Mountain Mikes New Elk Euro Kit
Elk
Contributors to this thread:
Many of you guys have seen the Mountain Mike's, Deer Euro kits and now they have one for Elk. I recently got the "Record Keeper" version to mount one of my Woodland Caribou from Newfoundland. The first picture is the box it arrived in, second picture is the Rack and euro skull before I started, third picture is the Euro done and Fourth picture is a close up. It was very easy to do and gives you the freedom to leave the big skull behind if you want to do a Euro! Check it out.
The kit comes with everything you need!
Finished product. Only took me about an hour and a half, start to finish!
Charlie Rehor's Link
For each Euro kit they have two versions, one for sheds or antlers you cut off the skull plate and one called "record keeper" (which I got ) so you don't have to split the original skull plate. Check out their site, link attached!!Charlie
That's really nice. What goes over the skull plate and how does it attach?
bb: Thanks, There is a top plate on the Euro that you drill thru and attach to the skull plate. Then you mix a putty to round off the top so it looks natural and then paint the putty white. There is a compleete video on the web site! C
Very cool idea. More trouble, but you could bring the antlers back attached to the actual skull. A DIY Euro mount isn't hard.
They aren't that hard but what's so nice about this is for the $40.00 for the kit, it saves a ton of time.
The deer kits are $40 dollars but the Elk Euro was $99 dollars at Cabelas.
Jasper: I have done quite a few Euro's with the natural skull on different animals including a Moose and really like those but sometimes in traveling it is hard to get these big skulls cleaned internally and externally for the flight or trip home.
Very true on the traveling thing Charlie. I just finished Euros on 2 wild boars my sons killed.......definitely harder than a deer. Those of greasy hogs are time consuming!
Thanks Charlie!
Flying with the whole skull is usually not an option for us. Until it's boiled out and cleaned it's just too nasty for the plane. Skull plates can be bad enough if you don't use care.
Plus splitting them and nesting together is way easier to package and much cheaper.
Great idea.
charlie - how hard was the puddy to mold around and then paint, and does the finish mount look natural aroung the antler bases up close?... thanx
Zbone: The puddy is easy to work with just wetting your fingers a bit. It works into the skull plate very easily. You then do a light sanding with 150 grit and then paint using the supplied paint. I am not very "artsy" so it is very easy! Charlie
Well I picked up 1 of these for my elk after reading Charlie's review. I have used the non record keeper kits before for deer. After 5 years I finally shot my first elk so thought I would give it a try. The only instructions that came with mine were written on the side of the box. I did find an online video, but they were mounting a muley but figured it was the same. Guess I screwed up cutting the skull plate because when I lay it on the skull the antlers are angled down so far that the nose of the elk is coming out between the front points. Not enough skull plate left to re cut. I will try again if I shoot another elk.
Anybody want to give it a try send me a PM and I will sell you my kit cheap. $55 plus shipping. I didn't use any of the materials.
I used the deer kit on my Kansas buck from last year and it turned out so well that I will always use it in the future. Looks great and NO MESS! Mike
I have done 4 of these so far on deer and really like them. I use the "record keeper" model so the antlers stay intact throughout the process. I find these much easier than boiling, digging brains out etc involved with a traditional euro which I did many times before discovering Mountain Mike's. It does not take long and is very simple. They have videos on their website too. My hunting friends can't tell the difference on the wall.
Charlie, one thing I found is that the paint does not always truly hide the putty even after multiple coats. I do a final coat with Kilz on the entire skull which gives it a really nice bleached look and covers any differences in the putty/plastic line.
this is great, I have an elk rack from a bow kill that I cut off the skull. this will be a nice project one of these cold winter mornings. thanks for sharing.
Charlie, wow, that looks great! Thanks for the heads up, I'm definitely interested in one of those, thanks!
ElkNut1
Wow, wish I had known about this before I spent $300 on an European mount on my elk last year.
I wonder if the deer kit would work for antelope?
Yellow Jacket, I'm sure the anatomical difference between deer and antelope might make it a little harder as in, puttying and fitting the skull cap to the skull, but I'm sure it could be made to work. Side by side with a real antelope skull might show differences but by itself, not too many people would know. Let us know if you try it. I'm doing antelope next year and it would be good knowledge to have.