( first kills, special hunts, etc) what is your goal for trophy rooms?

Taxidermy has become a lot more popular in recent years, growing up most hunters I knew only had 1 or 2 heads in a lifetime of hunting. Now larger personal taxidermy collections are becoming more in style.

Myself, although I haven’t set any particular goals my collection runs more towards the representative side with animals not being small for species but not huge either. I only have one truly large for species mount the others run about average as far as trophy standards go. Nice heads but nothing spectacular.

As wall space shrinks with every passing year I’m going to have to get more selective with what I choose to mount, however.



For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7181438 05/28/18 12:16 AM
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Buy a bigger house.

Most of my collection is just good representative critters for the area taken. A few others are more for the memory of a special hunt, but all have good memories associated with them


lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true
Mainstream news might be fun to watch
Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: kmon11] #7181478 05/28/18 12:55 AM
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Originally Posted By: kmon1
Buy a bigger house.

Most of my collection is just good representative critters for the area taken. A few others are more for the memory of a special hunt, but all have good memories associated with them


This for me. I’ve been lucky on a few that were big specimens, but the taxidermy is about the beauty of the animals and the memories. One of my favorite bucks wouldn’t score 120, but he was 9 when I shot him and elusive as a ghost. Almost didn’t kill him on the day I finally got him. So he’s up there where I can see him.


Originally Posted by Russ79
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.


Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7181774 05/28/18 02:38 PM
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My only “book” class trophies are archery kills and I did get them mounted of course. I never plan to shoot something with getting it mounted in mind. If it’s a truly good animal and the hunt was awesome I tend to want to get it mounted to cherish the memory. My Nilgia is a good example. Could care less about shooting one. Got invited on the hunt and had a good guide killed a tank of an animal with a great stalk and long shot with a new 28 Nolser caliber .... got a beautiful mount.


"Anyone taking up handloading necessarily plays with unknown factors and takes chances. But so does anyone who drives a car,goes to a cocktail party,eats in a restaurant,or gets married."

Jack O'Connor 1963
Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7182046 05/28/18 09:41 PM
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I'm thinking of getting this bad boy in my trophy room. Should I just do a shoulder mount or get the full body mount?
A rug might be cool too.


Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7182058 05/28/18 10:05 PM
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I can't take the sentiment out of it. When I look at a trophy of mine, I'm standing back where I took the shot, with the people that were standing with me, if there were any there. Some of those people have left this earth by now and most of them taught me a ton about hunting. I don't believe I have a single mount that will make any book; I never had one measured. The one I'm most proud of is a mediocre west Texas muley that I spotted and stalked all by my lonesome on one of the most God-forsaken, beat-up oil patch ranches I've ever been on.

European (skull) mounts can go a lot more places, without deteriorating, than a regular shoulder mount can. (Porches, barns, etc.) Plus, they're a lot more economical.

Not having any taxidermy coming down the pipeline is lot less taxing on the annual budget and one less thing to worry about.

I do dread having to dust them all once or twice a year.

I've gone to mostly skull mounts on whitetails and muleys I shoot. I've grown to appreciate the simplicity and primal nature of them. Hopefully any others will be skull mounts too. Unless I go back for that dam cat with spots. He mocks me. realmad


...and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen. 1:28
Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7182069 05/28/18 10:15 PM
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I’ve got a little of everything. Big, average and/or sentimental. I don’t go that deep with it though. If it’s an animal I like and want to look at it for the next couple decades I’ll mount it. If not a euro is a good route or I give the skulls to my daughter to paint. Like most I’m running out of wallspace but that’s fine. I always wanted dead animals above my wife’s side of the bed smile

Last edited by rexmitchell; 05/28/18 10:15 PM.
Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7182154 05/29/18 12:15 AM
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My house at the land doesn't have any more room for more animals. I guess it's time to hang up the guns. NOT! I'm more into the growing of the deer as well as hunting.
But mostly just like watching them these days.

Last edited by Erathkid; 05/29/18 12:16 AM.

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Don't text and drive.
Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7182157 05/29/18 12:21 AM
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Creekrunner, I'm into skull mounts more these days too. Lack of room is a big factor but also, like you said, less stress.


Life is too short, as is. Don't chance it.
Don't text and drive.
Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7182174 05/29/18 12:33 AM
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Memories....the main reason I have one mounted. To remember the hunt.

Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7182225 05/29/18 01:19 AM
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Purely about the memories and recognizing the beauty of the creatures on this Earth. Everyone of them has a story that is worth being retold, at least I think so. Most of what is on my wall are/will be once in a life time hunts. WT deer get hunted annually and since I have already killed my "buck of a life time" most everything is getting left for the kids to hunt or maybe a skull mount if I shoot it and it's unique enough. At the end of the day, do what you want. They are your memories. Remember them how you see fit as there is no right or wrong answer in my opinion.

Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7182270 05/29/18 02:10 AM
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I have Euros and taxis on the wall, some nice specimens, but not a single "book" animal. I have many different breeds, but there isn't an animal on my wall that doesn't have a unique story/memory behind it. I had no intent on ever filling a room with animals, it just slowly happened over 30 years of hunting. When you think about it, an animal ever few years, you have a wall full.
My favorite is one of the smaller ones, a hill country 8 pointer that might make 120inches (never measured). It is my wife's first deer from when she started joining me on hunts.


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Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7182349 05/29/18 03:32 AM
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We ran out of space so had to build. anew house, Africa will do that to you. I mount everything i shoot, i love it because all the hunts have a story.

Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: hawk] #7182351 05/29/18 03:34 AM
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Originally Posted By: hawk
Memories....the main reason I have one mounted. To remember the hunt.
No doubt. Special hunts in your life need to be memorialized.


Life is too short, as is. Don't chance it.
Don't text and drive.
Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: Erathkid] #7182782 05/29/18 05:53 PM
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Originally Posted By: Erathkid
Originally Posted By: hawk
Memories....the main reason I have one mounted. To remember the hunt.
No doubt. Special hunts in your life need to be memorialized.


Yeah the ones I have mounted I find myself looking at them and I can remember in detail the hunts. The weather, the people, the place.. everything. I love that!!

Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7182973 05/29/18 09:29 PM
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I have never been concerned about any record book when I am hunting and never will. To me it is all about the size or quality of the animal I am hunting but the memory of that hunt. Every one of mine were a favorite that is why I have a shoulder, pedestal, life size or euro mount done from them. For many of them I did not even take a picture of them but now I have the mount. I can easily spend a day or two just looking at mine and remembering the hunt. grin


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Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7183271 05/30/18 02:29 AM
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Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7183760 05/30/18 05:02 PM
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What little I have are trophy's to me!

to me.

Last edited by White Falcon; 05/30/18 05:03 PM.
Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: txtrophy85] #7183764 05/30/18 05:05 PM
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I'm not big on shoulder mounts and I don't hunt waterfowl. I've got my biggest WT and biggest Axis shoulder mounted and that's it. I much prefer Euro mounts.


Originally Posted by unclebubba
Just to make sure that it is done thoroughly, I go both ways.

Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: Colorado1] #7183814 05/30/18 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted By: tstorm5


That’s pretty much what I want my office to look like, lol


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Trophy rooms/taxidermy collections [Re: stxranchman] #7183817 05/30/18 05:45 PM
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Originally Posted By: stxranchman
I can easily spend a day or two just looking at mine and remembering the hunt. grin


Maybe the highlight reel or cliff notes version if you are only giving yourself that amount of time


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
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