Budgeting for Mounts?

[Jeff Welker]

I'm getting back into big game hunting after a hiatus of many years. Now that I've got my priorities appropriately organized , I'm budgeting funds for all things associated with hunting and that includes taxidermy. While I'm not trying to be cocky, I anticipate eventually having a nice Coues buck that would look great mounted in my home. Accordingly, how much (in general $$$$) should I be budgeting for a nice shoulder mount? Full size or pedestal mounts are not my thing, so I would be looking for a classy/high-end shoulder mount and want to make sure I've set aside enough funds to make it happen.

 

Any comments, thoughts or suggestions would be sincerely appreciated.

 

PS - I'm not asking anyone to tell me precisely what they paid for their shoulder mount. I'm just looking for a good ballpark figure.

 

Thanks again.

[bowhuntaz1]

PM Sent

[kninebirddog]

depending on where you go...I know Wellers is on the pricey side BUT with them you are getting a quality job that looks like still life rather then a hide slapped onto a mount with no extra care to real anatomy ...

Pet peeve which will make me hit the door faster then anything is when you see a Cat mount with teeth showing in a hissing manner and they have ears perked up in an alert position and eyes big and round...That is not how cats hiss The eyes are slanted ears are pinned back ..So if I see that I do not care what else they do I can already tell they do not take the time to pose an animal correctly

 

Or another taxidermist had the wrong eyes in a couple of his white tail he stuck sheep eyes in

 

Or another guy he had all deer ears stuck out to the side..not even in a proper position just stuck to the side no care which when you have a smaller antler size you need to turn ears where the deer looks like it is listening to behind a bit thus enhancing the antlers it does have

 

Wellers pays close attention to those kind of small but very important details

 

So with that said I believe is is almost at 600-700 for a shoulder mount..he has a work shop of people so though he does have a 6-9 month turn around he isn't just slapping stuff on and cramming junk out the door he has hides tanned professionally then some people working on fixing holes and scraping cleaning prepping and a couple people who actually place the hide and then build up the eyes detail the mouth and ears and touch up the final job

 

Best place to see quality work versus slap the hide to a mount is go to the Sportsman warehouse in Tucson ....if you have any eye for work you will see the quality

 

Sorry to be so long winded but there is ntohing worse then getting back a mount that you will not be happy with...a buddy of ours had a possum done to add to a varmit collection he had going..the guy that did his possum did such a bad job he threw it away ...500 bucks down the drain said it looked like a pile of fur from a freak show, Another one a guy had waited years to getting a mountain lion..he took it back to the taxidermist and left it ..was a horrid job barely could tell it was a mountain lion only thing the guy got right was the tail

[swwildlife]

At all of the seminars on field care that I have done, that question comes up. I tell people first don't even ask about price. Go look at their work, look to see if the animals look alive. make sure you are looking at customer work, not something he has done for competition. it helps to look at pictures of live deer or what ever animal you are going to get mounted. so you can compare the expressions, eyes, ears etc. make sure that he is tanning the skins, not some quick tan type method. there is a science involved in tanning, not just soak it in this or that. ask about the turnaround time. you shouldnt have to wait more than 14-15 months and it shouldn't be less than about 6. if it is, thats a red flag. then ask price. the prices vary in Arizona from 250.00 to 1000.00 for a deer head. the average being about 550-700 range. generally the higher price the better quality and the longer it will last. It's like optics, buy the best you can afford. Make sure he is licensed not only with the Game and Fish but with the city they are working in. The last thing I tell people is to look at the peronallity of the taxidermist, Can you work with him? what happens if there is a problem, can you guys work it out?

 

this is a general rule of thumb, there are exceptions to the rule.

Jim

[WildHeritageTaxidermy]

Well said, Jim.

 

Dale

[couesdiehard]

This in my experience, is one of those areas where you really do seem to get what you paid for. A good taxidermist is worth paying for his skills. So budget accordingly.

One note, look at a taxidermist's previous coues mounts. These deer are built different than eastern or even Texas whitetail and a good taxidermist knows that and works accordingly.

The location of the ears on the head is usually the most obvious mistake that I see. I believe it is because they try to use forms that don't fit these little deer correctly.

Lee

[cramerhunts]

This in my experience, is one of those areas where you really do seem to get what you paid for. A good taxidermist is worth paying for his skills. So budget accordingly.

One note, look at a taxidermist's previous coues mounts. These deer are built different than eastern or even Texas whitetail and a good taxidermist knows that and works accordingly.

The location of the ears on the head is usually the most obvious mistake that I see. I believe it is because they try to use forms that don't fit these little deer correctly.

Lee

 

Lee nailed that one right square on the head. Depending on what you are thinking about mounting may depend on who you use and what you need to budget for. All of the posts have been spot on. Do your homework and research and don't settle for less than what YOU have in mind. The sponsors of this site are some of the best in the business and there are also more out there, again take the time to check them out. That being said I would say you can bet on paying $600-700 for a good quality mount.

[Jeff Welker]

I sincerely appreciate all the great comments and suggestions - they are most helpful. I will plan on budgeting $1,000 for the mount and begin my search for the right professional.

 

Many Thanks;

 

Jeff

[kninebirddog]

here is some of Wellers work you can go see at the Sportman warehouse. I realize you are not looking for this kinda of mount but if he can do this with full imagine how good a shouder mount will look

 

 

 

[couesdiehard]

Those Weller's mounts might be a weeeeeeee bit more than the $1000 your planning but WOW!