For the average hunter, a shoulder mount costs upwards of $1,000 to create, but carries almost purely sentimental value. To a third party or a massive corporation, a standard 8-point buck holds very little commercial value. 💡 What to Do with an Unwanted Mount
: According to former employees and outdoor industry experts, major outdoor stores are sitting on so many mounts that many pieces never even make it to the showroom floor.
In the early days of the giant outdoor retail boom, there was a lot of truth to that rumor. The founders wanted to create a spectacle that would draw families from hundreds of miles away. To do that, corporate trophy curators actively hunted for massive collections. For instance, Cabela's once famously purchased a world-class collection of massive mule deer heads from a collector in Montana to display in their stores. The Modern Reality Today, the landscape has changed significantly: does cabelas buy deer mounts
: If a mount does not have a massive, record-breaking score or an incredibly unique non-typical antler growth, corporate curators generally will not look twice.
While Cabela's and its parent company, Bass Pro Shops, are world-famous for their massive indoor "taxidermy mountains" and sprawling wildlife displays, they rarely purchase run-of-the-mill deer mounts. They already possess a massive inventory of taxidermy. However, there is a legendary exception to this rule: they will occasionally pay premium prices for incredibly rare, world-class, or high-scoring record book trophies. 🦌 The Story of the Giant Mounts For the average hunter, a shoulder mount costs
Because of these breathtaking displays, a common rumor spread among hunters: "If you shoot a big buck, Cabela's will pay you thousands of dollars for it."
: There are tight federal and state regulations regarding the sale of wild game and taxidermy. In many jurisdictions, selling a harvested deer mount is strictly illegal to prevent commercial poaching. In the early days of the giant outdoor
For decades, walking into a Cabela's store has felt less like going to a retail shop and more like visiting a natural history museum. Towering artificial mountains are covered in taxidermied elk, massive grizzly bears, and record-book whitetails posed in lifelike action scenes.