Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss My First Wall Hanger

He may not be a wall hanger to those in the Midwest or those who have the opportunity to hunt vast private acreage, but he's a wall hanger in my book! It was nearly a 16 month wait to get him back from the taxidermist, but I sorta knew that going in. My taxidermist does it as a side job so he charges less but takes longer but I think he still does a good job. Anyways, here he is...

In the field:


Up close straight on:


Up close at an angle:


At a distance:


This is my first deer mount and it was the best $350 bucks I have spent in a long time. I can't believe my wife let me hang him in our family room. Then again, she knew what she was getting into... After all, I proposed to her on my fishing boat! I am using a different taxidermist for my buck from last year as the one who did this buck was back logged from the year before and wouldn't take new deer. This taxidermist just called a week ago to say he is ahead of schedule and may have this buck done before summer. I can't wait!

Beautiful looking mount CJ, your lucky your wife lets you display it other than in the basement.
My cousin shot a 13 point deer about 30 years ago, it was huge, the mount still sits in the basement under a tarp, apparently it doesn't go with his wife's dacor. She won't eat venison either.

Nice looking deer CJ.

AP, I can relate to that. I have a nice Pacific sailfish on the wall in our unused formal living room. My wife has wanted to get rid of it for years. During one "discussion" I told her that I have had that sailfish longer that I have had her and the sailfish looked like more of a keeper. That's when things really got interesting.

Nice deer and mount, did you take it in VA?

Dave, I would've been sleeping with the fish if I said something like that!

I'm not even allowed to process my deer in the house unless the wife is away.....Congrats!

Nice CJ!

It will eventually end up in the garage or basement

Dave, either your wife has a great sense of humor, or your suicidal.

It's taken about 20 years to get her trained. Of course, sometimes she backslides but I keep working with her.

Yes, it was in Northumberland County on the Northern Neck of VA. Some of the best hunting I have seen in any area of VA. I love hunting there... Heading there for the opener of turkey season tomorrow.

Congrats Travis!

I wish I had a quarter for every wife that came along to pick up the deer mount (before I specialized in fish) that said, "You're not hanging that in my house."

But there was one exception:

A young couple came to pick up the husband's deer mount and she said with a grin, "We're going to hang that up right above the bed."

My only response was make sure you hang it on a good solid stud as I wouldn't want it to fall on anyone if there was a tremor or something.

I had a guy, when he found out I was a taxidermist, ask me if I would mount his wife. I said, "Sorry don't mount married women." Her face turned beet red as she was standing right there.

Cecil, you can't mount my wife but you can mount any fish I catch! I just have to catch one worthy of your talents...

I can only assume that ban doesn't extend to your own wife!

We won't go there.

So you're sayin' the ban DOES apply, huh?

Yer all TERRIBLE!!!! Congrats CJ that is a fine lookin deer. $350 is a good price, my son-in-law took one in just outside Nashville Tn and the dude says it'll be $550 I about dumped in my drawers. Bob-O

Actually Bob the going rate is at least in the high $400.00 range in most of the country. UPS shipping is killing us and I don't even order those large head forms.

Sorry Cecil, I'm soooo old school I can barely justify $4 for a gallon of gas. Think that has anything ta do with UPS costs? Bob-O

Travis, what it lacks in point count it makes up in width. How wide is it? That's a heck of a nice looking deer!

I agree he did a great job and the price is very fair.

I have never had one mounted, but yours looks great and the price is very reasonable. I seem to always have my money spent on hunting gear - just hang my antlers on the covered porch where they don't cause any controversy. For the last five years, my wife has asked if I want to mount the head, but I'm in the midwest, so I'm holding out for a really big one. Not sure where I would put a head in my house, but if its the right one, I'll find a place.

No worries Bob. I can barely justify $4.00 per gallon either, but then I don't have to drive to work as I work at home. We're being hosed by the oil companies and speculators that are making record profits. We don't even get most of our oil from the middle east. Number one and two oil importing countries are Canada and Mexico.

Nope UPS doesn't have anything to do with gas prices, but it does the other way around. Of course UPS never dropped their rates since the last time it jumped to $4.00 per gallon, and they also have a fuel surcharge. I'm using USPS both ways now. I'm totally fed up with UPS. Just can't afford it when 20 t0 25 percent of my costs are ordering supplies due to the UPS shipping.

Inside spread was 16 4/8, greatest spread was 18 2/8. He grossed 96 4/8 and netted 92 4/8. He didn't have much mass, which killed him. I think he was only a 3.5 year old buck from aging him via teeth, but that is notoriously inaccurate.

The other taxidermist I am using who is in Pennsylvania charges $450 for a shoulder mount. Again, much cheaper than most and he does a great job.

Very Nice CJ!!! Congrats!