Bull Elk Shoulder Mount — Stehling’s Taxidermy, Wisconsin
Expert Elk Taxidermy in Wisconsin
A mature bull elk is one of North America’s most impressive trophies, and capturing the drama of those sweeping antlers and heavy mane takes real skill. Since 1978, Stehling’s Taxidermy has crafted lifelike elk shoulder mounts, pedestal mounts, and full-body displays that honor the animal and the hunt behind it. From a western archery bull to a once-in-a-lifetime draw, we have the experience and the forms to do your elk justice.
Elk Mount Options
Elk are stunning as upright or turned-head shoulder mounts, and they truly shine as pedestal mounts that show off the cape and antlers from every angle. We also build full-body and half-body mounts for trophy rooms with the space. We’ll help you choose the pose, base, and antler presentation — including options for shed-matched or repaired antlers — so the finished mount fits your room and tells your story.
Planning the display
- Wall or floor. A shoulder mount hangs flat on the wall. A pedestal mount has the cape finished all the way around and can go on a wall pedestal or a floor base, where it needs room to walk around it.
- Antler clearance. A mature bull’s antlers reach well above and out from the cape, and forward of the wall, so check ceiling height, doorways, stair landings and ceiling fans before you pick the spot.
- Room placement. Measure the wall or floor space and the ceiling height where the mount will go, and send us those measurements with a photo of the room. We’ll recommend a pose and head turn that fit.
- Bugling or upright. A bugling head is priced separately ($2,500 shoulder mount) and changes how far the head and antlers project from the wall.
Bugling Bull Elk Shoulder Mount — Stehling’s Taxidermy
Ready to get your bull mounted?
Tell us about your elk and we will help you choose the pose, the base, and the antler presentation that fits your room. Drop off at either Wisconsin location, or call us and then ship your frozen cape and antlers to Jefferson.
Field Care: Protecting Your Elk Before It Reaches Us
Elk are usually taken miles from the truck, so fast, careful field care is critical. Cape the animal promptly, keep the hide cool and dry, and avoid letting it sit in a warm pack. If you cannot get to a freezer quickly, salt the cape or get it to a processor who can. Leave extra hide around the brisket and shoulders rather than cutting short, and never cut the throat if you want a clean mount. Call us before caping if you have any doubt — we’re glad to walk you through it.
Coordinating With Your Outfitter or Processor
Most elk come to us from a western hunt, so a few calls before you leave make the biggest difference.
- Before the hunt, call or text us with the state, your outfitter or processor, and the mount you have in mind. See pre-hunt planning.
- In camp, ask your outfitter or processor to cape the bull long, well behind the shoulders, leave the head skin attached, keep the cape cool and dry, and freeze it. Photograph the bull before skinning if you can.
- Getting it home. Rules for moving elk heads, capes and antlers across state lines vary by state and can change, especially where chronic wasting disease is found. Check the current requirements for every state on your route (for Wisconsin, see the Wisconsin DNR carcass movement rules), and call us before you transport or ship anything. Our shipping page covers packing once you know what you can move.
Next step: send us the species, the mount you want and any photos of the animal or the room, by the start-your-mount form or by text to (920) 650-7800. Every elk mount is built in our Jefferson studio; you can drop off and pick up in Jefferson or at our New Franken showroom near Green Bay, or ship frozen to Jefferson after you call.
Where to Bring Your Elk Mount
Every elk mount is built in our Jefferson, Wisconsin studio, and you can drop off at either location. Ship to our Jefferson studio in south-central Wisconsin, or drop off there or at our New Franken (Green Bay area) showroom in the northeast. We serve hunters throughout the state and beyond — see all the areas we serve.
Elk taxidermy is part of our big game taxidermy work. Explore related mounts: Moose Taxidermy · Caribou Taxidermy · Whitetail Deer Taxidermy.