A pedestal mount takes a whitetail off the wall and puts it on a base, with the neck and part of the chest finished all the way around so the buck can be seen from every side. The pedestal upgrade is $250 over a standard shoulder mount, with the base or wall panel quoted separately. Here are the pedestal styles we build, ideas for bases and habitat, and how to decide whether a pedestal is right for your buck and your room.
Start Your Pedestal Mount | See Pricing
Or call/text: (920) 650-7800
Floor Pedestal vs. Wall Pedestal
Floor Pedestal Mounts
The buck stands on a floor base, usually 36 to 48 inches tall, with the shoulders and upper chest fully sculpted. A floor pedestal is the centerpiece option: it goes in a corner, beside a fireplace, or at the top of a stairway, and it does not need wall space at all. It does need floor space, about 30 by 30 inches, and a spot where it will not get bumped.
Wall Pedestal Mounts
The same 360-degree sculpting on the neck and chest, but the mount attaches to the wall on a finished panel or a small hardwood base instead of a standard shoulder-mount backboard. Wall pedestals show more of the chest and brisket than a shoulder mount, hang in the same footprint, and are the most popular pedestal style we build because they fit a normal room.
Deer Pedestal Mount Ideas
- Rub tree. A section of cedar or maple with a fresh rub, set behind or beside the buck on a floor base. The most requested whitetail habitat we build.
- Scrape scene. A licking branch over a patch of bare dirt and leaves on the base, with the buck in a semi-sneak or lip-curl pose.
- Fence line or barbed wire. A cedar post and a strand of wire suit a sneak pose, as if the buck is ducking under.
- Cornfield edge. Dried corn stalks and stubble for a Wisconsin farm-country buck. Works well as a wall pedestal.
- Snow base. A late-season or muzzleloader buck on artificial snow with a few oak leaves.
- Hardwood turned base. No habitat at all, just a walnut or oak base with a name plate. Clean, formal, and the easiest to dust.
- Two-buck pedestal. Two bucks on one floor base, facing each other or the same direction, for a father-and-son or two-season display.
- Half life-size. The front half of the buck on a floor base, one step up from a pedestal and one step short of a full life-size mount.
Which Poses Work on a Pedestal
Any of the four standard whitetail poses can be built as a pedestal. Upright suits a formal hardwood base; semi-sneak and sneak look best with habitat because the low neck line ties into the base. Because a pedestal is viewed from the sides and behind, a slight head turn is almost always the right call, and a rut expression (ears back, flehmen lip curl, or open mouth) reads especially well on a floor pedestal where the viewer can walk around the buck.
Pedestal Mount Pricing
A whitetail pedestal mount is $1,350: our $1,100 shoulder mount plus the $250 pedestal upgrade, in any pose or turn. That covers the sculpted neck and chest. The base or wall panel is quoted separately, and habitat bases, rub trees, scrape scenes, and custom hardwood bases are quoted with your mount, usually a few hundred dollars depending on the size of the scene. Pay in full, 50/50 (half at order, half due in eight months), three installments, or monthly through our Easy 8 Payment Plan. Standard delivery is 12 to 14 months, with rush service available at 180, 90, or 30 days. See the full price list.
Caping a Deer for a Pedestal Mount
A pedestal needs more hide than a shoulder mount because the chest is finished all the way around. Cut the cape as far back as the middle of the rib cage, a full hand’s width behind the front legs at minimum, and do not cut the brisket or throat. If you are not sure, bring or ship us the whole deer or the front half with the hide on and we will cape it. See how to skin a deer for a shoulder mount and our shipping instructions.
Deer Pedestal Mount FAQ
How much does a deer pedestal mount cost?
$1,350 at Stehling’s Taxidermy: the $1,100 whitetail shoulder mount plus a $250 pedestal upgrade that covers the sculpted neck and chest. The base or wall panel is quoted separately, and habitat is additional.
What is the difference between a pedestal mount and a shoulder mount?
A shoulder mount is finished on the front only and hangs flat on a wall. A pedestal mount has the neck and chest sculpted all the way around and sits on a base or a wall panel, so it can be viewed from the sides and back.
Does a pedestal mount need more cape?
Yes. Cape well behind the front legs, into the rib cage, so there is enough hide to finish the chest. Bringing us the whole deer is the safest option.
Can you convert an old shoulder mount to a pedestal?
Usually not; the original cape was trimmed for a backboard. We can build a new pedestal mount from a new cape, and we can re-base or repair an existing pedestal.
How big is a floor pedestal deer mount?
Most stand 60 to 70 inches from the floor to the top of the rack on a 36 to 48 inch base, with a footprint of about 30 by 30 inches.
