To stuff or not to stuff ?
- Thread starter 6mmarc
- Start date
HonestJohn
Well-Known Member
Traditional
He’s good, but unless you’re flush, he’s not ‘that good’
He’s good, but unless you’re flush, he’s not ‘that good’
6mmarc
Well-Known Member
That’s exactly what I’m thinking
HonestJohn
Well-Known Member
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot to do with the stalk too, if it was super memorable and you’ll reflect on that day for years to come, perhaps worth the expense, but if it was just another deer culled and he happened to be a good head. Then..
Bill Bartlett
Well-Known Member
Hi, guys, I get this all the time. Is it good enough to get mounted? For instance say you shot a Royal or bigger under deer control or spotlamp conditions. Yes, good head but no challenge or memories. Lesser quality trophy, any species, challenging stalk, first or last animal shot and memorable stalk, then yes. I have had stalkers present me with stunning trophies, then change their mind, for a lesser quality trophy, deformed set of antlers, for instance, long or difficult shot, great day out - all worth the investment....
Totally agree with your point. I have a few antlers that most would have left in a hedge somewhere but they mean something to me. Suppose its the difference between viewing them as a trophy where I view them as a memento that takes me back to the stalk
Some matter more, whatever the size.
Last year I lost a lovely Chinese Water Deer head, my first and probably my only one, to the foxes, which turned into a bit of a saga.
For anyone who followed it, that eventually became Operation Splat and later Foxy Five.
A day out with Malc on the CWD had been arranged last autumn to try and replace it, but we deferred until next year. With his wife seriously ill the only sensible thing was to say not to worry about dates. Malc is very well regarded here and I look forward to sharing a day in the field with him in due course.
Today I have just found out I’m off after CWD this weekend, my last opportunity at the end of the season, due to fallow and other commitments. I am so very excited to be heading out and, if I’m fortunate enough to take a beast, I’ll clean the head up for sure, doe, cull buck or trophy. Not for the trophy itself, but for the story behind it. Crafty foxes and late nights.
That’s what a head like this ends up being. Not trophies of aggrandisement but markers for the mornings out, the mistakes, the people you’ve shared the ground with, and, having started aged 12, the years it takes to get there.
Conversations with oneself.
Last year I lost a lovely Chinese Water Deer head, my first and probably my only one, to the foxes, which turned into a bit of a saga.
For anyone who followed it, that eventually became Operation Splat and later Foxy Five.
A fifth fox has been harassing my boys’ chickens and rabbits for some time. The first four were dealt with without any real trouble, but this one has made a fool of me. I have lost plenty of sleep over it: not through worry, but through fruitless nights in the chair. He is shy, inconsistent, and astonishingly quick, typically spending less than 30 seconds between entering and leaving. Some nights there is nothing at all, then the following night he will appear five times.
I left out a spread of bait, including dead rats as they dropped, squirrels, rabbits, and a few old...
I left out a spread of bait, including dead rats as they dropped, squirrels, rabbits, and a few old...
A day out with Malc on the CWD had been arranged last autumn to try and replace it, but we deferred until next year. With his wife seriously ill the only sensible thing was to say not to worry about dates. Malc is very well regarded here and I look forward to sharing a day in the field with him in due course.
Today I have just found out I’m off after CWD this weekend, my last opportunity at the end of the season, due to fallow and other commitments. I am so very excited to be heading out and, if I’m fortunate enough to take a beast, I’ll clean the head up for sure, doe, cull buck or trophy. Not for the trophy itself, but for the story behind it. Crafty foxes and late nights.
That’s what a head like this ends up being. Not trophies of aggrandisement but markers for the mornings out, the mistakes, the people you’ve shared the ground with, and, having started aged 12, the years it takes to get there.
Conversations with oneself.
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