Taxidermy Options for the Greater Southern Kudu
There are no real words to describe a Greater Southern Kudu Bull unless you have actually seen one in person. Regal yet feminine, strong yet reserved, daunting yet non-intimidating. Over my past 18 trips to the dark continent, I have come in contact with these amazing creatures thousands of times, and yet, each and every time I am awe-struck by their beauty and size.
There are many different ways you can mount a Kudu Bull and in this next article, we will go over the basic positions as well as some other ones that you may not have thought about.
The Basic Shoulder Mount
This is the most easily recognized mount for an African Kudu. It can be a straight mount or a slight left or right-hand turn. The back fits snug and securely against the walls and there aren’t any frills or added bells and whistles that most hunters aren’t familiar with anyway. It is the most traditional of all poses and does well in all applications.
I always tell a client if they are not sure of what pose they are going with; a simple shoulder mount is always the best option.
The Wall Pedestal
This pose is extremely similar to the basic shoulder mount as it still hangs on your wall using a screw into a secured mounting surface. The major difference is a half-moon-shaped cutout on the back on the shoulder of the form that makes the mount more offset on your wall, allowing for a more elegant and artistic viewing angle of the animal. The elongated shoulder allows for more hide to be positioned on the mount to show off coloration or stripe patterns that do not normally scene in a basic shoulder mount.
Full Pedestal Mount
If you have floor space and want to appreciate your mount from all angles, this is the mount to go with. By adding a hardwood base (we can also inlay your extra skin into the hardwood base to give it an even more amazing pop) you are essentially creating a piece of furniture that is also art in your trophy room. Being that this mount comes on castors you are able to move and position it however you would like and are also able to walk around the entire mount to appreciate the animal to its fullest.
Stacked Pedestal Mount
Now on to my favorite and our most famous mounting style; the stacked pedestal. This mounting style allows you to showcase multiple animals on the same base. For example; a Kudu, Wildebeest, and Gemsbok “stacked pedestal” is a statement piece in any trophy room and is truly a show-stopping way to display your entire African Safari in one fine work of art.
Lifesize Mount
We are now on to the “large and in charge” category of mounts, the lifesize work. If you have the space and the money this is by far the absolute purest way to mount any animal on earth. Because you’re showing off the true size and beauty of the animal. One of our favorite ways to mount an African Kudu lifesize is a leaping pose. It gives a dynamic presentation but also shortens up the floor space needed for such a large mount.
We have covered pretty much all the bases when it comes to mounting the African Kudu, sure there are ways we can modify each individual pose to your liking; head down, head up, mouth open, eye, and ear rotation but that is really getting into the weeds. We can cover all those options down the road when the time comes, but the most important thing I tell all clients is to enjoy every second in the Dark Continent and concentrate on connecting with your animal first…. picking mounts is the fun step we do after the celebrating has subsided.
I hope you enjoyed this blog guys and girls, feel free to leave comments or suggestions and we will work hard to continue these sessions with our clients and fellow hunters.
Shoot straight, be safe, and have fun!
