How big must a bull or buck be to mount?

Good advice from previous poster. You can go euro for now and always change to shoulder mount later. It's why I ordered both the tanned cape and euro skull for my African kudu. It was for my daughter to do a showroom pedestal mount. In case the African taxidermist screwed up the cape (which they did), I would still have a euro for the wall. Unfortunately they screwed up the euro too. The nose was boiled to pieces and they stuck something on that was from a different species altogether ... and painted the whole thing to cover it up. Brother!

Unless he's a really big bull, taxidermists are often not much interested in buying capes. But they usually always have a selection available to purchase or can find one. Lots to pick from on line.

Though we are in the business, I have never been a big fan of fur and glass eyes in the home. Takes up too much room, difficult to move, high maintenance, and eventually they fade/crack and look like crap. A nice euro or cap mount keeps the memories alive just as well and a helluva lot easier to deal with. The top rack in this photo I shot in 1985 and the bottom was taken by my dad in 1955. Imagine what those shoulder mounts would look like today. 20201009_101843.jpg
 
For me it depends on how i want to re-live that hunt when i look at the animal. For instance when my kids get older and they harvest their first deer, its getting mounted whether its a spike or a giant. I just want that memory. That's me though.
 
To be displayed in your home I figure it's all your preference, you can tell the story that goes with it big or small. I will say I've seen some shoulder mounts displayed in public that defy logic...I mean in the state of WY it seems weird to have, as a centerpiece of your business decor, a 2.5 year old deer that managed to grow four points and 1/2" brows.
 
Score does not always tell the story on how big a bull is (ie mass of tines is totally neglected in scoring and can make a bull look way bigger or smaller). I would de-emphasize score and as others have said, focus on what will make you happy every day you look at it.
 
I wish I'd of known how many more animals I'd of shot when I was younger. Mounted bucks that looking back now I wouldn't of. Takes up a lot of wall space now.
 
As good as you want it to be. I have several mounts. Some are not my best animals, but they are the most memorable hunts. Dont let someone else define your trophy. Heck if have never shot an elk and probably never will again and you wanted to mount a cow, go for it. Its your trophy.

All I can tell you is look at my mounts everyday in my office or when I at my cabin and they all make me smile and bring back memories.
 
I think getting shoulder mounts is a thing of the past for me... I like the look of euros as much, if not better, plus less expensive, take up less space, easier to move, etc. I did get the hide of my first bull tanned, so there are other options out there too.
 
If I knew then what I know now..... I would have my first buck mounted ( I did and enjoyed looking at it these last 30 years.) Then I would consider how many of that species I was planning on hunting. If it was going to beca once in a lifetime hunt I would have a shoulder mount done. If it was something I would be shooting annually or quite a bit I would do antlers mounted on a nice board with a leather skull cap If it was a mature animal. If it was really exceptional I would consider a shoulder mount on any animal.
 
Boarmaster said:
If I knew then what I know now..... I would have my first buck mounted ( I did and enjoyed looking at it these last 30 years.) Then I would consider how many of that species I was planning on hunting. If it was going to beca once in a lifetime hunt I would have a shoulder mount done. If it was something I would be shooting annually or quite a bit I would do antlers mounted on a nice board with a leather skull cap If it was a mature animal. If it was really exceptional I would consider a shoulder mount on any animal.
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FYI leather is a SOB to work with on those cap mounts. Buckskin maybe not so bad. Most of the black "leather" cap mounts - the ones with the brass tacks around scalloped fringe - are actually plastic pre-made jobs. And they are worse to work with. I did a deer with one of those ... once and only once. I fought that damn thing for better part of a day and ruined one plaque. Anyway they really look like crap up close. We didn't save a photo. Won't even give that option anymore. Another client insisted on one for a moose cap (I'm pretty sure he's a biker). Besides being impossible to fit properly it was terrible cheezy with a moulded image of moose head on one side. Very undecorative. The client eventually opted for conventional cap mount covered with real black leather and that was no fun either. Velvet fabric is much more forgiving with less wrinkling around the edges when tucked into back of mounting base. We still have that plastic moose cover. My daughter wants to sell it on kijiji but I say pitch it. Wouldn't wish that headache on anyone.
 
Boarmaster said:
If I knew then what I know now..... I would have my first buck mounted ( I did and enjoyed looking at it these last 30 years.) Then I would consider how many of that species I was planning on hunting. If it was going to beca once in a lifetime hunt I would have a shoulder mount done. If it was something I would be shooting annually or quite a bit I would do antlers mounted on a nice board with a leather skull cap If it was a mature animal. If it was really exceptional I would consider a shoulder mount on any animal.
Click to expand...
I'm not much of a mount fan, but this guy, who I just found is in my backyard, he might push the right button.
 

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My dad and I have probably had too many done. That said, I look at the shoulder mounts a lot more than the euros, and they bring me back to the memory better, so I’m a fan of doing more shoulder mounts rather than less. We do have enough whiteys now though that it’ll take something near the B&C mark to make the cut. My standards will be less for elk or mule deer since my dad has limited hunts out west in him left, and I’ll be more likely to want to help preserve those memories. Pictures Of my dad and me together with our deer or just on the hunt are way more important to me, however, than any shoulder mount or set of antlers. I’m a fan of large printed photos.
 
I decided to get him shoulder mounted, now I have to look at houses with taller/more wall space.
 

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Elk -380
Mule Deer - 220

Would never shoulder mount a pronghorn/goat/whitetail/moose

Sheep, depends on how old I am, next year Euro... 55+ shoulder mount.
 
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