by Justin Zarr
3. May 2009 05:34
Many bowhunters will agree that traditional European skull mounts are a great way to show off your trophy. However, most of them will also agree that making a European mount can be a pain in the butt. Boiling and bleaching can be a messy, smelly job. Flesh-eating beetles, while pretty cool to talk about, aren't a viable option for most bowhunters to keep around the house either (I know my wife certainly wouldn't be a fan). Most bowhunters I know take their skulls to their local taxidermist, or send them out to a professional, to have them cleaned. Of course the issue there is two fold - first you have to wait to get your trophy back, second you have to pay someone to do this for you. Mountain Mike's reproductions has come up with a great alternative to the traditional European mount called the Skull Master.
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Todd showing off the Skull Master kit along with his 2nd Illinois bow harvest from the 2008 season.
The Skull Master kit includes everything you need for a do-it-yourself European Mount that only takes minutes to put together, and will last a lifetime. We recently put one of these kits to the test in the Bowhunting.com office with a nice buck that Todd Graf harvested this past fall. Much to our surprise, and delight, the process was amazingly simple. We took the skull plate of the Todd's buck, and sawed both antlers off at the base. Of course if you are going to have your trophy scored for the record books DO NOT cut the antlers off the skull, as it will no longer be viable for entry.
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After sawing the antlers off we lined them up on the Skull Master mounting plate (which detaches from the main skull). We marked the proper location on the bottom of the antler and then drilled a hole in the bottom of each antler. Once that was finished we lined the antlers up and attached them to the mounting plate with the included screws. After the antlers were securely mounted to the base you use one more set of screws to attach it to the skull and you're finished. It's literally that easy. You can now use the included mounting hole on the back of the skull to mount your new trophy to the wall where it can be admired by friends and family alike!
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We used the supplied white epoxy to seal around the antler base for a more natural look.
You can purchase this great new product right here in the Bowhunting.com shopping cart by clicking this link here. For only $39.99 it's a great alternative to a traditional European skull mount that is quick, easy, and will last a lifetime.
Yours truly showing off the finished product.
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