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Which of These Are Your Favorites?
The 2019 NWTF Convention was a wild success for many reasons. But the taxidermy contest was one of the most impressive events at the show. While I’m no taxidermist, I know a good deer mount when I see one. Here are my 20 favorite deer mounts that were entered in the NWTF taxidermy contests this year. Enjoy.
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This is a beautiful full-velvet mount. The deer has tons of character with points going in every direction. And that red, summer-coat hair is pretty sharp. This is a very cool early season deer mount.
Pose: Semi-sneak
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Open
Extras: Floor pedestal mount
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Talk about antler spread — this buck has it. And the open-mouth theme is pretty intriguing as well. This deer looks like it’s truly alive with the realistic detail and leaf in its mouth.
Pose: Semi-upright
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Open
Extras: Floor pedestal mount
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Deer love apples. And it looks like this buck is having its last supper on them. The realism is incredible as this buck appears to be plucked right out of a grove in a late September or early October setting.
Pose: Semi-upright
Head Variation: Up and straight
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Open
Extras: Floor pedestal and apples
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This buck is frozen in time as it reaches up to bite off some greenery growing on a branch. This is truly great work with time and effort going into this open-mouth deer mount.
Pose: Full-upright
Head Variation: Up (high) and right
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Open
Extras: Floor pedestal
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Want more of a traditional mount, but something just a little different? This floor (or wall) pedestal mount is pretty cool.
Pose: Semi-upright pedestal
Head Variation: Up
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Closed
Extras: Wall or floor pedestal
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The creativity that went into this mount is unreal. A great pedestal platform. Food hanging out of the mouth. A butterfly on the nose. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Pose: Full-upright pedestal
Head Variation: Up (high) and left (hard)
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Open
Extras: Floor pedestal, grass and butterfly
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Talk about caught in the moment — that’s what happened with this mount. The taxidermist certainly accomplished that by making it appear as if this deer was coming out of velvet.
Pose: Semi-upright pedestal
Head Variation: Down (tucked) and left (hard)
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Open (tongue out)
Extras: Floor pedestal, hanging velvet and greenery
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Want a wall (or floor) pedestal mount with some artwork on the back of the form? This is a great example of such work. Check out this cool deer taxidermy job.
Pose: Semi-sneak pedestal
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Open (slightly)
Extras: Floor pedestal and vegetation
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This hard-horn buck is as cool as it gets. A classic 9-pointer if I’ve ever seen one. This is a beautiful buck and an incredible taxidermy job.
Pose: Full-upright
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Closed
Extras: Floor pedestal
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This buck looks as if he’s just hanging out in a shaded block of timber. Maybe a mid- or late-September setting. This buck is a true giant, though.
Pose: Semi-sneak pedestal
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Closed
Extras: Floor pedestal
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This mount was one of my personal favorites (of my favorites). A deer eating acorns? Who ever heard of such in a deer mount? Absolutely one of the most creative jobs I’ve ever seen.
Pose: Semi-sneak
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Open
Extras: Floor pedestal and vegetation
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Are you a midwestern deer hunter who hunts around a lot of ag? This might be that real-life setting that goes perfectly with your next deer mount. This is one of the most impressive deer mounts I’ve ever seen.
Pose: Half-body semi-sneak
Head Variation: Up and right
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Open
Extras: Floor pedestal and corn stalks
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This was one of the more “normal” deer mounts that I saw at the show. That said, despite it not having the flair and extras that other mounts had, this one certainly exhibited talent and skill.
Pose: Semi-upright
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Closed
Extras: Floor pedestal
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Want a full-body mount? It’s hard to beat this bedded buck position. And if giant velvet bucks are your thing — this deer is that.
Pose: Full-body bedded
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Closed
Extras: Floor pedestal and vegetation
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This is another great example for those who like full-upright mounts. This big velvet 9-point is as pretty as whitetails come, too.
Pose: Full-upright pedestal
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Closed
Extras: Floor pedestal, rock and vegetation
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This is a really cool buck with wide-set brow tines. It’s also mounted in a manner that it appears to be chewing either vegetation or its cud. An all-around great mount.
Pose: Semi-sneak
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Open
Extras: Pedestal and vegetation
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This is one of the finest late-season deer mounts I’ve ever seen. This buck is set in snowy wintertime setting that really takes the hunter back to the day of the hunt.
Pose: Semi-upright
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Closed
Extras: Rack, vegetation and snow
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This deer is a giant. It’s full of character and exhibits why I love whitetails so much — which is that every whitetail is different. No two are the same.
Pose: Semi-sneak pedestal
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Closed
Extras: None
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This is one of the most creative mounts I’ve seen in a long time. This buck is suspended over a scrape and is caught in the act of working the licking branch. A one-of-a-kind mount.
Pose: Full-upright
Head Variation: Up and left
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Closed
Extras: Pedestal, tree, branch and vegetation
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This mount of a doe eating in an apple orchard is a captivating piece of art. True skill. And a great way to show off a buck or doe mount.
Pose: Full-upright
Head Variation: Up and right
Ear Variation: Back
Mouth Variation: Open
Extras: Pedestal, tree, vegetation and apples
Don’t Miss: Whitetail Taxidermy Poses for Your Next Deer Mount
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