DIY Deer Shoulder Mount Is It Worth It

Should You Do a DIY Deer Shoulder Mount?

Yes, a DIY deer shoulder mount can be worth it if you want a wall-worthy memory and you can slow down and follow steps.

No, it is not worth it if you are doing it to “save money” or if you rush skinning and turning ears.

I have hunted whitetails for 23 years, starting with my dad in southern Missouri when I was 12, and I still get a knot in my stomach thinking about wasting a good deer.

Back in November 2019 in Pike County, Illinois, I tagged my biggest buck, a 156-inch typical on a cold-front morning sit, and that is the kind of deer people want on the wall forever.

The Real Question: Are You Trying to Save Cash, or Save the Memory?

You need to decide why you want a shoulder mount in the first place.

If the answer is “taxidermy is expensive,” I am going to push back hard.

I grew up poor and learned to hunt public land before I could afford leases, so I get watching every dollar.

But DIY mounting is not free, and the first one can cost more than you think.

Here is what I do when I run the numbers.

I add up the form, hide paste, clay, eyes, earliners, thread, needles, pins, and the tanning or tan-alternative costs, plus tools I did not have.

A decent whitetail shoulder form is often $45 to $85, and eyes are $12 to $18.

Earliners can be $12 to $20, and hide paste can be $18 to $30.

If you mess up the cape, you cannot go buy another cape like a replacement broadhead.

I learned the hard way that the “cheap route” gets real expensive once hair starts slipping because you delayed salting or left meat on the hide.

My buddy swears by sending every cape to a tannery no matter what, but I have found a DIY tan kit can work if you are patient and the cape was cooled fast.

The Biggest Tradeoff: Wall Pride vs. Risk of Ruining a Cape

This is the decision that matters.

If you want a mount you will stare at for 20 years, you need to accept you are taking a risk on your first try.

I have lost deer I should have found and found deer I thought were gone, and I treat capes the same way.

Some mistakes you never get to fix.

Back in 1998 in Iron County, Missouri, I killed my first deer, an 8-point buck with a borrowed rifle, and I had no clue what a “good cape” even was.

If I had tried to DIY mount that deer, I would have ruined it, because I did not know how to skin around the eyes or split lips.

Now I process my own deer in the garage, taught by my uncle who was a butcher, and I still slow down when a cape matters.

If you are hunting the Missouri Ozarks on a warm November afternoon, forget about taking trophy photos for 30 minutes and focus on getting the hide cooled.

Heat and bacteria are what kill a cape.

My Quick Rule of Thumb

If the deer is a “forever” buck for you, cape it carefully, bag it, and get it on ice within 30 minutes.

If you see hair pulling out easy at the brisket or behind the ears, expect slip to get worse fast and stop DIY plans right there.

If conditions change to 55 degrees and sunny, switch to a cooler plan or a taxidermist drop-off the same day.

Pick Your Mount Goal: “Looks Good From 6 Feet” or “Show Quality”

You need to be honest about what you want hanging on the wall.

A first DIY mount can look fine across the room and still look rough up close.

Here is what I do before I even cut the hide.

I decide where it will hang and how close people will stand to it.

In my house, kids and buddies walk right up to a mount and touch the nose, so I want clean eyes, clean lips, and ears that do not look like potato chips.

Show-quality work is all about tiny details and time.

If you do not have time, pay a pro and sleep better.

Decide This First: DIY the Whole Thing, or DIY the Cape Prep Only?

This is a smart middle path a lot of guys miss.

You can do the “dirty work” and still hand it off before you make the tricky mistakes.

Here is what I do with a buck that matters but I still want to save some money.

I cape it right, flesh it clean, salt it, and freeze it, then I take it to a taxidermist and pay for the mount work.

You still need to do it right, but you remove the risk of bad eye set, bad ear turn, and bad nose detail.

I wasted money on $400 ozone scent control that made zero difference, so I am not shy about paying for the part that actually matters.

Taxidermy is one of those parts.

Tools and Supplies: Buy Once, or Borrow and Beg?

This is a tradeoff between cost and frustration.

You can borrow tools, but you cannot borrow patience.

Here is what I do for a first DIY shoulder mount kit.

I buy a complete starter kit from a taxidermy supply company and do not piece it together from random bargain bins.

The kits cost more up front, but you are not stuck mid-mount missing earliners or the right size eyes.

For adhesive, I like Van Dyke’s Pro-1 hide paste for beginners because it gives you working time.

I used cheap paste once that skinned over fast, and I fought it the whole night.

For eyes, I like McKenzie or Tohickon glass eyes because they look natural if you set them right.

For forms, I have used McKenzie manikins the most, and they fit most Midwest deer if you measure right.

If you buy a form too small, you will fight short brisket skin and stretched eye holes.

If you buy too big, you will have baggy skin and wrinkles you cannot hide.

Measure the Deer Like You Mean It, or Expect a Bad Fit

This is the mistake that makes DIY mounts look “off” even if the face work is decent.

Do not guess on form size.

Here is what I do right after I cape the deer.

I measure neck circumference tight behind the ears and I measure the distance from the back of the eye to the nose.

I write it on painter’s tape and stick it to the bag with the cape.

If you are hunting big-bodied deer in Southern Iowa or Pike County, Illinois, do not assume a “standard” form fits.

Those bucks can have thick necks, especially late October through mid November.

If you want context on body size, this connects to what I wrote about how much a deer weighs.

Cape Care Decision: Salt, Freeze, or Straight to a Tannery?

You have three routes, and each one has a penalty if you mess it up.

Salt is cheap, but only if you flesh the hide clean first.

Freezing works, but only if the hide is cooled fast and bagged right.

A tannery costs money, but it buys you forgiveness on long-term storage and gives better sewing.

Here is what I do on a typical Midwest hunt.

If it is under 38 degrees and I can work that night, I flesh and salt the cape and put it on a rack with airflow.

If it is 45 degrees or warmer and I cannot work fast, I bag the cape, put it on ice in a cooler, and freeze it as soon as I get home.

I learned the hard way that “I will do it tomorrow” is how you get hair slip.

Back in 2007 I gut shot a doe, pushed her too early, never found her, and I still think about it.

That mistake trained me to slow down and do things in order, and cape care is the same kind of discipline.

Skinning Mistake to Avoid: Don’t Cut Short If You Might Shoulder Mount

If you think there is even a 10 percent chance you mount it, leave extra hide.

Do not cape it like you are just saving the backstraps.

Here is what I do every time.

I make my body cut way back behind the front shoulders so I have room to hide seams and adjust.

I keep my knife strokes short around the brisket and armpits.

If you are new to deer terms and anatomy, it helps to know what you are looking at.

When I am explaining this to my kids, I point them to basics like what a male deer is called and what a female deer is called, because it keeps conversations clear at camp.

Fleshing Is Where Most DIY Mounts Fail

This is a brutal truth.

If you leave meat and fat on a cape, you are inviting bacteria and slip.

Here is what I do in my garage.

I use a sharp fleshing knife and I work slow, especially on the face and around the eyes.

I spend extra time on the brisket and neck because that fat layer is thick on Midwest deer.

I do not rush because rushing costs capes.

If you want a project that teaches patience, fleshing is it.

Ears, Eyes, and Lips: Decide If You’re Ready for the “Hard Part”

You can get the hide on a form and still mess up the face.

Ears are the number one giveaway on a rookie mount.

Here is what I do with ears.

I turn them all the way to the edge and I remove every bit of cartilage where the liner needs to sit.

I learned the hard way that “good enough” ear turning turns into ear rot later.

For eyes, I take pictures of the deer’s face before skinning if I can.

I set the eyes with clay so the eyelids have the right shape and the tear duct does not look swollen.

For lips and nose, I split them deep enough to pack with clay and tuck clean.

My buddy swears by pre-made “eye set” tools, but I have found a cheap wooden sculpting tool and patience does the job if you keep looking at reference photos.

Pose and Turn: Make One Call and Stick With It

You need to decide the pose before paste starts setting.

Semi-sneak looks great for most whitetails, but it can make short capes harder to fit.

Upright forms look “alert” and classic, but they can make thick-necked rut bucks look stiff if the form is not right.

Here is what I do for most of my deer.

I pick semi-sneak for early season deer and upright for rut bucks with big necks.

If you are hunting pressured public land like the Missouri Ozarks, I like mounts that match how I remember the deer acting, which is usually cautious and low headed.

This connects to what I wrote about are deer smart, because pressured deer act like they have seen it all.

Dry Time and Finish Work: Don’t Touch It Every Time You Walk By

This is where impatient people ruin good work.

Once the cape is positioned and pinned, you need to leave it alone except for small fixes.

Here is what I do during the first 48 hours.

I check the eyes, nose, and lips every 6 to 8 hours and re-tuck anything that lifts.

Then I stop messing with it and let it dry.

I learned the hard way that “one more tweak” can pull hair out or shift an eyelid.

If your house is dry in winter and the mount dries too fast, you can get cracking around the nose.

If your garage is humid, you can get mold if airflow is bad.

What DIY Mounts Actually Cost Me

You need real numbers, not internet dreams.

My first DIY try, I spent about $210 in supplies, and that did not count the tools I already owned.

If you need tools, you can add $80 to $200 fast.

In a lot of areas, a good taxidermist shoulder mount runs $600 to $900 now.

So yes, DIY can save money, but only if you do not ruin a cape and only if your time is “free.”

I hunt 30 plus days a year, and time in the garage is time I could be scouting or hanging stands.

I still use $35 climbing sticks I have used for 11 seasons, because some cheap stuff really works.

Taxidermy supplies are not that kind of cheap most of the time.

Decide This: Practice on a Doe First, or Learn on Your Best Buck?

This is the choice that separates smart DIY guys from regret.

If you have never turned ears or set eyes, do not start with your best deer.

Here is what I do if I want to learn.

I practice on a late-season doe or a small buck and I treat it like a real mount.

I take notes on what went wrong, then I do the next one better.

If you need help making better shots so you do not have to worry about blood and hair slip from long recoveries, start with what I wrote about where to shoot a deer to drop it in its tracks.

FAQ

Is a DIY deer shoulder mount cheaper than a taxidermist?

It can be, but only if you already have some tools and you do not ruin the cape.

If you have to buy everything and you mess up one deer, you just paid taxidermist prices for a worse result.

How long can I wait before caping a deer for a shoulder mount?

If it is 45 degrees or warmer, I try to have the hide cooled within 30 minutes and caped within a few hours.

If it is under 35 degrees and the deer is clean and shaded, you have more time, but I still do it the same day.

Can I freeze a deer cape and mount it later?

Yes, and I do it, but you need to cool it fast, keep it clean, and bag it tight with as little air as possible.

Freezer burn and bacteria are what wreck capes stored sloppy.

What is the hardest part of a DIY shoulder mount?

Ears, eyes, and lips are the hardest, and ears are the quickest to look bad.

If you nail those details, the rest of the mount looks twice as good.

Should I skull cap the antlers myself or leave it attached?

I like leaving the skull plate attached to the antlers and cleaning it well, because it anchors the rack solid on the form.

If you cut it sloppy or crack it, you create a headache you did not need.

How do I keep my mount from looking “bug-eyed”?

I set the eyes deeper than you think and build eyelids with clay while looking at reference photos of live deer.

Most bug-eyed mounts come from shallow eye setting and eyelids with no shape.

For deer behavior context that helps you pick a pose that matches your hunt, I pay attention to feeding times and I also think about do deer move in the wind because it changes the way I remember a buck carrying his head.

If weather was part of your story, it helps to read where deer go when it rains and match that “tucked in” look with your mount choice.

If you are teaching kids like I am now, it also helps to keep the basics straight, like what a baby deer is called, because camp talk gets confusing fast for beginners.

I am not a professional guide or outfitter, just a guy who has done this a long time and wants you to skip the mistakes I made.

Next I am going to get into the exact step-by-step I follow in the garage, and the spots where I slow way down because that is where capes get ruined.

The Step-by-Step I Follow in the Garage, and Where I Slow Way Down

Here is the honest answer.

I only DIY a shoulder mount when the cape is perfect, the weather was cool, and I can give it two long nights in the garage without rushing.

Anything less than that, I do cape prep and pay a taxidermist for the finish work.

I have hunted whitetails for 23 years, starting with my dad in southern Missouri when I was 12, and I still treat a good cape like it is fragile.

Decision: Are You Mounting It This Week, or Freezing It for Later?

This one decision changes how I handle everything after the shot.

If I am mounting it soon, I want that cape tanned or at least properly prepped and stable before I ever start test-fitting on a form.

Here is what I do if I am mounting this week.

I flesh the cape clean, salt it right, and either send it to a tannery or use a quality tan kit and follow the directions like a recipe.

Here is what I do if life is busy and the mount is later.

I cool the cape fast, fold it skin-to-skin, bag it tight, label it with date and measurements, and freeze it flat so it does not crease the face.

Mistake to Avoid: Letting the Cape Get Warm a Second Time

The fastest way to get hair slip is temperature swings and delays.

I learned the hard way that a cape can look fine on day one and still start slipping later because bacteria got a head start.

Back in the Missouri Ozarks on a 52 degree afternoon, I got lazy and left a cape in the truck while I grabbed dinner.

The hair started pulling at the brisket two days later, and that was the end of my DIY plans.

Here is what I do now.

I keep a $14 digital meat thermometer in my cooler and I keep the cape under 40 degrees until I can work it.

Tradeoff: Razor Sharp Knife vs. “Safe” Dull Knife

A dull knife feels safer, but it makes you push harder, and that is how you blow holes in a face.

Here is what I do.

I swap blades constantly and I keep a small pair of curved scissors for tight face work.

My buddy swears by a big fixed blade for everything, but I have found a replaceable blade knife like the Havalon Piranta makes cleaner cuts around eyes and lips.

I wasted money on cheap knives that wouldn’t hold an edge before I started using replaceable blades.

My Step Order: I Don’t Start Gluing Until These Checks Are Done

This is where guys mess up because they get excited and skip boring steps.

Here is what I do in the exact order.

I dry-fit the cape on the form before any paste touches anything.

I check eye alignment from 6 feet away and 2 feet away.

I check brisket length and armpit stretch, because that is where short capes tell on you.

I mark reference points with a Sharpie on the form so I can line things back up once glue is involved.

Mistake to Avoid: Fighting the Wrong Form Instead of Fixing the Fit

If the form is wrong, you can “work harder” all night and still lose.

Back in November 2019 in Pike County, Illinois, my 156-inch buck had a thick rut neck, and a too-small form would have made the brisket tight and the eyes drift.

Here is what I do if the fit feels off.

I stop and re-measure neck and eye-to-nose, then I order the right form instead of forcing it.

If you are hunting big-bodied areas like Southern Iowa, forget about “close enough” forms and focus on measurements that match that deer.

Decision: Earliners or No Earliners?

I am opinionated on this.

If you are doing your first shoulder mount, use earliners.

Here is what I do.

I use earliners matched to the form, and I glue them in after I have the ears turned clean to the edge.

My buddy swears by bondo ears, but I have found earliners are simpler for a first-timer and they keep the ear shape consistent.

Where I Slow Way Down: Turning Ears All the Way to the Edge

This is the moment I stop talking and start focusing.

If you do not turn the ears fully, you trap cartilage, and trapped cartilage rots or shrinks and makes ugly ear butts.

Here is what I do.

I work from the base toward the tip, and I turn it until I can see the edge clean and thin all the way around.

If I feel myself rushing, I walk away for 10 minutes and come back steady.

Where I Slow Way Down: Eyes That Don’t Match Will Ruin the Whole Mount

You can have perfect hair and still have a mount that looks wrong if the eyes are off.

Here is what I do.

I set the eyes and then I step back and look at the mount from straight on, then from both sides.

I make sure the eyelids hug the eye and the tear duct looks natural, not like a swollen marble.

I learned the hard way that if the eyes are even 1/8 inch off, everyone notices, even non-hunters.

Tradeoff: Enough Clay to Shape vs. Too Much Clay That Makes It Puffy

Clay fixes problems, but clay can also create them.

Here is what I do.

I use clay to build eyelids and fill small gaps, but I do not pack it so thick that the face looks bloated.

If you want a calm, natural look like I remember seeing on cautious public land deer in the Missouri Ozarks, the face has to stay tight and clean.

Where I Slow Way Down: Lips and Nose Tucking

This is another rookie giveaway.

If the lips are not split deep enough, they will not tuck clean and they will pull out as it dries.

Here is what I do.

I split the lips, thin them, pack with clay, then tuck them and pin them in place.

I do the same with the nostrils, because if the nose pulls, it looks like the deer is snarling.

Decision: How Aggressive Are You With Pins?

Pins save details, but too many pins can leave holes and ugly spots.

Here is what I do.

I pin eyes, lips, and nose where lift happens, and I keep pins angled so they hold skin tight without tearing hair.

I pull pins as soon as the area is set enough to hold, because leaving pins too long can create permanent marks.

Mistake to Avoid: Drying It Too Fast in a Heated House

Fast drying makes cracks and shrink lines.

Here is what I do.

I dry the mount in a stable room around 65 to 70 degrees with a fan for gentle airflow, not a heat blast.

If your air is super dry in winter, I keep an eye on the nose and add small touch-ups before it locks in.

Decision: Paint and Finish Work, or Leave It Natural?

I like a natural look, but most mounts need some color work.

Here is what I do.

I use small amounts of acrylics and reference photos to bring back nose and inner ear color, and I go lighter than I think I need.

I learned the hard way that heavy paint makes a mount look like a plastic toy.

My Reality Check After Two Decades of Hunting

I am not a professional guide or outfitter, just a guy who has hunted 30 plus days a year for two decades and wants you to skip my mistakes.

I have sat freezing in Buffalo County, Wisconsin snow, and I have hunted thick cover in the Missouri Ozarks, and the mount on the wall is supposed to bring you back to that exact morning.

If the deer is a once-in-a-lifetime memory, I do not gamble with a rushed DIY job.

If it is a solid buck or a doe and I want the satisfaction of doing it myself, I take my time and I enjoy the work.

Either way, the goal is the same.

Make the memory last, and do not turn a good deer into a regret you stare at for 20 years.