Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting To Euro and make Replica for mount, or Not

Im conflicted. Went on a stone sheep hunt this year and was lucky enough to take a legal, 8 year old ram. As rams go, it was not a "big ram" as far the horns.....not all, but most pics of rams Ive seen taken this year might be a little thicker, a little longer, or have a deeper curl. And many of these guys it was their 2nd or 3rd hunt, so they had passed up alot of rams and were waiting for a hammer. But I am proud of him. We had a very memorable, grind of a hunt, and I'll never be able to go on another stone sheep hunt again. I do hope to go on a bighorn, desert, and dall hunt in the future, so will hopefully have other rams to mount as well, but those are certainly not guaranteed.

So I was thinking of getting replica horns done for the mount, and then having the original skull/horns done as a euro.

The negatives are: more cost, significantly longer wait from the taxidermist, will take up more space in the house.

Positives are: It would just be awesome to be able to handle the horns whenever I want, look at the teeth, and let friends and family hold it.

I dont hunt to impress others, but I try to be self-aware, and I do like to get input from others at times. If you were in my shoes, and money were not an issue, what would you do? Get replica made or just get it mounted?

I'd just get it mounted. But, seems like you are leaning towards a replica and I would not scoff at the idea. I'd just want to make doubly sure that the replica guy was G O O D!

I'll second all of the above. I'd have no issue in justifying the expense (to myself) of the replica as well as the mount had I shot a stone ram.
Congrats!

I'm in a little different situation, but looking at both options. I shot a pretty nice Dall this summer but the wife isn't all in on a shoulder mount (yet :D). So I'm definitely going with a Euro- hoping to come up with something a little different, adding some habitat or the like. The cape is tanned and ready to go if I eventually go to a shoulder mount and then I would simply (but expensively) get the euro skull/horns replicated for the shoulder mount.

I did a shoulder mount on a pedestal with a base cabinet for storage. I'm still enjoying it 20 years later.

^ nice

I love euro ram mounts, probably more than shoulder mounts. I have all the shoulder mounts I probably need and don't regret getting them when I did. Euros are cool though, for all the reasons you listed. I'd pony up the money for both if you can swing it. And for sure put the replica horns in the shoulder mount.

I would do the replica. A Euro sheep is so nice to have.

Thanks gents. I’m definitely going to do the replica and have both my euro and a shoulder mount. Wyoming Backcountry & Decor will do it. Seems like they are the gold standard. It was a once in a lifetime hunt for me so I’d be dumb to not do both over a few extra months wait

I think Wyoming backcountry and decor replicas look like crap. His coloring is always off and the new growth line he puts on the base of the horn is always too thick. I think people use him because they don’t know any better and he’s been doing it a long time. Also he’s always at all the sheep events. And if you get your replica and are not happy with it the customer service adventure will rival your stone sheep hunt.

I would get a quote from this guy. Besides antlers by Klaus he’s the only guy who can make a replica look as close to the original as possible:

https://www.trappermanantlers.com/

Thank you for this.

Heck of a ram, congratulations!