I have had several Whitetail deer antlers prepared Europeon style mounts. After talking to several people, I am wondering if they are truely a Eurpeon mount. It appears that most people believe that a euopeon mount is to include the top jaw and teeth. The taxidermist I have been using cuts the skull down thru the eye socket ( leaving about half the eye socket )to and thru the nose. I end up with more like a face plate rather than a skull. It is bleached out nice and white. Actually, I have no complaints about the antlers mounted this way, they look very nice. I was just curious as to which way was the correct way of doing a europeon mount
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For deer have the entire jaw with out the teeth. I have seen them like you are talking about but never did like them much. IMHO it's too hard to get a good straight cut when you are trying to cut half the skull off. Just MHO. Joe
What i do is skin the head out and do the upper head. I dont do the lower jaw. I also let the teeth in. I have a mule deer of my own like you are speeking of with just the upper skull plate out to the end of the nose. I too think that looks pretty kool but my clients like to have the entire skull.
Upper teeth included. You just do not use the bottom jaw. Leave the ear nodes. It is up to you how much of the nasel cavity structure you leave.
Personally I do not leave the bone structure in the nose, because you can never get all the membrane cleaned even with bugs.
the mounts i have seen and am currently doing one you remove lower jaw and leave teeth in. we use bugs then bleach and paint it looks really good as a finished product
Lee,Rorie and Brian are correct, the entire skull minus the lower jaw. Some taxidermist will offer there customer the lower jaw attached. It's up to the individual. Except with hogs and predators, then the lower jaw is fixed, either open or closed. There are pictures at www.trophyhanger.com that show deer, bear, and cape buffalo, the hangers are a real timesaver too.
is cut like you said your taxidermist does it without the upper teeth. The uncut version is just a regular skull mount either with or without lower jaws.
Dick, your taxidermist is correct. I spent the past 15 years in Germany and the "true European mount" is cut in a straight line from the back of the scull, thru the eye sockets, and about half way down the face. However, if you are doing taxidermy here in America and someone asks for a "European mount" most everyone expects the entire scull and upper teeth.