How many inches to justify a shoulder mount for you?

[AntlerFever]

Curious what kind of elk would you justify shoulder mounting vs horn/European mount. I know this will vary person to person and based on what they have already taken down.

about to go on my first guided hunt. I have no idea what is “worth” mounting. The experience will be fantastic whether I bring home a 350 bull or not but this in all likelihood will not be the only hunt I ever go on.

my first mule deer and antelope hunt I shoulder mounted both animals which were fair adult representatives of the species. My second hunt money was much tighter and despite killing much better animals I only had the money to shoulder mount the deer. Wishing I had done euro mounts for both of my first animals. Between all 4 whitetail, 2 muleys, a goat I’m running out of room short term until we upgrade the house and an elk takes up A LOT of real estate

 

[Broomd]

This may not be the consensus answer here, but for me a mount isn't predicated on 'inches,' it's about memories and reliving that experience.
Some of the more modest animals on our walls are the most special.

A 380" bull shot off the side of the trail ten minutes into the hunt may hold very little special memories.

 

[MuleyFever]

Wont ever shoulder mount an elk, or anything else at this point.

I do have 3 deer and a couple antelope mounted and they just take up room.

 

[Geewhiz]

For me I think it would have to be a real dandy bull to warrant a shoulder mount. Like 340+

Besides I don't have room for the thing anyway so it would have to hang at the folks till I get my mansion built.

 

[slick]

Elk- likely all euro mounts...but 340+ would likely get the nod
Antelope- 80+ just something about a low-mid 70s buck that doesn't look as impressive to me.
Mule Deer- 190+
Sheep- Likely euros
Mountain Goats- 50

That being said, I have exactly one of those mounted.

 

[sndmn11]

650"

 

[Laelkhunter]

I had my first bull mounted. It was only a 5 x 5, but I worked my butt off for it, and it holds plenty of fond memories. Shot it in 1990, and got it from the Taxidermist in Sept 1991. I hung it up in the living room, and just had to sit and admire it for hours, smiling from ear to ear. I'm so happy I had it mounted.

I have had two more mounted since then, both 6X6.

 

[keithstrausbaugh87]

I euro everything. The animal and the story means nothing to the person that looks at it other than me and the memory of that hunt. More money for more hunts and memories in my opinion

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[AntlerFever]

Obviously a special story, or unique characteristics might trump inches, certainly with white tail that has been the case before for me. Being my first time I have no idea what I should even pass on much less consider shoulder mounting

wife is the other issue. She’s only gonna tolerate so many . Wouldn’t want to put something less than marginal on the wall if I’m lucky enough to come home with something then turn into an all out war in 2-3 years if I kill a 400 incher

I’ve already said anything over 420 gets full body mount

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

I don't have room in my new house. I have a 360" euro next to my bed because I don't have anywhere else to put it.

I'd cape out smaller critters for practice and such. But I would have to be really stoked on it to shoulder mount anything.
Money I could put into more hunting.

 

[Bump79]

I'm gonna say.... 380+ for an Elk

Deer, antelope, most elk I'd just euro. I prefer it and takes less space.

 

[AntlerFever]

Last guided deer hunt I went on, a guy in camp killed a bull that probably went over 200 typical on one side and had a drop club thing that looked like a Louisville slugger dropping off its head on the other with a nasty long tine kicking off.

outfitter has been trying to get someone to shoot it for 2 years and people kept passing because it was a freak . When it rolled into camp I definitely decided that I wouldn’t have been one of those people that let it walk. Thing was massive

 

[Sleghammer]

For me, ~350" or so. At that size its a great representative of the species. I mostly hunt idaho, so those really huge bulls (380+) are more rare than the other western states because of how they're managed by the state.

I think just having one elk shoulder in a house is enough. From now on I would likely do euros. I have one shoulder right now (wifes) and mines on the way. I honestly don't know where I can put it at this point but I'm sure in one of my future homes I will figure it out.

Deer is a little different because of the space required. If you like it and it means something to you, mount it.

 

[hflier]

Not related to inches for me. Its the memory. I mounted a tiny Coues deer because it was my first and the experience was awesome. Wife mounted a small Pronghorn because it was her first big game animal. I have some big whitetails mounted, not primarily because of their size, but because I chased each for at least 3 years before I was successful. I remember each situation vividly.

 

[TX_Diver]

My wife wants everything shoulder mounted because she's not a fan of the euro mounts...

But an elk takes up A LOT of space so it'd need to be a big one for me to actually shoulder mount. My only elk is euro mounted and I got a cool mounting plate for it from my neighbor... Will post a pic later. I love it.

 

[WCB]

A solid 320 5x5 or even 6x6 is a damn nice elk. Very Very few hunters actually kill bulls much over 300". I think that is where I would draw the line.

Well I must be the odd man out here...I just got all 3 deer I shot last year mounted and 1 from the year before. I have a bunch Euros and am going to do more of those. Plus I have a bunch of other mounts and my wife's. We have 25ish mounts in our house from full body Tahr to ducks. 12 are shoulder mounts. Add on another 8 or 9 euros.

 

[mtnbiker208]

mine was my first solo herd bull, 280.
now it would take a 350 bull.

 

[TheTone]

I may never get one mounted. It’s really hard for me to justify the cost and the room they take up. I’ve got a mule deer and pronghorn mounted already and sometimes I wish I just had them as euros so I could actually hold them and move them around the house. It would take a very special elk and hunt for me to do a shoulder mount

 

[Danny Hoey]

I don't like shoulder mounts. Euro it all

 

[Gerbdog]

Euro for me and i do a bit of wood working so i get some enjoyment from finding a badass piece of wood to fix up and mount it on. That said : no inches required, memories as people have said, i have a mule deer that aint impressing anyone mounted in my house as it was the first archery kill for me.