When you bring in a deer to be mounted, the first decision you'll make is what style of mount you want. Each option tells a different story and fits different budgets and spaces. Here's what you need to know about the three most popular choices.
Shoulder Mounts
The shoulder mount is the classic choice — the deer's head and neck mounted on a wall form, showing the animal from the chest forward. You can choose from a wide range of poses, from the neutral "straight ahead" look to dramatically turned and nose-up positions. A skilled taxidermist can make a shoulder mount look incredibly lifelike, and they remain the most popular option for trophy whitetails. Pricing typically runs $450 to $700 for a standard deer shoulder mount, though regional variation is significant.
European Mounts
A European mount — sometimes called a skull mount — strips the skull clean and displays just the skull and antlers on a plaque or panel. The effect is clean, modern, and undeniably striking. European mounts are significantly cheaper than shoulder mounts ($75 to $200), take much less wall space, and can be completed in weeks rather than months. Many hunters choose European mounts for management bucks or does, reserving shoulder mounts for their biggest trophies.
Full Body Mounts
A full body deer mount is a rare and dramatic statement piece — the entire deer, posed in a lifelike scene, often incorporated into a habitat display. Full body mounts require significantly more skill, materials, and space than shoulder mounts, and the price reflects that — expect $2,000 to $5,000 or more depending on size and complexity. These are typically reserved for truly exceptional animals or hunters who want a signature piece for a lodge or trophy room.
Whatever style you choose, the most important thing is that you love it. Talk to your taxidermist about the options before committing, and ask to see examples of their work in each style.