The Appeal of Trophies?

[meigsbucks]

Everyone has their own ideas, priorities and values. For me, the trophies represent memories. For example, I can look at the bushbuck and remember about a 1/4 mile into a search walking around a lake, the driver coming running up to us to tell us that there was a good bushbuck across the lake from the truck. Then going back and crawling behind a rock outcropping and making the shot across the lake.
I’ve saved a few $$$ by having euro mounts on some trophies and mounted photos under them.

 

[mark-hunter]

So that's my perspective. What say you all? What importance do you place on the retention of a trophy? Why is it important to you? If you couldn't take one for whatever reason, would you still wish to do the hunt?

I can hunt without a trophy.
I also, generally do not hunt, unless I eat the venisson, exemption is pests - foxes and such.
Finally, I have limited space, for trophies, and came to conclusion that I hunt for hunt sake, and in some cases for experience only. Africa, is experience. For example, I wouldnt mind hunting tuskless elephant sometime in the future.

But, mind, there are intrinsic and extrinsic motives. And mine are generally intrinsic.
There certainly are hunters motivated by trophy, only. (extrinsic) to the point, they can even ask Ph to shoot for them, and to complete big 5, spiral slam, whatever...

Once a trophy is taken, it is a memory that will last for ever. Memories are immortal. Memories can be passed to next generation. We are trying to save that moment for ever. I think it is deepest human drive, as described by Freud, to fight for immortality.

How to preserve something that will last for ever?

Scripture, letters, alphabet, is one way of preserving the idea, stone monuments another... in wider perspective of human culture.

But in hunting culture , to cut the story short, nobody else has described it better then Robert Ruark, in Horn of the hunter, 1952:

“You are not shooting an elephant,” Selby said. “You are shooting the symbol of his tusks. You are not shooting to kill. You are shooting to make immortal the thing you shoot. To kill just anything is a sin. To kill something that will be dead soon, but is so fine as to give you pleasure for years, is wonderful. Everything dies. You just hasten the process. When you shoot a lion you are actually shooting its mane, something that will make you proud. You are shooting for yourself, not shooting just to kill”

 

[harden]

Wildlife and taxidermy is what I use to create ART pieces, Truly living poses and lifelike presenting of the game IS the greatest regard for its life an your memories, Crappy old badly doe taxidermy, I would not be moved or touched by its ugliness , but creating the life of that animal truly looking and moving as it is alive is the greatest respect you can give its life and your memories.

 

[Nyati]

My trophies are part of my hunting experience, and my daily life.

I live in an apartment, so don´t have a dedicated "trophy room", they are everywhere, except bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen (for the time being)

Not having that much space, I don´t have any taxidermy, just skull mounts, which have also saved me a lot of money to invest in more hunting. And, I don´t keep everything, just the best trophies.

I´m also very lucky in that my wife likes them

 

[Trophyhunter01]

I love to put my life size bear in the background of the front door at Halloween and watch the little kids eyes get really big when I open the door and ask, “do you have a pet bear?” Show them, talk to them, teach them about bears and watch them run down the driveway to their parents screaming there is a bear in that house and the parents say ok come on.

 

[Major Khan]

I personally , am old school . I prefer my momentos to be be a little more than just a photograph.

However , photographs are nice too.

 

[chonk34]

I enjoy sitting and looking at them, and trying to recall the particulars and emotions of each hunt. I also think that the trophy lends a bit of immortality to the animal, giving it a sort of second life and bringing attention to the natural beauty and unique features of its species. My dad has regular conversations with his Kudu mount and sees it as sort of a benevolent friend. I guess you could call us nutters for assigning personality and meaning to a skin wrapped around a form, but for me I think it shows respect to the animal whose life I have taken and acts as a physical token of the memories of the hunt experience.

 

[edward]

To each his own! I prefer to mount a lot of the animals now that I can afford to do so. Had I been born wealthy instead of just devilishly handsome I would have far more mounts on the walls. I like the mounts just to look at and remember the affair. I enjoy the conversations that they start with visitors because I get to relive the hunt over and over. I look at my mountain lion every night when I walk in and think fondly of my best friend that was with me when I took him but was taken from this earth much to early. I do it to keep clarity of the past, when I’m gone, maybe my boys will enjoy them, maybe not, but I enjoy them now so that’s good enough for me.

is that why your name starts with bullthrower???

 

[crudeoildude]

people hI have a friend that had a badger that ave things mounted for a multitude of reasons I once said that I wouldn't have anything mounted until it was big enough to make the Boone and Crocket book,well then one day I shot a pronghorn thatwas big enough and thatopened the flood gates ,4 antelope ,2deer 2 euro elk,2 large fish later I have a bunch of dead animals in my house,and I love and reminiss about every one of them,they all have special meaning to ME. I have a friend that has a badger that he killed with his bare hand while working under his pickup while broke down on the road headed home from fishing one night,He has it mounted on a skate board.,He lives beside a Indian reservation,on Halloween he attaches about 12 to 15 foot of bamboo rod on the back of this floor mount when he gets about 6 or8 kids on the porch he opens the door enough to run that badger out to his sidewalk and the kids skatter like Quail hes kind of a warped individual.as I say people have things mounted for many reasons to each his own AND THATS ALL I GOT TO SAY ABOUT THAT.

 

[Bonk]

Interesting and timely topic for me. I'm going to Africa for the first time next spring and I've been pondering whether I want taxidermy, photos, euros or some combination of all three. While not prohibitive cost is an issue. So is space. So is how I feel about displaying 'trophies'.

I have a nice whitetail hanging in our foyer but I have mixed feelings about displaying the mount. I sometimes feel like I've cheapened the animal's existence by turning it into a trinket I hung on the wall. It also has some element of braggadocio that I dislike. Other times I fondly remember the hunt, the tough shot, and the difficulty we had finding him. My wife still talks about the two of us following his blood trail for hours. Last but not least he is a great looking buck and there's no doubt when someone enters our home they know we're a hunting household. Every thing I just wrote could apply to hunting photos too.

Glad I got that particular one mounted but I haven't had the desire to mount another one and I doubt I'll ever have another whitetail mounted unless it's spectacularly big. By spectacular big I mean a typical 12pt won't cut it. It will have to be a truly special animal. Every other buck I've taken in the last few years I've simply put a euro mount in my shop/garage. We could probably put a couple more medium/large shoulder mounts in our entryway but that would be about it.

I *think* I've decided to forego traditional mounts for my upcoming plains game hunt. Instead I believe I'm going to have the best picture of each one framed and hang them in my gunroom. Most folks call it a basement but to me it's my gun room. If I'm fortunate to take a zebra I'll have that made into a rug to hang on a wall. All the rest I'm planning to have euro mounts made and hang them in my shop/garage along with the rest of my whitetail bucks.

Since I haven't actually been to Africa and not yet hunted there I reserve the right to change my mind. After it happens I may decide I want to memorialize it in a different way. We'll see.......

 

[Trail Rated]

One of my favorite mounts is the lone scaled quail I shot on a solo 4-day public-land bird hunt in the West Texas desert. It was the toughest hunt I had been on to that point, and there was no way I was just going to gobble up that little bird and discard the rest.

I don’t know why, but I have a strong desire to keep some part of the animals from most of my hunts. It’s been that way since my first seven-point whitetail buck, which is still on my wall. For me it’s more about hanging on to some of the accomplishment and commemorating a “first” or “only” than showing off something big.

 

[Philip Glass]

I enjoy seeing the pictures of various members trophies on here, and the lengths some of you go to present them in the best light within your homes.

That said, I do wish to pose a question to you all.

I love hunting, but honestly, I find I'm not too hung up on trophies. At present, this is fairly academic as financials dictate that most of my hunting is effectively 'cull hunts'. However, I'm not sure that actually being able to take home a trophy would really improve my hunting experience.

I value the hunt for the atmosphere, the excitement, the primal satisfaction of 'winning' against an animal in the most important contest of its life. I values the memories and I value the meat. I do like to take a decent photo sometimes, but equally sometimes I don't bother and just live in the moment. I can remember pretty much all the animals I've taken vividly for one reason or another, and I suspect that this will continue.

All this being the case, the idea of paying nearly as much again to sort out a 'momento' of a hunt is a touch odd to me. I'd much rather spend that money on the next hunt, the next experience. All else being equal I'd certainly rather have 30KG of venison to enjoy with friends than a decent rack of antlers!

So that's my perspective. What say you all? What importance do you place on the retention of a trophy? Why is it important to you? If you couldn't take one for whatever reason, would you still wish to do the hunt?

I agree with your sentiments for the most part. The hunt itself is most important and most memorable for me. I am in the lucky situation to have a guest lodge with high ceilings and the funds to keep paying taxidermists. I will get to a point where I don’t want as many trophies in the wall but I’m not there yet.
I do have to say that as it relates to hunting big game in a foreign country that any concern for the meat is a bit silly. I mean we travel to the other side of the world to chase game such as a Kudu and that experience is second to none. Most of the time when we hear of people lamenting the fact that they can’t bring meat home from Africa it is from those who’ve never been and have not had the full African experience. I’ll eat all the venison I can over there and never look back!
Regards,
Philip