Deer Mounts

[Redmt]

I was wondering if there is a market for deer head mounts? I was given these from the estate of a friend who passed away a few years ago. I just don't have room for them.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Strange looking eland. Is it an eland?

 

[Stocker]

Oh yeah, people but them all the time for crazy money. A couple cool ones in there, I just don’t have the desire to hang heads I or my wife/kids haven’t killed.

 

[Redmt]

I'm not exactly sure what it is. I'll find out from his son.

 

[Redmt]

Oh yeah, people but them all the time for crazy money. A couple cool ones in there, I just don’t have the desire to hang heads I or my wife/kids haven’t killed.

I have one of his elk heads hanging in my shop. My wife doesn't want a "bunch of dead animals" hanging around.

 

[Lyfter1013]

I’m pretty sure it is illegal to sell them in California. I would look into that before you list them.

 

[Redmt]

I’m pretty sure it is illegal to sell them in California. I would look into that before you list them.

Yeah, I just thought of that. I'll ask my local game Warden about that.
I bet if California could collect a tax on them, it would become legal!

 

[Redmt]

Strange looking eland. Is it an eland?

It's a Lord Derby Eland.

 

[OntarioHunter]

It's a Lord Derby Eland.

Must be a young one. No dew lap.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Advertise that velvet buck. The novelty should generate some interest. Those are difficult to preserve and that one looks to be in remarkable condition.

 

[Redmt]

I'm going to check into the legality of selling them.
Any guesses as to value?

 

[MarvB]

I'm going to check into the legality of selling them.
Any guesses as to value?

100% illegal to sell ANY part of a game animal in Cali… one of my buddy’s son is a warden there and we laughed about how one of his “jobs” is to go on Craigslist looking for violations. He’d rather look on Tinder

 

[Redmt]

100% illegal to sell ANY part of a game animal in Cali… one of my buddy’s son is a warden there and we laughed about how one of his “jobs” is to go on Craigslist looking for violations. He’d rather look on Tinder

Well POOP! I don't really care about the $$ as much as finding a home for them. If they are just disposed of then the story dies with the animals. I need to find a worthy home for them. They are just hanging in the barn at the ranch. Nobody sees them, nobody can appreciate the animal.

 

[Southern Elk]

Take a trip to Billings and leave them in the back of truck at the hotel. Problem solved.

 

[MarvB]

@Redmt you can advertise them out of state and sell them out of state, but cannot ship FROM Cali.

Too bad you’re not closer to the border (I think your down around San Jose?) or you could sell them out of my place. One thought, sell them through an out of state consignment house. A neighbor here did that when they downsized their place and a bar in Nevada bought his entire lot to open a “western themed” place up

 

[OntarioHunter]

Well POOP! I don't really care about the $$ as much as finding a home for them. If they are just disposed of then the story dies with the animals. I need to find a worthy home for them. They are just hanging in the barn at the ranch. Nobody sees them, nobody can appreciate the animal.

This is heartbreaking. At least one other thread about this was started a while back. All I can suggest is you try to find an extended relative or two that might be interested. I am writing up the stories with photos to accompany each of my better trophies. Hopefully having stories and photos will make them more desirable when it comes time to liquidate (which, I suspect will not be far down the road). I also have pretty much limited myself to euro and cap mounts. They are more easily transferred in the end game.

 

[Nick87]

My boss who doesn't deer hunt just remodeled his cabin and mentioned to me that he'd like a mount or two in there, I can mention it to him.

 

[buckbull]

You could request a donation to be made in your friends memory to a conservation group like RMEF and in exchange receive a free mount.

 

[Redmt]

You could request a donation to be made in your friends memory to a conservation group like RMEF and in exchange receive a free mount.

I gave a set of Elk antlers to the semi local Elks Club. Their meeting place burned to the ground and everything with it. They were going to refinish them and send me a picture. I guess it takes a year or so to refinish antlers?

 

[OntarioHunter]

I gave a set of Elk antlers to the semi local Elks Club. Their meeting place burned to the ground and everything with it. They were going to refinish them and send me a picture. I guess it takes a year or so to refinish antlers?

I can strip and paint a set of deer antlers in a day, two at most. I recently stripped the yellowed varnish from this set my brother shot in 1969. It fell off the wall in the 80s and broke the skull cap. I put it together with a fiberglass resin and cloth. Put it on a new plaque with fresh velvet.
My daughter and I rebuilt this deadhead set also with skull cap shattered and four points missing. It was bleached white from laying on the ground more than a year. That job required more than a couple of days!