Just Got This Coues Back

[Coach]

Last Fall, I took my first ever coues with a bow - also my first ever deer with a bow. I knew he wasn't a "congo" buck, but I passed on a dozen or so forkies and spikes to make sure my first would be a good, mature coues. Being my first deer with a bow, and not a bad one at that, I decided to have it mounted - something I typically hold off on unless it is something special.

 

I'll hold off the field photos, for now. I just got the mount back and I have mixed emotions about it.

 

Here are some solo shots of the finished mount...

 

 

 

 

 

Next Post...

 

[Coach]

My first impressions were mixed. The cape and colors looked amazing, and the velvet had been very well taken care of. Then I put "Rio" up on the wall next to a couple other coues I had previously mounted, one at the same shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Coach]

Here are the other 2 close up.

 

 

 

 

[Coach]

I didn't want to rush to any conclusions, so I put this mount up along side some other coues mounts. While it is beautiful in many aspects, it really didn't capture the realism of the deer I had brought in.

 

After spending a couple of days looking at it, it seems too "dainty" - yes it was a young buck, and I LOVE the facial features. But the neck and face are so thin, it almost looks like a fawn with a 2-3year-old rack. Maybe even a Springbock.

 

My wife's take is that it looks like a small, African species with a coues rack.

 

For the record, I DID choose the form it was mounted on, and I DID tell my taxidermist that I wanted to preserve the young appearance of the deer. What I didn't anticipate was a mature coues looking so thin and so young, as to not capture his beauty, the way I saw it when I finally walked up to my first ever, hard earned archery coues buck.

[trotsky]

In all honesty I think it looks pretty good. The only way to judge if he captured the essence of the deer is to post a picture of him after you harvested it. One thing I don't like about the mount, (again this is ust my own personal view) is how the lip curls up making the deer look like it was smiling. Otherwise great deer and I wouldn't be too dissapointed in the mount

[Chef]

I think the neck is too thin and the eyes are too "shut". Good job on the eyelashes but I would have asked to have the ears tucked a little tighter back on the skull, and tilted back a bit. You are right, the cape and velvet look very nice.

[Coach]

Here are the field pix...

 

 

 

 

[coues krazy]

I think it looks pretty good. Bucks in summer always seem thinner and more scraggly to me. The other two have the look of rutting bucks with the thicker necks. I would be happy with the mount.

[AZelkhunter]

Just a skinny deer is all I see

[josh]

I think it looks good. As stated the bucks taken that time of year should look much smaller. Way to go on a great velvet buck!

[Buckhunter]

So whats the problem? It looks better than the other 2 mounts. Color is going to be different. Thats an outstanding buck and mount.

[Coach]

So whats the problem? It looks better than the other 2 mounts. Color is going to be different. Thats an outstanding buck and mount.

 

Thank you, Buckhunter. From my perspective, the buck just looks really - well, small, when compared to the other mounts - especially in the neck. It's hard to capture with a camera, and I have the upmost respect for the artist who worked on this deer. It just doesn't really seem like the deer I brought in. On the other hand, it truly is "prettier" than the other two.

 

Thanks to all who have commented.

[AZantlerhead]

Nice mount...He's a happy young buck..He has a big Rack and knows it

[youngbuck]

Looks good to me, looks like he's not a december buck, as the others look to me.

[DesertBull]

I think it looks good. Have any live pics of him?