European Mounts Overview
If you have interest in preserving just the skull and/or the antlers of your animal. Indeed, taxidermy is certainly one of the most breathtaking forms of preserving your most valuable hunting trophies. For example, deer hunting enthusiasts may be interested in investing in an European mount display for a whitetail/mule deer or other deer species, moose, elk, or caribou.
Some hunters and taxidermy collectors opt for European mounts because of their simplicity and clean look. Others simply don’t have much space or would prefer to keep their space less cluttered. Still others enjoy and prefer displaying many different types of skulls next to each other.
Let’s look into what a European mount is, it’s benefits over other taxidermy options, the process for preserving the skull, and much more in our guide to European mounts here:
What is a European Mount?
To start, let’s first discuss what a European mount is. As its name suggests, a European mount became a popular form of taxidermy in Europe centuries ago when methods for developing ways to preserve to actual skin and entirety of the animal were still being researched and developed.
As such, the European mount refers just to a taxidermy display of an antler/horn and skull mount.
Benefits of European Mounts
There are many reasons why you should consider a European mount for your next taxidermy piece:
- European skull mounts can be easily done by a taxidermist (or by you if you are a DIY enthusiast).
- Since you are just working with the skull and antlers, they are faster to prepare than other types of taxidermy.
- These mounts are more affordable when compared with other types of taxidermy.
- This is one type of taxidermy that has the flexibility of being either displayed on a wall or on a bookshelf or desk.
Did I mention how great they look?
The European Mount Process in 3 Steps
1. Removing the Skull
There are several steps to processing a skull for European mounts. However, one of the benefits of European mounts is that it takes a shorter time to finish than a traditional taxidermy mount.
- The first step is to remove the head of the animal.
- The next step is to remove the skin from the bone. For this process, the ears are removed from the skull.
- After the skin is removed, next comes removing the lower portion of the jaw.
- Once the jaw is removed, the eyes are next.
- The last step will be to remove as much of the rest of the head area as possible.
- The skull is typically cleaned in a day or two, depending on the cleaning option chosen.
2. Cleaning the Skull
There are a couple of ways in which to handle this part of the process. However, we recommend cleaning via dermestid beetles as this helps to protect the integrity of the skull as much as possible. The cleaning process can take some time and may require several steps to complete:
With our beetle skull cleaning, we utilize dermestid beetles, (from the Dermestidae beetle family), which remove the meat of the skull effectively both inside and outside of the skull.
We use dermestid beetles because the skull stays intact using this method as opposed to the boiling method. In addition, this method tends to shrink the skull or break down the cartilage in the nasal cavity. Overall, the dermestid beetle skull cleaning method is the most effective skull cleaning method available to better preserve skulls.
At All-Taxidermy, we offer prompt and professional skull cleaning services for your European mounts! Read more on how to clean a skull here.
3. Whitening the Skull
Following the dermestid beetle cleaning process, next, it’s time for the whitening stage.
This whitening effect is achieved through additive-free concentrated hydrogen peroxide. We use this reliable method because it will keep your taxidermy skull looking in excellent, pristine condition for years to come.
No matter if you have local specimens or exotic ones, our taxidermists will effectively clean and preserve your skull and skeleton trophies. Keep your skull well-preserved with the most effective whitening process at All-Taxidermy today!
Hanging a European Mount
There are several styles to choose from when hanging your European mount:
- It can be put on a plaque, or another mounting device.
- You can use decorations for a more unique look.
- You can also take your European mount and directly hang on the wall with no background or special design at all.
There are several options to choose from for creating a European mount. Here at All-Taxidermy, we work with you to create your dream mount!
European Mount Ideas
There are many ways to display your skull mounts. Here are some European mount ideas you can consider:
- Hanging on the wall using a nail or screw
- Displaying the skull on a desk or counter
- Displaying skull(s) in a natural habitat scene or on driftwood for a natural look
- Painting your European mount with an airbrush, spray cans, tubes of paint, etc., and then sealing it
- Hydro-dipping your skull for unique patterns
- Adding small LED lights to light up the interior of your European skull
- Contact a professional skull carver who can create some unique-looking carvings in your European mount skull
European Mount Cost
One of the reasons that hunters choose European mounts is because they are more cost effective (and much easier to prepare!) You can expect to pay anywhere from around $100+ per European mount deer skull. Compare that to shoulder mounts for Whitetail and Mule deer, which are around $600+. At All-Taxidermy, we provide the following European mount options:
- Whitetail/Mule deer: 150.00
- Moose/Elk: 400.00
- Bear: 190.00
- Small game: 100.00
Questions about European mount cost? Please reach out the experts at All-Taxidermy today.
Various Species of European Mounts
All-Taxidermy is your online resource for various species of deer (Whitetail, Mule, Fallow, etc.), bison, elk, moose, cougar, bear, fox, wolf, badger, wolverine, exotic species, and more.
If you have questions about specific pricing for a species of animal, please contact All-Taxidermy today!
Contact All-Taxidermy
There may be multiple steps involved in the European mount preservation process, but at All-Taxidermy our experts are here to explain every step, give you a price estimate, and help you choose how to customize your skull/antler display.
Our professional taxidermists, based in Wrightstown, WI, are well-trained, following professional methods for many years. We have a passion for creating taxidermy trophy pieces that you’ll be proud of.
If you’re looking for existing European mounts, please browse our animal skulls/bones/teeth/tusk category here, or check out our antlers and horns category to see all available European mounts.
