After 18 years, I have dragged my 189 & 6/8 B&C Canada moose antlers out from under the deck. I've had the mouse chewed horn tips repaired, the antlers restored to near original color, and mounted on a plaque.

However, I did not find a suitable hanger at Home Depot to secure the plaque to the wall above the front door (we have a bilevel ). The plaque already has a sturdy hanger, just wondering if there is a good, solid anchor to hang the plaque on. I will try to hit a stud, but if someone were to slam the door, I don't want the antlers falling on anyone.

Couple of deck screws? A lag bolt? Is there a commercial hanger? Wall is dry wall, but I think I need to hit a stud.

Anyone been down this road before? My google searches did not yield suitable results.

Thanks.

Yep, and get two Timberlock� Screws 6" long (by Fastenmaster) if you can; and hit the stud.

In the words of Yoda, "Try not. Do, or do not." In other words, drywall ain't gonna hold moose antlers. You have to find the stud.

I hung my wife's big caribou on a 1/4"x2" lag screw driven into the 2x4 stud. Drill a pilot hole before threading in the screw so you don't split the stud and weaken the whole works.

Also, make careful use of a good stud finder to make sure you hit the center.

Lots of moose plaques will span two studs... My favorite never-fail hanger is a set of bed rail fasteners. Essentially two tapered pieces sliding together and they are stout. Usually I inlet the male half in the back of the plaque. If I have two studs I use two hangers. You could hang a Yugo off them... And some people put a lot of junk on their horn...

This is my favorite style...
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=343&filter=bed%20rail%20hardware

These work, but are not my favorite because it is difficult to line them up when you are up on a ladder hanging onto a big chunk of bone.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10&filter=bed%20rail%20hardware

With a 51" wide set of elk antlers on an oak plaque, I put two Timberlock screws through the plaque, right into a stud. Solid as can be.

Before that, I tried a half-a** anchor in dry wall. One day the rack fell off the wall and tried to get even with me for killing the bull!

Same thing happened to me, only it was an entire moose HEAD. I used a 1/4" lag and it actually snapped. I was in my recliner right under the hear. I was nodding off a bit when I heard this "click". I looked up just in time to catch the head. Luckily, no damage to me OR the mount. I changed out the 1/4" lag for one that was a 1/2" diameter and the head has now been in place since 1994. And yes, it is screwed into a wall stud.

Yep, you need to find a stud, even when hanging small deer should mounts.

Hanging a plaque is easy. On heavy antlers, I think I would actually drill straight through the plaque, and into the stud. Then install a wooden plug over the screw hole to match. Don't even bother with a hanger.

Agreed, tho Art seems to have a winner.

My two sets of wall-mounted moose antlers are screwed into a single stud each, with two 3" (I think) drywall screws, one at the top, the other at the bottom. The heads are not obtrusive enough IMO to warrant plugging, tho I could see it with large lag-bolt heads. One has been in place for about 20 years without problem. Neither are placed where thy could normally fall on anything too important. The heavier screws or lagbolts are definately a worthy idea, however.

NEVER use drywall screws for anything heavy!!!! They are brittle and can snap under sudden loads like a little temblor. I have heard of plaques with antlers falling off walls when a door was slammed.

Mounted with a 3/8 3.5" lag bolt into a stud.