: 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.
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.
: 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. does cabelas buy deer mounts
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
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." : If a mount does not have a
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
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: : There are tight federal and state regulations
: 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.