How Big Does it Have to be?

[desertloper]

Alright, I'm sure this will strike quite the debate...
How big does a buck have to be for you to justify the $500 for a mount?

I know that there are a lot of determining factors i.e. first buck, memorable hunt, etc.

What does it have to be...140, 150, 160?

I'm just for those who have killed a lot of deer, where do you decide to make the investment for a shoulder mount?

[BarnesX.308]

I would say that, for most hunters, a 130"+ deer is the deer of a life time.

Unless you're only talking about hunters in Canada or the midwest, you may have started the numbers too high.

I have 4 bucks mounted:

90" six pointer - first archery buck
105" eight pointer
100" eight pointer
120" eight pointer

My biggest buck to date only grossed 128". And it was a 4.5 year old buck that weighed 230lbs on the hoof.

[bandgod]

I have a ten point that scores 138 on the wall, antlers only. I would probably get a full head mount but my wife feels like the deer are staring at her and I wouldn't be able to hang the head mount where I could see it a lot. So I would go with just an antler mount until I get a Booner. No point in mounting them if you can't enjoy looking at them all the time.

[BarnesX.308]

So I would go with just an antler mount until I get a Booner.

Until you get a Booner?

[Handles]

I've got to say 140 with my bow, 150 with gun. That isn't a hard and fast rule as a broken tine or some other factor could limit the overall score of a great buck. I've got several 115-125's on plaques, but they don't deserve a head mount. They would look very silly next to the 174 that my grandpa shot (his first ever buck) and I had mounted after he died.

[glew22]

B&C score is nice but shouldn't be the basis for harvest. Age is the way to go...any buck 3.5+ is going down.

[Iowabucks44]

I have a couple 140's on the wall along with a nice 185" buck. I probably wouldn't shoulder mount a deer unless it was 160". Anything smaller would get a european mount.

[IL-Cornfed]

My wife says that any more bucks need to score 150"+ to go on our walls. That seems to be the average of the deer we've got mounted up to this point.

However, with all 3 of my kids hunting now.... I'm sure we will make exceptions to this rule as they take some "trophy" bucks over the years!

[lbott29]

i shot a 144 8 pointer that exwife wouldnt let me mount luckily 10 years an new wife later shot a 160" gross 10 pointer that is shoulder mounted and hanging in living room. i dont feel there is an answer to this. if you shoot a deer that you feel you want to get mounted than you should. you're the judge not us

[Hunt4Life23]

Got a 115" 8 pointer on the wall which was my first good buck that i shot when i was 13 and a 135" 9 pointer on the wall as well so I would have to say over 140" and it would go on the wall.