48 Years of Memories...

[buffybr]

The first animal that I had mounted was my first Pronghorn antelope buck that I shot back in 1971 in Colorado. I moved to Montana in 1975, and my first 10 years here I had some great hunting with multiple Bighorn sheep, Moose, and Mountain Goat tags, along with tags every year for Deer, Elk, Pronghorn antelope, and Black bears. I've always loved the outdoors, and have always had pictures and prints of big game animals on my walls. In 1988 I built an addition onto my house which included a 1,000 sq ft Trophy Room. In the last 20 years I have been able to make multiple international hunts, and now realize that I didn't make my Trophy Room large enough.

I'm still waiting on a dozen or so animals that my taxidermist has, and I still have quite a few hunts planned, but here's the mounts that I have so far...

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Holy smokes! You must have a walk-in freezer!!

 

[buffybr]

The over flow from my Trophy Room has spilled into my Living Room with these mounts ...

And this is my latest mount, a Quebec Caribou that I shot two years ago. It was invited to the 30th Boone & Crockett Awards Ceremony this August in Springfield, MO. It and the other animals invited to that ceremony are currently on display in the Bass Pro Shop's Wonders of Wildlife Museum.

 

[bonedogg]

that Caribou is awesome!! love the pedestal. I was searching your room for a pedestal black death, but didn't see it? I have always envisioned having one( dugaboy) on a pedestal, some day maybe it will happen. When you look back on them, are there any you wish you would have done different things with them?

 

[buffybr]

Thanks bonedogg. I didn't start using pedestals until I ran out of wall space. I make my pedestals myself. Most are made with full 3/4" cherry wood, 3 are made with oak, and the leopard pedestal is poplar. Originally I had the Zebra on the pedestal that the Red Lechwe is on, then I saw a pic with the Zebra skin panel inserts, so I made one and put the Zebra on it. I also used the Sable back skin for the Sable pedestal and I just finished another one for a Roosevelt Sable that my taxidermist is working on.

I shot the Mountain Goat back in 1978 on a DIY solo hunt, and for some reason I completely skinned him for the pack out. I shot him on the 14th of November and it was -5* F when I started up the mountain after him. He had a large body and extremely long hair. My taxidermist wanted to do a full body mount of him, and even offered to cut the price in half to do the full mount. At that time I didn't have room for a full mount so I had the half mount done. I've regretted that decision ever since.

I also built the Trophy Room myself, and the main thing that I wish I would have done different is that I should have made the walls higher and not put windows in the side walls.

Here are my Sable cherry wood pedestals with the Sable back skins. The other Sable will have a left turn.

 

[noharleyyet]

My goodness what a collection....

 

[The Hedgehog]

Wow.

Great collection and beautiful presentation. No doubt you’ve got some good hunting tales to tell.

 

[Scrappy]

I just showed my wife this thread just so she will know that there is guys out there with more mounts than me. Thanks for sharing.

 

[HSi-ESi]

Wow. That is a lifetime of work. I am sure story time at your house is not a small affair.

Edit: I really like the frameout you did for the bull elk. I didn't notice it the first time, especially since you textured the "box" the same as the wall. Nice work.

 

[buffybr]

Yes, I had to build that frameout for the pose of that elk mount. His main beams were 59 1/2" and 60 1/2", and the last two points of both antlers extend past the back of the mount.

 

[Dinkshooter]

That's a snazzy muley buck in the first pics

 

[noharleyyet]

This thread is how you walk the pond bank like a boss....

 

[genesis273]

That's an incredible display you have! I'd love to take a walk through and hear the stories of each!

 

[buffybr]

Holy smokes! You must have a walk-in freezer!!

I don't have a walk-in freezer, but I do have 2 upright freezers.

 

[buffybr]

That's a snazzy muley buck in the first pics

I shot him in the early '70s near Maybell, CO with a .45 caliber Kentucky percussion rifle that I built from a CVA kit.

 

[Big Fin]

Glad to see you posted these, BB. I had hoped you would, someday. Knowing you are one of the most accomplished, yet understated hunters around, I pay keen attention to what you say/do.

Seeing your results at the range, odds are that when the crosshairs are settled, the tag is as good as filled. Hope the draws gave you something to look forward to this season.

Thanks for all the great work you did in your former "day job" that did not involve dimpled primers and spent powder. Some people fail at retirement. You're grading out at an A+.

 

[buffybr]

Thanks Randy. I's been my pleasure knowing you all of these years, and I'm glad that you've become so successful "living your dream."

Montana was not good to me in the drawings (again!), but I'm still hoping for Antelope. I do, however, have hunts to look forward to this fall in Newfoundland and
Alaska.

 

[BearFoot]

Congratulations, most accomplished Hunter!

 

[mdhunter]

Lots memories on those walls for sure. Very impressive!

 

[buffybr]

An update to my Trophy Room, I got my Quebec-Labrador Caribou back from the Boone & Crockett display that they had at the Bass Pro Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield MO, and found him a home in my Trophy Room. The two caribou on the wall behind him are a Mountain Caribou that my taxidermist was able to preserve the velvet on his antlers, and an Alaskan Caribou that I shot on a DIY hunt in 1980. I shot both of the Shiras Moose on DIY hunts in Montana in the 1980s.

And the Roosevelt Sable that I shot in Mozambique a few years ago. He's on a cherry wood pedestal that I made that has inserts made from his "back skin."