Pedestal mount with deadfall and brush with pine trees as base?

[npaden]

I've been thinking about how I'm going to have my Wyoming bull mounted and am leaning strongly toward a pedestal mount. I'm not a big fan of the squared off table like bases with a little bit of habitat on them though.

I've been trying to think through some alternatives and the area where I shot my bull had a bunch of deadfall mixed in with some brush and some fairly dark timber. My most vivid memory is of seeing the vitals between a gap in the trees with his head mostly visible on the other side. I would like to recreate that scene to some extent if possible, although I think the pine trees might be difficult to not look like some Christmas tree knock off scene or something.

A couple large logs lag bolted together as the base seems doable, some brushy type habitat seems doable. Maybe a 3 or 4 foot tall section of a pine tree with the bark still on sawed off and sanded smooth on the top as a center type post and then a 5 or 6 foot tall section of pine tree with the bark still on at the back of the mount? Maybe put a few fake pine branches with leaves on them?

Here's the picture from a post on Monster Muleys that I think I would want to mimic, just take out the table and replace it with deadfall and a couple vertical pine logs.

EDIT - Found some more pictures of the same mount on Taxidermy.net - See if this works.

I think that pose would be great for my bull as his right side is just a tiny bit better than his left side and that is also about the same position he was in when I shot him. Maybe not quite as much of a head tilt though. I also think it would be really neat to do some measuring and set him as close to the same height he would have been in real life if he was standing as well. Is there a reason that most people set them up a little higher than they would have been standing in real life?

Anyone ever tried to do something like that with some deadfall? Any thoughts on whether it would look decent or not?

I know I have months before I actually need to start deciding on this, but I've been thinking about this quite a bit for some odd reason!

Thanks, Nathan

 

[npaden]

P.S. - How much floor space would something like this take up? Think I could move my current elk mount up a little higher on the wall and set the pedestal mount there?

I think there is room there under the elk mount where the chair is up against the wall for it to go along the wall, this picture is actually just half of the room, it is one big open room that is the living room and the dining room and there is about 6 or 7 feet from the fireplace to the next window, I'm just not sure how far out from the wall it would end up. I think I have 3' of space no problem but if it sticks out much more I'm not sure. You think about 4 feet from the wall behind it to the tip of it's nose?

Oh well, I need to go to bed, but wanted to get this posted so I would maybe quit thinking about it.

Pretty terrible problem to have I know.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Nathan

 

[huntbux]

Check out this from a guy here in Nevada. He does a great job. I will give you the link to his website as well as a mount he did for one of my dad's friend.

Elk Mount sipping water
http://www.wildliferevolutions.com/index2.php#/fgallery1/1/

Main home page
http://www.wildliferevolutions.com/index2.php#/home/

click on the thumbnails view to find stuff easier.

 

[big28hunter]

That would do that awesome critter some justice! Got to be one of the nicest elk mounts I ever saw!

 

[fishantler]

The pedestal elk that you have posted is more than likely a competition piece and not a commercial piece. Some taxidermist spent countless hours recreating that mount so you'll more than likely have to fork out a few extra bucks to have that done. However on the same note, you ought to because your bull is definitely a bull of a lifetime. You ought to check out Dakota Taxidermy's website. They have a couple elk pedestal mounts pictured in their gallery that are kind of what you are looking for. Hopefully this might help you out. Again congratulations on the awesome bull.

 

[putm2sleep]

Go pedestal ---- or go home. No really, that would look great in your great room there....plenty of wall mounts, and imo would spice up your trophy collection and be a nice center piece in your palace, I mean place there Nathan.

 

[npaden]

Here's what I'm talking about with the deadfall.

Maybe one log about 30" long on the bottom then another log on top of it with an angle cut where it goes into the ground in the front and is propped up on the sideways log.

Some brush and a small pine tree in the angles and maybe some clumps of grass to fill in.

Put that all on a 2X4 type frame with a 3/4" sheet of plywood as the bottom?

 

[DreaminofMT6X6s]

I don't know, but I can't stop staring at that bull!

 

[huntbux]

Fins one of those saplings and a little bit of the bushes from where you shot him and have them put into the mount. Lots of different options. I would surely find the best guy you can to do the work.

 

[kiwi hunter]

up against a painted wall,,as in pic??

 

[raiderbowhunter]

I'm no help other than those horns I got to see at the shop are flat out awesome!

 

[2rocky]

I'd give that picture to the Taxi and tell him to do his best.

Remember "don't guide the guide"

 

[npaden]

Okay, I've been talking back and forth with my taxidermist and we are leaning away from the deadfall idea. It is just going to be too difficult to replicate without making the base so big that it would detract from the mount itself.

Right now the plan is to do one of the fake rock bases with some brush, a few clumps of grass and maybe a small pine tree if we can make it look good and one much smaller (4 or 5" diameter) dead tree with several small branches still attached on top of the rock.

The goal is to display the beauty of the elk, not detract from it with a big elaborate base. I think doing it this way it gives me a lot more options on where to put it as well.

Here's one that someone posted for me on MonsterMuleys. I think this is pretty much going to be what it ends up like except no tall quakie and probably the small piece of deadfall leaning on the rock. Probably some short brush where the quakie is and the clumps of grass will be green instead of brown.

I've got a couple other options on where to put him figured out if he won't go where I want to put him in the living room.

Thanks for the input.

Nathan

 

[npaden]

Okay, of course right when I'm getting ready for my big trip, my taxidermist calls me and tells me he is getting started on my elk from last year.

He's a really nice guy and gives me the opportunity to come look at the mount as he works on it. This is my first pedestal mount to have done, and getting it the right height is important to me. I wanted it to be about the same height as it would be if the elk was standing there on it's own feet, live and in person.

We checked it over a bit and ended up moving it up a bit and the base of the form is going to be right at 28" from the floor. That puts his shoulder right at 5' off the ground which is what I read in a few different sources for how tall they should be. It also will put him right at head height when you are looking at him. His eye will be 61" off the floor. Lastly it will end up with his antlers clearing an 8' ceiling by 3". I'm a little worried that might be too tall, I guess if it comes down to it, we can alter the base and shorten it.

Not the best picture at all, but you can kind of get a feel for how he is going to go together.

It almost looks like he has too much twist on his antlers, but in person it looked right. Also, his main beams go quite a bit past the end of the form so this would have been a tricky one to mount if I had wanted it to by a regular wall shoulder mount. Would have probably had to do a super sneak type pose or something.

This mount gives me a lot of flexibility on where he ends up going. If somehow many years from now I somehow shoot an even bigger elk, since this is a pedestal mount I could always take this one up to my office and mount the larger one and keep it at the house.

He may have it ready to set the ears and stuff before I leave, if so I might take another picture and post it.

We've been talking about life sized mount prices for a mountain goat. He hasn't firmed up the price yet, but said he would work with me on it. Looking around prices are anyway from $3,000 - $5,000 so hopefully we can work out something closer to the bottom end of that range if I'm successful.

Anyone with a pedestal mount that has any input on how high off the floor to set it? Am I having it too high?

Thanks, Nathan

 

[Steelhead]

Is that first mount done by Charlie? That guy did my bull...amazing work!!

 

[sneakypete]

How cool is that. A pedestal mount will look very cool. I can't wait to see it completed.

 

[LopeHunter]

I am not a fan of the shoulder mount on a pedestal with some twigs and fake rocks and moss.

My walls got crowded though and needed to use some pedestals.

I got some wood pedestals made that are simple maple that was spalted. I then got some used books. Used deck screws to assemble the books together into a stack. I got books on Alaska for my mountain goat. Drilled with a spade bit through the books and through the pedestal top. Epoxied 1/4-20 threaded rod into the shoulder mount then threaded the rod though the books then through the pedestal top into a threaded base I screwed into the underside of the pedestal top. The shoulder mount touches the top cover of the top book.

Works for me.

 

[HSi-ESi]

I'm using the Aaron Connelly form (from the first picture in the OP) for a bull I took in 2012. We're finally getting started on the taxidermy work after wasting time making decisions. I think that those forms are very well done.

So I'm real interested in seeing yours develop. My bull wasn't nearly as big, but a very special hunt with my Dad (LE rifle).

We haven't put any spec / measurements on the base height yet. I want it to fit an 8' ceiling. So I'm no help there. Hopefully I'll be able to have my Dad build the base (he does lots of wood-working).

I never get tired of seeing pictures of your bull.

 

[AustinL]

Awesome bull, who is the taxi doing the work on it?

 

[npaden]

I am not a fan of the shoulder mount on a pedestal with some twigs and fake rocks and moss.

I got some wood pedestals made that are simple maple that was spalted. I then got some used books. Used deck screws to assemble the books together into a stack. I got books on Alaska for my mountain goat. Drilled with a spade bit through the books and through the pedestal top. Epoxied 1/4-20 threaded rod into the shoulder mount then threaded the rod though the books then through the pedestal top into a threaded base I screwed into the underside of the pedestal top. The shoulder mount touches the top cover of the top book.

Works for me.

I'm a big fan of the shoulder mount on a pedestal with some twigs and fake rocks and moss. I'm trying to mimic the location where I saw and shot the elk and think it looks really neat.

Awesome bull, who is the taxi doing the work on it?

Thanks. Joe Harriger is doing it. He's done a mule deer, elk and antelope for me and I've been happy with his work.

Here are a couple more example pictures that I've been using.

Going to try to pretty close to replicating the 2nd base almost exactly. I don't want it to be too busy to distract from the mount. I think that 2nd one is about perfect.

I already found an old dead root that I brought back from Montana this summer and the faded barnwood octagon is already built. Going to put a small pine tree on it to try to match up as closely with the field photo as possible. Probably a clump of fake bunch grass as well. I brought another piece of old wood home that we can cut parts off to use for filler if needed as well.

I think we are using the exact form that was used in the pictures above also.

Thanks for the input. I told him to go ahead and keep after it while I'm gone, worst case scenario we'll have to redo the base, but he's usually pretty good and I've sent him all these pictures and we've talked about it quite a bit.

Really looking forward to seeing the finished product.