The Most Creative Deer & Turkey Taxidermy Mounts You’ve Ever Seen 

Taxidermy is a longstanding practice in the hunting world. The earliest known practice of it dates back to ancient Egypt, with the preservation of pets of royal family members. These embalming techniques started around 2,200 BC. Eventually, the concept spread to Europe, where it became common among preserving hunter harvests. 

Today, it’s much more refined, and the products on display at the NWTF’s annual taxidermy competition show that. It was the 37th annual Grand National Wild Turkey and Whitetail Deer Taxidermy Competition, and the entries didn’t disappoint. More than 50 entries were scored, and some individuals took home incredible honors. Even those who didn’t win can still be greatly proud of their work. 

The sight of a full-strut gobbler is one of the best in the hunting world. That’s why so many hunters who bag birds have taxidermy mounts done in the full-strut format. This western gobbler has great feather coloring and that classic red, white, and blue head. The foliage around him adds to the piece. It’s the sort of scene that turkey hunters wake up in the wee hours of the pre-dawn to head afield and prepare for. 

Turkeys progress through various stages of strutting. These include quarter-strut, half-strut, ¾-strut, and full strut. This representation most closely resembles the half-strut position. With that greenery around its feet and a cool pedestal, this mount is impressive. That’s a gobbler that’s responding to calling and slowly easing across a field toward your position. 

Decoys are an integral part of many turkey hunts. This taxidermy display is a prime encapsulation of that tactic. With wing and tail feathers flared, the dominant gobbler is beating up on a jake decoy staked in the “hunter’s” spread. With the leaves and morel mushrooms on the ground, the setting is most certainly in the timber. 

This longbeard is high on his roost limb, but not for long. The boss bird is looking groundward, choosing his fly-down zone, and prepping for launch. With the beard dangling, eyes laser-focused, and the red flowers sprouting and signaling spring, it’s a serene scene for the turkey hunter. 

A lot of people think wild turkeys are herbivores, but that isn’t true. Technically, these birds are omnivores, meaning they eat plants and small animals. For example, they’ll consume small invertebrates and even a very small mammal, such as a smaller mouse. This look at a gobbler strutting past some daisies with a snood, wings, and tail fan flared is cool. But add a mouse into that beak death grip, and it’s as unique a turkey mount as you’ve ever seen. 

Many hunters are also Christians. Of course, God made our world, and after sin entered it, his son, Jesus Christ, came to save it. Thus, the cross laying at the full-strut gobbler’s feet. Furthermore, many hunters are storytellers, and the Bible is the greatest true story ever told. It’s fitting that the open Bible is turned to the Book of Psalms, which is a vast collection of poems, prayers, songs, and stories. The primary author of this book was King David himself, and Jesus was a descendant of David (albeit many generations after David’s time). All said, this is a moving taxidermy display. 

The roost is a sacred part of the wild turkey’s existence. It’s how they avoid predation, and knowing where roosts are located is integral to the turkey hunter’s daily hunt plan. Think of roosts as the hubs of wild turkey patterns, and it’s where the day begins and ends. This display, with a full-strut gobbler on the ground stiff-legging past mossy rocks and dropped shed antlers, and the hen on the limb looking down at the boss bird, is quite cool. 

Another misconception is that hens don’t strut. In fact, they do. Oftentimes, it’s limited to more dominant hens, but it occurs, nonetheless. I’ve seen it in person and on trail cameras. While this isn’t a roost limb, it is an instance where the bird hopped up on a limb, which is common inside the timber. What a beautiful Merriam’s hen turkey. 

Few mounts showcase the animal as “dead.” Most recreate a lifelike scenario. The fact that this turkey is taxidermized as a bagged bird makes it unique. The turkey is lying dead where it fell. The single-shot scatter gun and spent shell tell the rest of the tale. 

This multi-bird presentation includes a hen and her poult. This isn’t something that’s in most taxidermy simply because most individuals will never obtain a deceased poult to have it made. That alone makes this rare, and the scene recreation of the bird walking up a shed antler beam to get the angle is quite incredible. 

Wild turkeys are on the menu for bobcats, and this dual-animal taxidermy job showcases that. A bobcat makes an acrobatic maneuver to grab the longbeard attempting to flee. Of course, it’s instinctively throwing a jab or two with those sharp-hooked spurs on the way out. With a few feathers on the ground, the big cat seems to have snagged a bit of the bird’s well-being. 

This deer mount is full of interesting differences rarely seen in most whitetail taxidermy. This long-beamed and many-tined buck sits on a pedestal base designed to look like an oak leaf. And as every good hunter knows, the acorn is a significant part of a deer’s life and deer hunting. 

The shock-and-awe of this huge whitetail is enough to cause a heart attack. With the super long tines and small extra points, it’s a massive deer any hunter would pull a trigger on. The jumping pose adds a lot of creativity to the mount, though. Factor in the stone pedestal, and it’s even more unique. 

Another open-mouth mount, this big buck is chewing a mouthful of greens. As most probably know or assume, open-mouth deer taxidermy is much harder and more nuanced. It requires additional skill, time, and, from the consumer's perspective, money. All said, this full-body buck is well crafted and sure to encapsulate the hunter’s memory. 

This buck has very long brow tines, really long main beams, and exceptionally long G3s. This deer has an open mouth as well, and that’s different than most whitetail taxidermy products. With the added plant life around the mount it definitely sets the scene. 

The famous lip curl is a scene that many hunters see during the rut. It’s something a buck does not to check the does for estrus status, but to elevate himself to peak reproductive status. This deer is doing just that, and right under a branch with fall-colored leaves. 

This is a deer any hunter would love to see from the treestand. It has a lot of points and carries great mass up through the tines. With ears pinned back, the buck is casually looking ahead but listening to something behind it. The buck is relaxed but aware of its surroundings. 

• Winner: Nick Walker 

• Winner: Josh West 

• Best of Show: Brett Miller 

• Open Wing Winner: Russell Coble 

• Standing Winner: Brett Miller 

• Strutting Winner: Russell Coble 

• Group Winner: RJ Krajcsovics 

• Best of Show: Dustin Vaine 

• Standing Winner: Dustin Vaine 

• Strutting Winner: Brad Wirgau 

• Winner: Sean Wright 

• Winner: Natalie Coble 

• Winner: Butch Irwin 

• Best of Show: Rusty Ferguson 

• Open Mouth Winner: Rusty Ferguson 

• Open Mouth Winner: Dustin Vaine 

• Whitetail Deer Best of Show: Dustin Vaine 

• Winner: Brendon Miller 

• Winner: Eli Daniels 

• Winner: James McCowan 

If you’re a taxidermist, chances are you see these mounts, and it might spark original ideas of your own. If you’re a hunter, these are ideas you can inquire about with your taxidermist. Of course, the more unique the mount, the greater the likelihood of a higher taxidermy bill. But with treasured memories such as these, it just might be worth it to you.