Advice on Mounting Irregular Cut Skull Plates

[Coues106]

I’m finishing out my gun room and am left with a handful of skull plates off a number of different animals I’ve harvested over time. As such, they don’t sit quite flat and even against the wall. Additionally, the weight of something like that gemsbok will like prevent the common screw through the center method from working. I’m curious if anyone can suggest some simple yet effective ways to get these mounted and up on the wall. I’m in the military and move quite a bit, so simple and requiring minimal screws in the wall is preferred. Africa hunting always steers me straight, excited to see what has worked for everyone. Thank you!

 

[Wyfox]

This should give you some ideas

 

[Bullthrower338]

I use automotive bondo to make the skull plate sit the way I want easy to screw hangers into the bondo for hanging

 

[Coues106]

I use automotive bondo to make the skull plate sit the way I want easy to screw hangers into the bondo for hanging

So if I understand you’re making a sort of mount on the rear of the plate with the bondo? This sounds promising.

 

[Bullthrower338]

So if I understand you’re making a sort of mount on the rear of the plate with the bondo? This sounds promising.

Exactly, it also eliminates screws being visible from the front. I have put wire in the bondo and let it extend out the back as a hanger also. Once it dries you just finish making the loop, trim excess wire and hang

 

[Coues106]

Exactly, it also eliminates screws being visible from the front. I have put wire in the bondo and let it extend out the back as a hanger also. Once it dries you just finish making the loop, trim excess wire and hang

I love it. Could I trouble you for some photos of this? It sounds like what I’ll do.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Antler manikins, covered with leather, trimmed, and attached to a nice panel. I favor the ones that somewhat mimic a skull. Finish out with mache before covering with leather.

Relatively inexpensive, fairly easy, and you get to pick the colors.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I love it. Could I trouble you for some photos of this? It sounds like what I’ll do.

When I get home next weekend I will see if I have any out that are not packed away from my move.

 

[Sarg]

Interesting cut of the skull caps you have there, be good if we saw the back to give best advise ?

Where did you hunt the Sika Stags bud ?

 

[Kalthoff]

That style of skull mounting was popular in several European countries until it fell out of fashion approximately a hundred years ago.

it is quite common to see that style of mount on display in houses that has been in the same family for centuries.

A web search for something like "old hunting trophy mounts" will return a number of examples f how it used to be done, eg.: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=old+hunting+trophy+mounts&ia=images&iax=images

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Mounting the gemsbuck without some sort of significant backing plate will be difficult, short of nailing it to the wall. The weight is too high and not enough anchor to the wall = they will spin over and fall off most hangers. I suggest mounting all of them on backing plates like this set of deadhead whitetail I found in 1965 and my daughter recently restored (she rebuilt four points and stained the bleached antlers - I put the shattered cap together and mounted it on the plaque).

I prefer skull mounts WITHOUT backing plates. This allows me to adjust the angle of the mount to better display the horns. Here's an example of gemsbuck. I suspect I could design something similar for yours but I will caution that this mounting setup barely provides enough stability for long horn mounts i.e. kudu and gemsbuck. I would advise mounting to a plaque.

 

[ngarms]

I saw something cool in a castle in Munich during my last hunting trip layover that I recreated with a red stag skull. You can see mine vs. Prince Ludwigs.

 

[DieJager]

I saw something cool in a castle in Munich during my last hunting trip layover that I recreated with a red stag skull. You can see mine vs. Prince Ludwigs.View attachment 738357View attachment 738359

Beautiful.. nicely done.

How does it stay in with all that weight? Only the screws or more?

 

[ngarms]

Just the two screws