Ground Growage

sb2017 · Nov 21, 2023

There was never a moment that I wasn't thrilled to get this buck, but I will say that he seems to look bigger/cooler every time I look at him. I didn't even notice his spikes at the base until I walked up to him. I picked him up from the taxidermist this weekend and if it wasn't for the spikes and the small patch of velvet clinging on the tip of his point, I would have thought he was trying to give me someone else's buck! He looked bigger than I remembered him being. Couldn't be happier with the way he looks on the wall.

BradA · Nov 21, 2023

Dang that buck looks awesome can’t believe you didn’t get a shoulder mount! Congratulations.

sb2017 · Nov 21, 2023

BradA said:
Dang that buck looks awesome can’t believe you didn’t get a shoulder mount! Congratulations.

Honestly after getting him on the wall, I agree. If you look at the field photo, you'll notice that he's not very wide so my thinking was that getting a mount that didn't have his ears would be the best way to make his antlers look the best.

It worked, almost too well! Because now I'm kind of kicking myself for not getting a shoulder mount. I shot him right at dark and had to work my way down a pretty gnarly hillside, then had to find him in that sagebrush in the dark. I had a couple miles to hike out after I dressed him out, so I was kind of in "go mode" and just got to working on quartering him.

When I say he continues to grow with each time I look at him, I really mean it! When I first walked up to him in the dark, I thought he was a nice buck but not much else. When I walked back up to him the next morning, I was pleasantly surprised and thought "wow! he's a lot nicer than I thought". When I got him back from the taxidermist, I was like what the heck was I thinking not saving that cape?

schoolhousegrizz · Nov 21, 2023

He was worthy of a shoulder mount but with that said I kind of like the European mounts. You can take them off the wall and hold their antlers turn them around etc. Great buck!

kickerbuck · Nov 21, 2023

Yep, he's beautiful you better find a cape for him

2lumpy · Nov 21, 2023

He’s definitely a dandy. His extra black antlers add to his regal look.

Width is nice and adds some aesthetics but mass and long forks are 2 of the 3 legged magic. I think he is stunning too. Congratulation. By the way mule deer capes can be acquired relatively easily. I believe you should.

elkhunterUT · Nov 21, 2023

good looking buck-congrats!

sb2017 · Nov 21, 2023

Thanks everyone, I think my plan for now is to save the cape of a future buck if I'm fortunate enough to get one. I enjoy the sentimental aspect of taxidermy so I'd prefer to use a cape that is also associated with a memory of a hunt for me, even if it's not the same memory as this buck. But I do agree, he's beautiful and worthy of a shoulder mount. Another factor in my decision on a euro was that I am currently almost out of room in my house, but I plan to move in the next few years.

BrowningRage · Nov 21, 2023

Do you know what your taxi did to get the skull that white? It looks like he might have painted it..? Sure makes both the skull and antlers POP with their contrast. Nice lookin memory on the wall!

johnnycake · Nov 21, 2023

I'll buck the trend. He's too nice a buck to waste with a shoulder mount that you can't easily just take off the wall, hold in your hands, and enjoy his size and character up close and from all angles.

sb2017 · Nov 21, 2023

BrowningRage said:
Do you know what your taxi did to get the skull that white? It looks like he might have painted it..? Sure makes both the skull and antlers POP with their contrast. Nice lookin memory on the wall!

He offers a "natural bone" and a "paper white" color options but I actually chose the natural bone. I think my phone camera might have a color enhancing setting turned on or something, because I actually didn't notice how bleach white he looks in those photos until just now when you said that! In person it looks the same color as my other euros.

feddoc · Nov 21, 2023

That is a nice buck.

rmanwill · Nov 21, 2023

Congrats. Nice buck

GLEDEASY · Nov 21, 2023

That's a cool buck. I have a buck similar to yours that I mounted. I went back and forth mentally whether to do so. I had it as a euro for a year before I mounted it. He's my only buck thus far worth having mounted, so I'm glad I did. However, I certainly enjoyed grabbing those antlers when it was a euro.