Cost for Euro Mount

TX_Diver · Sep 25, 2018

Killed a bull on Sunday and am interested in a euro mount. A well known taxidermist quoted me $350 mounted on a plaque and the guy at the bow shop said he does them on the side and would do $150 but no plaque.

I have a few shoulder mounts but no euros. What's the going rate for a euro? And does it matter who does it as much as a shoulder mount or is it harder to screw up? Any recommendations for someone near Abq would be appreciated.

Will post some pics in the next few days.

Bowdeadly · Sep 25, 2018

I'm here in Albuquerque also, my price is $275.00 without panel $300 with.
There is a process involved in doing it correctly. Give me a call if you would like to talk.
Regards, Geno
505-203-5138

WapitiDave · Sep 25, 2018

Hello TX_Diver,

I sent you a PM.

WapitiDave

TX_Diver · Sep 25, 2018

Quick picture.

I'm pretty stoked with him for my first bull and first anything with the bow.

lovehunting · Sep 25, 2018

Nice first bull!

Toro · Sep 25, 2018

Geno "bowdeadly" did these two for my daughter's bulls a few years back. I've known him forever and he does great taxidermy work and has received numerous state awards for his work.

smarba · Sep 26, 2018

No matter the prices quoted I doubt anyone is getting rich doing Euros. I'm cheap, so do my own myself, but if I figure the cost of propane to cook the skull and my own time spent it would definitely be in those ranges.

Just refills for propane cylinder I spend $20-40 depending how long I end up needing to cook a skull.

It is satisifying to do it yourself, though, and can be done in less than a week.

TX_Diver · Sep 26, 2018

Ya. I don't think anyone is getting rich either.

I'd love to do it myself but just don't have time now nor the facilities to store the head for too long.

Will post up some pics whenever it's done.

CForest · Sep 26, 2018

>I'm here in Albuquerque also, my
>price is $275.00 without panel
>$300 with.
>There is a process involved in
>doing it correctly. Give me
>a call if you would
>like to talk.
>Regards, Geno
>505-203-5138

Would you be interested or is it even possible to just boil and clean the head then I could finish it at home?? Only reason I ask is I cant bring the whole head across state lines and don't want to wait a week or so for it to be finished??

WoodsD9 · Sep 26, 2018

Personally I think $300 for a euro is a bit high! I do all my own euros and there is really nothing to them and it typically doesn't cost me much(~$40/skull depending on how long my peroxide lasts).

joesikora · Sep 26, 2018

Nice job awesome bull

Joe

"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora

smarba · Sep 27, 2018

Regarding $300 for Euro too high, let's do a little math.

I've gotten pretty good at doing them myself. Cooking on propane BBQ grill back yard minimum 1 tank of propane $20 (often it takes me more than 1 tank).

1 hour to flesh/remove brain/prep skull

3 hours over the course of 3-5 days changing water as the skull simmers.

2 hour final cleaning with power washer, peroxide paste, replace teeth over the course of a couple of days.

$10 worth of peroxide paste (part of a bottle).

Total 6 hours & $30. That's a wage of little under $50/hour. Not bad actually, although I don't use a plaque and didn't include effort for that.

But you need a place to dispose the stew water, place to simmer the head where your wife & neighbors won't complain, and you need to do it NOW (i.e. you can't toss the head in the garage and get to it in a few weeks. Well you CAN, but if you do it that way it becomes a really, really stinky and nasty job).

I liken it to fletching & cutting your own arrows. It's satisfying and I can do everything exactly the way I want to. Doing it myself saves me $. But to do it for others as a job would be tough to make a living at it or even make decent income as a side job.

Bowdeadly · Sep 27, 2018

Send them all to WoodsD9 and I guarantee you by next year he will be at $300.

Bowdeadly · Sep 27, 2018

Smarba, more than one tank of propane and 3 hours worth of simmering?
You will get fired on the 1st day at any taxidermy shop. Lol
If you have to glue bone or teeth back on the skull then you are boiling way too long. Spend more time picking the skull clean. Your process should be the other way around.
3 hours prepping the skull then 30 min in the water. But what do I know lol.
Good luck

WapitiBob · Sep 27, 2018

My elk was $250. Be careful who does the work; if it isn't done right you'll lose all the Cartledge in the nasal cavities and it'll look like those shitty plastic skulls. Or have a beetle guy do it.

Toro · Sep 27, 2018

It's easier and cheaper if you just don't kill one, like me this year! No worries, no debates, no cost!! Lol

smarba · Sep 28, 2018

Bowdeadly: "Smarba, more than one tank of propane and 3 hours worth of simmering? You will get fired on the 1st day at any taxidermy shop. Lol If you have to glue bone or teeth back on the skull then you are boiling way too long. Spend more time picking the skull clean. Your process should be the other way around.
3 hours prepping the skull then 30 min in the water. But what do I know lol"

I've done both ways. I've spent a lot of time cleaning meat off the skull and I've spent almost no time (hide only, lots of meat left).

I've come to the conclusion that FOR ME it's easier to let the Washing Soda & Dawn detergent & heat do the work. By simmering (not boiling), everything, including brain, turns to jelly and falls off the bone. Easy. Propane is cheaper than my time. But consequently I dump the water several times throughougt the proces because it gets dirtier than if the skull was cleaner in the first place.

More than one way to skin a cat.

But I somewhat disagree with your commend about gluing in teeth. ALL of the teeth should at minimum become loose, with some falling out, because there is a lot of tissue down inside the jaw/skull bones that needs to be removed or it will stink and leach/stain later. Much of it will come out with water jetting if it's fully cooked, but if you only cook things enough for the exterior stuff to fall off a lot of oils etc. will seep out later long term.