Historical Mount

[Greta&Gus]

A month or so ago I had mentioned an old mount my Grandfather has that is my Great Grandfather's buck. This guy was shot in the 30s in a creek bottom the day after the season closed a mile north of where our property is. I have wanted to get it re-mounted and display it properly as it is an awesome buck. My Grandfather did not get along with his father at all, so I think he keeps it in the basement for a reason.

 

[H20fwler]

Awesome rack, that would be very cool to honor your Great Grandfathers legacy like that.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I agree it deserves to be redone and placed in a spot where more people can enjoy it.

 

[chickenlittle]

That is pretty cool and nice to have and show.

My grandmother's brother took what was the PA record buck in 1931 or 32. I think it is still the #5 buck in PA. We talked about it a couple years ago at the family reunion but no one knew whatever happened to the mount. I've never seen a photo of it but some googling tonight turned up this photo. PA record book says it scored 180". This photo and shows him with that and another nice buck.

 

[Greta&Gus]

That is amazing that you googled it and found it. You could always get a replica if you wanted to commemorate the deer.

 

[John-W-WI]

Wow @Greta&Gus taxidermy has come a long way hasn't it?

Great buck!

 

[John-W-WI]

No slouch either @chickenlittle !

 

[Tree Spud]

A month or so ago I had mentioned an old mount my Grandfather has that is my Great Grandfather's buck. This guy was shot in the 30s in a creek bottom the day after the season closed a mile north of where our property is. I have wanted to get it re-mounted and display it properly as it is an awesome buck. My Grandfather did not get along with his father at all, so I think he keeps it in the basement for a reason.

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These type of trophies, mementos, keepsakes ... etc. ... seem to get lost.

I would start righting notes, ask them about the story, and build a batch of knowledge on this buck and the men/women who hunted it.

The legacy of stories and telling or family history could be wonderful some day ... even the issues, along with the success!

 

[Tap]

I always thought it would be a good idea to write some info on the back of the form...date and location where the buck was shot, hunter's name, weapon, and any other interesting tidbit, maybe even a copy of the hero photo or the tag. I do some of those things with my Euro mounts but I've never done it with mounted heads. I might have to change that. OUR memory gets fuzzy as the years pass, no way in 40 years from now, our grandchildren would know special facts of our successful hunts.

 

[KDdid]

This brings to mind something I've been pondering as I age-what's going to happen with my mounts once I'm dead and gone? My father recently passed, and one of my nieces took home an enormous crappie he had mounted back in the '70's. I'm beyond pleased that one of his grandchildren has a touchstone to remember him by. This is why I'm leaning more towards skull/euro mounts these days- nothing to deteriorate, and now I'm thinking about a slip of paper in the brain cavity with pertinent kill information.

 

[Bill]

I kinda like the original mount.
If you remount it, it will look great on one of today's modern forms but.....
No one would believe it was killed in the 30's. I think those deteriorated old plaster form mounted deer heads look good in an old cabin. It tells a story just the way it is IMO.

 

[Diesel5610]

This brings to mind something I've been pondering as I age-what's going to happen with my mounts once I'm dead and gone? My father recently passed, and one of my nieces took home an enormous crappie he had mounted back in the '70's. I'm beyond pleased that one of his grandchildren has a touchstone to remember him by. This is why I'm leaning more towards skull/euro mounts these days- nothing to deteriorate, and now I'm thinking about a slip of paper in the brain cavity with pertinent kill information.

I have been moving toward skull mounts myself. We write the hunters name, date and where it was shot in a sharpie extra fine marker pen. Looks very nice and you can hide it on the underside or have it visible, depending on what you like.

I like to write it on the roof of the mouth. Flat and large enough to write whatever you want and it is hidden unless you pick it up and turn the head over.

 

[Greta&Gus]

These type of trophies, mementos, keepsakes ... etc. ... seem to get lost.

I would start righting notes, ask them about the story, and build a batch of knowledge on this buck and the men/women who hunted it.

The legacy of stories and telling or family history could be wonderful some day ... even the issues, along with the success!

I was told that my grandpa was doing a deer drive for his Dad the day after the season closed. They had not gotten enough meat for the winter and this was pre-WW2 so it is safe to say they needed the meat.. My great grandfather had one buckshot and one slug he shot it with. I think it was a 20 gauge but I could be wrong. It is still to this day the biggest buck our family has killed.

I have sat through hundreds of stories from my grandpa that now I can tell him back to him. When the two of us are at family functions I have started to tell his stories as if they were mine. Like the time he was pheasant hunting and came out of the corn field caring 6 birds but never fired a shot because his dog got everyone else's birds. I told my cousin that was my dog.

Thanks for the support guys.

 

[John-W-WI]

I always thought it would be a good idea to write some info on the back of the form...date and location where the buck was shot, hunter's name, weapon, and any other interesting tidbit, maybe even a copy of the hero photo or the tag. I do some of those things with my Euro mounts but I've never done it with mounted heads. I might have to change that. OUR memory gets fuzzy as the years pass, no way in 40 years from now, our grandchildren would know special facts of our successful hunts.

Excellent idea. I always write the year on the back of the mount just so I remember. More info would be very valuable, especially to others in the future.

I hope Jake takes my mounts after I'm gone and tells people he shot them

-John

 

[Big Snow Man]

I have my dads mounts but they are in the garage on a shelf. My wife doesn't want them hung in the garage. They are horns only. I like to look at them once and a while and remember the stories.

 

[Tap]

Excellent idea. I always write the year on the back of the mount just so I remember. More info would be very valuable, especially to others in the future.

I hope Jake takes my mounts after I'm gone and tells people he shot them

-John

My brother was an accomplished decoy carver... they were working decoys that were also works of art. He used to write stuff on the bottom of decoys after he took them out of service. Bodies of water where the decoys were used, names of friends that hunted over them, and some other notes were some of the things he would write.
Deer hunters can do similar writings on the back of our mounts and euros.