Coming to a sad realization…

[achigan]

That's the reason I went with a skull mount for the buck I took w/ a shotgun this year. My photography, books, fishing gear, fly tying desk and full mount have the mancave pretty crowded. My son is tking his 2nd mount back to his home in Ohio after christmas.

[Rob DiStefano]

the real trophies are the friendships and memories.

[ronp]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
the real trophies are the friendships and memories.

X2

[wapiti792]

I bought a piece of property a few years back. We wanted to build a house but at the time there was a cash flow problem as I bought more property than I should    

We built a pole barn and finished off 1000 SQ feet for an apartment to live in. My wife should have known what was up when I left the ceiling 12 feet. When we built her a house this past spring I got to move my family out of my man cave and now I have room for mounts, a set of bunks for a couple of friends and a butcher shop    

Even though I have plenty of rooms, like Rob said, the memories are what counts, for every deer, bear, elk, or turkey I have a mount of there are five stories of ones that got away or walked all over me. I keep those memories in a journal for the guests to read and someday when I am too old to hunt, me too    

[buckeye_hunter]

That's the reason to have things mounted after hunting.... The memories that go with them!

[xtrema312]

I have no idea what it would be like not to have space or a wife that would limit it.  But, I did get married later in life and had a small house packed with guy stuff that my to be wife thought was great other than me and the dog kept it about 55 degrees in the winter. It took a while to track her down, but well worth the time and effort.

I have my loading, arrow building, and gun room in half the little basement with a nice spot on one wall yet for something. The walkout family rooms has all wall space for my mounts and wildlife stuff with a couple small spaces left.  The wife did get a little wall strip between two doors for a little rack of girl stuff.  I have a nice spot reserved in the living room ready to go for something special, nice space over the main stair and then there is that nice spot over our bed.  Then there is the little sun room with two great wall spots and 10' ceiling yet to get anything stuffed on the walls.  My problem is I don't have enough stuff to put on the walls so feel free to ship me some of your lonely neglected critters so they can be properly displayed and appreciated.   :D  

Oh and then there is the pole barn, shop, indoor bow range, hunting gear headquarters.  I do screw all my scrub racks on the walls out there.  strictly off limits to any general household or kids stuff.  

I am all of a sudden feeling very blessed.

[reddogge]

I never went for taxidermy so upstairs I don't have anything besides a ton of waterfowl art, one mounted canvasback on a lamp and about 100 antique decoys spread about.

The basement workshop however houses a pair of mounted wood ducks and a whole ceiling beam and wall lined with antlers into which go significant arrows and a delaminated Bear Kodiak.

[D]

I keep the couple of mounts I have at my parents house on the "Deer Wall"  Just the other day my girl asked me when I was going to get them from there and bring them home and hang them in the livingroom??..I even get to hang my bows in the livingroom.

[Altiman94]

My wife and I just built a new home this fall and she gave me the entire basement to 'do what I want with it'.  It's unfinished now but she's been pretty good about the future plans I have for.  I honestly think my wife likes that I hunt (gives her some alone time too).  Plus she typically enjoys the meat.  We're having antelope meat loaf tonight!!

[Larrydawg]

after reading this post I discussed it with wife. she was watching Driven and they shot nice buck she said... you can mount one like that!! that's it!!. I have in my garage my first buck, wild boar, bull Buffalo, bobcat, and a couple of smaller game skulls (BONE COLLECTOR!) all are cleaned skulls no taxidermy here. she gave me the smallest room in the house for my Man Cave, it has bow rack, gun rack, my computer and all my archery stuff in it. not much room for anything but!!! I can get a mounted deer on wall over computer!!heheheeh
LarryDawg

[Shakes.602]

Build another Cabin close to the House for  YOU and Your Priceless Stuff to Live in!! Ha!     Problem Solved!!  

[njloco]

Time to buy a hunting cabin, to hang the trophies !, that's what I'll be doing real soon.

[stocker56]

Well, everything is relative. In our house, in the living room we have the elk wall (vaulted ceiling), the white tail wall, the mule deer wall and the family picture wall. I don't like to brag but 3 to 1 ain't bad! I'll take those odds.        

[Duncan]

Mine are all hanging right where they have always been. My wife has expressed that she would decorate differently if given the opportunity. If we ever move I know these mounts won't go in the living area again so the deal has to include some room for a man cave. I would have moved them for her years ago but there was nowhere else for them to go and at least she understands they represent an investment in time and money to me. I only have 2 shoulder mounts and a few ducks. All my other deer are plaque mounted. These days the hunt itself is more important than trophies. The deer I hunt don't have to be antlered to be a trophy. Guess I'm finally over the antler thing.

[KentuckyTJ]

Have land = Build man cave separate from house.

[Bob N.]

This is where pictures are so valuable. .  They don't take up any space.  I sold off my collection of mounts years ago and realized after they were gone that I prefered not having them around. Go figure

[Rob W.]

My wife bought Santa hats for all my mounts in the living room. I'm pretty lucky that we are on the same page but I really wouldn't have it any other way.

[Hoser1268]

My wife was warned before we even got engaged that my heads and hunting stuff were not ever going anywhere until I'm dead. We bought a house with a full basement. Basement is mine upstairs is hers. Only thing in the basement she has is the laundry room :-)

[VictoryHunter]

Kids can share a room or perhaps an addition is in order. I am lucky that my wife enjoys having the trophies as decor and is even trying for her own!

[Dog Walker]

Originally posted by Rob W.:
My wife bought Santa hats for all my mounts in the living room. I'm pretty lucky that we are on the same page but I really wouldn't have it any other way.

Christmas garb on a 17" Pronghorn is not cute, IMHA!  Maybe women get reindeer,  that pull Santa's sleigh and antelope mixed up?