Leave it or remount it?

[Todd K]

   I would like some opinions please.  I shot this buck on the first day of archery season in 1996. It scored 141 1/8 and is still the largest deer I've ever taken. It had around 10 or 11 inches in deductions too. Ok, here's what I'm asking... This was around the 12th deer head I 've ever done. It's really held up well, considering its done with dry preservative and bondo ears. I just wish I would have used a better form. Its hanging in my living room, so I see it every day. Would you leave it the way it is or do a remount?  Part of me cant stand the mount because of the over muscular form, but the other half of me wants to keep it as a reminder of how far I've come. Help me make up my mind!!!

[Nina]

Personally I have remounted most of my early deer mounts because I couldn't stand to look at them. I think a remount with a new cape and form would really do justice to this nice buck.

[rbear]

I have a thing about the original cape with the original antlers. The mount is not just the antlers! There is allot of personality in the that mount and it is not just from the antlers. What's going to happen in 12 more years when the forms are even better? Keep it the way it is.
Ralph

[Redwolf]

if your anything like me it wont matter what you do, you will pick, and pick, and pick that thing apart. i do that with ALL my mounts. i could take every one of them apart, and remount them, and i STILL wont be happy with them.
i would leave it.

[FreeSpirit (Wayne)]

leave it alone he's at rest it like mount photo album

[bigrubs07]

Im with Nina  and if you are pleased with your work now do it or wait till you are pleased. It also helps with potential costumers to have nice clean mounts that look awesome when they see it . Remember first impressions really does matter!!!

[Marty Dupertuis]

I'd remount him, especially being your largest.  The fact that you asked, tells me you are not 100% happy.  Remount him and enter him in a competition.  I killed a buck in Michigan during the archery season that grossed 184".  It is by far my best archery deer.  I have remounted him once already, and might do it again in the near future.  Good luck!

[ed150]

man i tell u todd,if thats a dp mount u sure figured out how to do it,i have remounted many of my trophys also,problem now days is time and money,i would say if its your top kill do it

[Joe Winsor]

I think it looks just fine, but if remounting it is what you want...go for it.

[Todd K]

   Yep, its a DP mount. I did'nt even know what wet tanning was back then! I did a bunch of DP deer when I started. They have all held up well. This head has been in my garage, and in a gunshop for a few years. But now he has been in my living room the last 3 years. I dont use DP anymore but I have piece of mind that maybe the other mounts have held up good too.

[George Roof]

Personally, I don't see anything wrong witht that mount.  I'm NOT SAYING it doesn't have issues, but the mount is your deer done by you and, sure you'd do it differently if you did it again, but just as 4000FPS said, if that's what you're doing it for, when will the remount fall into the same category?

I'm like rsbear.  I'm not just a "horn" guy.  That original hide got perforated by me and it, too, carries a lot of meaning.

As a side note, I know what's eating at you I'll bet and I'm going to tell you ahead of time so you won't be heartbroken if you decide to remount it.  You think it's the HIDE making the mount look dumb, but it's the ANTLERS and remounting it won't change a thing.  You shot what I refer to as a "sombrero rack".  It's wide with average mass but no tine length and it's FLAT.  There is no sweeping wave we'd all like in a bigger rack and your deer looks like a "flat top".  Remounting it won't change that.  Sorry.

[Becky P]

I have a thing about the original cape with the original antlers. The mount is not just the antlers! There is allot of personality in the that mount and it is not just from the antlers. What's going to happen in 12 more years when the forms are even better? Keep it the way it is.
Ralph

Ditto.

It also helps with potential costumers to have nice clean mounts that look awesome when they see it . Remember first impressions really does matter!!!

It's in the living room, customers may never see it.

I have 15 year old mounts done in DP and they're holding up just fine. Even had one from a customer come in for repairs (broken tine), it looked just as over muscled as it did when I mounted many 8 or 9 years ago, but it was holding up very well, no cracks, no drumming.

Your mount looks better than 75% out there today that are fresh.

[Dean]

Leave it alone. Yes, there are plenty of problems with it . It is what it is,  and it isn't to bad for an early mount that you did yourself. If you remount it who's to say that you won't look at the remount deer in a few years and hate it again because your work has improved some more since remounting it. It's like competing in a way. Most taxidermists would never go to a compitition if they did their mount  to far in advance. By the time the show would start they would see enough flaws, hate it,  and not bring it.
At the time you probably liked the way ther mout turned out. Hating it is a good thing because you know that you have gotten better. If you didn't notice the changed in your work between then and now, then I'd worry. It's also a reminder of how far you've come with your work.

[Buck Deer]

Todd, that look's like the old forms I used back when I got started(1993). I used D A N  C H A S E alot back then.
Forms look so much better today, but if it was mine I would leave it alone. There may come a day when you can't stand to look at it anymore. Then it's time to remount!

[cypresslake]

Some are saying yes and some no huh, well I'm not gonna tell you what to do but I will say it is a good looking mount to me.