How to Choose the Right Mount (and Why Your Memory Deserves More Than a Nail)
You finally punched a tag on a whitetail that actually deserves a spot on the wall. Now comes the real debate: Should you get a shoulder mount, or go with a European (euro) mount?
Both options honor the deer. Both can look incredible. And both can be totally wrong for your space, your budget, or your long-term plans if you don’t think it through.
This guide breaks down the real-world pros and cons of each, then shows how a display like the RHE lets you get the most out of your euro mounts without turning your house into a cluttered trophy museum.
The Basics: Shoulder Mount vs Euro Mount
Before we get into the decision-making, quick definitions:
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Shoulder Mount
The classic, full form: head, neck, and shoulders of the deer on a form, cape tanned and mounted by a taxidermist. It’s big, dramatic, and highly detailed.
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European (Euro) Mount
Cleaned and whitened skull with antlers attached, no hide or form. Light, minimal, and all about the antlers and bone.
Both options preserve the memory of the hunt. The question isn’t “which is better?”
It’s which fits your life, your budget, and your walls.
Cost: What Are You Really Paying For?
Sticker shock is real in taxidermy. Recent numbers from whitetail taxidermists put shoulder mounts in the $750–$1,000+ range for a quality job, especially from reputable or popular shops.
A euro mount, on the other hand, is usually a fraction of that cost. Many skull cleaners charge around $80–$150 for cleaning, whitening, and degreasing a whitetail skull, depending on region and process. The RHE will run around $70.
So ask yourself:
Do you want to put that extra $600+ toward:
- Another out-of-state hunt?
- Food plot gear?
- Lease payments?
- A couple more tags’ worth of skulls on the wall instead of one big shoulder?
If the budget is tight or you’re stacking multiple bucks over the years, euros make a strong case.
Room: How Much Wall Do You Actually Have?
This part gets real fast.
Shoulder Mounts
- Take up significant wall and room depth.
- Look best in larger rooms, high ceilings, or dedicated trophy spaces.
- Once they’re on the wall, they’re not exactly “subtle décor.”
Euro Mounts
- Much more flexible with space.
- Work in hallways, stairwells, offices, living rooms, or mixed in with photos and other décor.
- A clean euro on a well-designed hanger can pass the “spouse approval” test.
Hunters with smaller homes, apartments, or already-full trophy rooms are increasingly shifting toward euros simply because they can display more deer in less space.
This is where a display like the RHE really starts to shine: you’re not just hanging a skull on a nail, you’re giving it a clean, intentional presence without needing a full “trophy room.”
Turnaround Time: How Patient Are You Really?
If you’ve ever waited on a shoulder mount, you know this part.
- Shoulder mount turnaround: commonly 12+ months, often longer if your taxidermist is in high demand.
- Euro mount turnaround: frequently a couple weeks to a few months, sometimes under a month with efficient skull cleaners.
If you want your buck on the wall this season, not “maybe next summer,” euro mounts are the fast track.
Quality & Risk: One Shot vs Flexible
A shoulder mount is a high-stakes decision:
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If the taxidermist misses the mark, you’ve spent $800+ and waited a year for something you might not love.
- Fixing a bad shoulder mount is possible, but it’s time-consuming and expensive.
Euro mounts are much harder to mess up completely. Skull whitening can vary a bit by shop, but small issues are easier to touch up at home with simple products and a little YouTube research.
Some hunters are even taking apart old shoulder mounts and converting them to euro-style displays because they’ve grown to prefer the clean skull look over time.
If you’re worried about long-term tastes or a taxidermy misfire, euro mounts + a quality display system give you a lot more flexibility.
When a Shoulder Mount Makes Sense
Even as a euro-forward brand, we’re not pretending shoulder mounts don’t have their place. They do.
A shoulder mount might be the right call if:
- It’s your once-in-a-lifetime deer (or you think it might be).
- You have a big, dedicated space where a full form will actually fit the room.
- You want the full expression, neck, and body character preserved.
- You don’t mind the cost and wait time, and you’ve got a taxidermist whose work you fully trust.
- For that handful of deer that truly changed your hunting story, a shoulder mount can still be the move.
When a Euro Mount Is the Smart Play
A euro mount really starts to win when you look at the bigger picture of a hunting life, not just one deer.
Choose a euro (especially with a solid display system) if:
- You’re building a collection over years, not just one star deer.
- You want to save money for more tags, more trips, and more habitat work.
- You’re tight on space, or you share walls with someone who doesn’t want ten capes staring at them at dinner.
- You like the clean, minimal look of bone and antler.
- You want faster turnaround and less risk.
And if you’re going euro, how you hang it matters as much as how you clean it.
Why the Display Matters: Elevating the Euro With the RHE
A euro mount is only as good as what you put it on.
That’s where the RHE comes in. It’s more than a hook in the wall. It’s a purpose-built system designed to turn your skull mount into a wall-worthy centerpiece instead of a dusty afterthought.
Key Benefits of the RHE System
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360° rotation & angle adjustment
Dial in the exact presentation you want. Tilt, turn, and rotate the skull so the rack catches light and sits perfectly in the room, not just “where the skull ended up.” -
Double-Lock Security
A locking cap and secondary set screw keep everything tight once you’ve got it where you want it, so your mount doesn’t slowly sag out of position over time.
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Clean, minimal footprint
No bulky plaques required. Just the skull, the antlers, and a sleek, engineered display behind it doing the heavy lifting.
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“Wall-worthy” finish
Designed so your display looks intentional, not improvised. Living room, office, stairwell, trophy wall – it fits in all of them.
A Simple Way to Decide
Still stuck between shoulder mount and euro? Use this quick framework:
Go Shoulder Mount if:
- This deer is a true milestone for you.
- You have the budget and wall space.
- You already have a taxidermist whose work you trust.
Go Euro + RHE if:
- You want to mount multiple bucks over the years.
- You like the clean, modern, minimal look.
- You want to save money, save space, and get faster turnaround.
- You care about how the skull is actually presented, not just that it’s “up there somewhere.”
And remember: this isn’t an either/or for your entire life. Many hunters shoulder mount one or two special deer, then euro the rest and run them all on a consistent, clean display system.
Give Your Euro the Mount It Deserves
A euro mount isn’t the “cheap” option anymore. It’s a statement of style, space, and priorities: more hunts, more stories, more skulls, all displayed in a way that actually fits your life.
Then hang it with confidence, adjust it until it’s perfect, and let that memory do what it was meant to do: own the wall.
