BIG mount I bought.
 

I was in town at a vendor mall the other day. They had a small booth with deer antlers and other misc. I was looking at the mounted heads they had and all of them were very small 5 or 6 point bucks. They wanted $110 for each of them. Well, I wasn't interested at all so as I turned to walk out, this ugly BIG 10 point was staring me in the face. My mouth dropped. I was expecting the price to be $250 or better but it was only $150! I HAD to buy it. :rock:

A couple days before this I found a shoulder mounted 8 pointer on Facebook for $15 dollars!! Needless to say it is now mine. AND a couple days later someone posted a huge 12 point rack for sell. $8 believe it or not. Eight Dollars. I'll get a picture of that soon.

Wouldn't have paid 150 for that one, but the others sounded like good deals.

Some people don't know how valuable deer antlers are these days. During certain times of the year their value increases. I sold a rack about this size that I had found in the woods for $250 7 years ago =]

Oh I know what you mean, people will pay a good price for them. I just personally wouldn't have paid that for it.

I only did because I had some extra money :s2:

I'm always a little skeptical about the racks listed on ebay. I feel that it is a poachers dream. They can poach a deer, cut the antlers off and sell it on ebay. The bigger the buck, the higher the price. Ebay doesn't worry about if they are tagged antlers or not. Shed antlers I think are great to purchase on ebay but antlers (non-mounter without tags) I feel are just encouraging poachers. I'd rather not see them on there IMO. I did a little searching on Ebay one time and saw that some people had multiple sets of antlers on there. No tags and nothing that said where they came from. Sure, it could have been a deer farm, but I don't think there are that many deer farms out there.

I agree with fastetti. Also If I didnt find it ,kill it or have some history with a story I probably wouldnt be interested in them in my house. Do you collect them?

Ahh! I stand corrected then, Thanks for clearing that up.

who buys mounts? kill it yourself. It will be so much better looking at something that you killed on the wall rather than something that was bought.

I can understand buying mounts for decoration at a restaurant or business (I guess?); but I would never hang one at my home (or anywhere that is MINE for that fact). The only reason someone gets a deer mounted is to show what they worked so hard and dedicated so much time to. That's almost like buying someone's personalized jacket

I agree...every mount I have in my gun room (7 deer, 1 elk and 2 fish) bring back memories...I can look at each one of them and remember exactly when, where and how I took them...I don't want anything on my walls that someone else took...I also agree about not encouraging poachers...not being critical, mind you, just my personal preference...cheers/bg

I,ve cut up antlers from other people,and salvaged from roadkill ect.
Feels sad at estate sales ,see some old timers memories selling.
Not that they care.
One sale saw family discarding black and white photos of deer and hunters. Sad family time but i was tempted to ask to keep them as history. Left em be though. wasn,t my hunts.
Somebody saves antlers i,ve relieved deer of,at least deer will be remembered in a way. if not hope they make it back to a place deer still run and not a dumpster.

I do sir. =]

So you don't enjoy those bucks up on the walls of Bass Pro?? mhmmm :P

LISTEN.. it's like arrowhead collectors (Ancient arrowheads)... They have their prized personal finds... but a lot of collectors also buy artifacts from other collectors. MOST collectors prize their personal finds much higher than points they bought. Those bought points are still very pleasing to the eyes. There is absolutely NO difference with deer antlers. I prize all of my 8's 9's and 10's (pointers) that I have taken over the years. Doesn't mean I'm not allowed to enjoy other antlers. Honestly I see a lot of overreacting on these forums just to make someone look good in front of everyone else. That aint right. I can easily say that I believe it is of Satan to hang another rack other than your own on your wall BUT it would be a lie. I dont like to lie. I am genuine. are you? :)

I said I was not being critical...just a personal thing...

To be honest, I don't pay much attention to the racks in BPS or Cabela's...it's just window dressing and I am in there to shop...I occasionally take notice of a huge bear or the like but if someone were to offer up one to me free, I would thank them for the offer but turn them down...

Enjoy your collection...

Cheers/bg

i wouldnt have bought it. any rack without a tag is illegal to sell or purchase in ohio. also illegal to pick up a rack unless you call the warden to have them write a permit and that is only if they determine that it wasnt poached.

Same here, people cut the racks off road kills all the time. Only way you can do it is get a road kill permit, but then you must take the whole deer. Most people get one cut the antlers off then dump the deer somewhere else.

wow so now we even critisize the way someone decorates thier home. Thats bad, who cares what he puts up. He didn't ask that question.

I have a painting that my dad did 25 years ago in my house, i guess i should take it down cause i am not the one who spent hours painting it.

I am sure every "trophy" ever shot was hard earned on this board. yea right

I don't think anyone is judging him for doing this. I think most of us are saying that we wouldn't do it. If its Bristoyboy's hobby and he enjoys it then go for it.

I think in response to the deer at BPS and Cabelas, personally when I look at them, I think what it would be like to shoot one of those and put it on my wall. I wouldn't want that particular mount on my wall just one very similar that I shot.

With the response of buying antlers on ebay, you really don't know what antlers you are buying if they are not tagged. If there was the slightest inclination that there is a chance they were poached I wouldn't touch them. I couldn't stand it if I thought I was helping a poacher profit.

I am no way against anybody collecting old mounts. If its fun and you enjoy it, go for it. I'd rather have somone enjoy old mounts than to sit in a basement storage and rot away.

i deffinatly am not critizing him. i had a giant collection and then i found out the law here in ohio. i still have alot and wouldnt hesitate to buy a legal one if i liked it enough.

This is how I feel. If I didn't personally shoot it or a family member, it isn't going on my wall and I'm not going to pay anything for it.

I think most of those (if not all) are fake!!

As long a person does not take credit for the kill I don't see anything wrong with it. I think there are quite a few people who collect antlers. just my opinion, Doc

yep, and anyone who didnt cut down trees with a handsaw, hand build thier own house with thier bare hands top to bottom should be ashamed of yourself. Can you imagine just signing a paper for a house that is already built, loooooosers.....



as far as buying antlers, I dont have time to go around morally judging everyone. I bought 1 set of ebay. a 120" 10 pt for a set of rattling horns. If I knew that deer was taken illegally I wouldn't have bought it, but i didnt so i did.


And mabey, just mabey someone doesn't have the means of ever shooting a trophy deer.

Quit being all high and mighty for crying out loud. Everything doesnt always need a story behind it.

WNYhunter, I think you might be reading this wrong. Nobody is critisizing him, just say it doesn't interest most of us. If he enjoys it then more power too him. I don't enjoy knitting but I don't critisize people who do, it just doesn't interest me.

For the antlers on ebay, if they are shed antlers than I have no problem. If they are tagged then I don't have a problem but if they are untagged then I wouldn't purchase them. Just a personal preference, if they can't be proven they were taken legally than they can't be proven they were taken illegally.

Again, this is just me. If anyone else wants to purchase them than go for it.

I value my personal trophies much more than anything I've gotten from other people. They sure do make a house look good! =]