Solid oak shields for mounting cleaned skulls and skull caps, made by BushWear. Oak because it takes a screw properly and does not warp on a lodge wall the way a laminate will.
Sizing is the only real decision. Match the shield to the skull, not to the antlers. Roe shields come small (5.25 x 8.75in), medium and large; sika stag is 7.5 x 15in; the small stag shield is 9 x 16.5in and suits most red and fallow skull caps. The antler skull-cap shield (9.75 x 11.5in) is for a cut cap rather than a full skull, and the roe shoulder-mount shield (9.5 x 13in) is the backing for a caped mount rather than a bare skull.
Medal inlet. One roe shield is machined with a recess for a medal, which is worth ordering at the outset if the head has been measured — retro-fitting one neatly is harder than it looks.
Before mounting. The skull wants to be fully cleaned, degreased and dry. Grease left in the bone will weep through into the oak over the following months and stain it, and no amount of finishing afterwards will lift it out.
Related: Trophy Preparation, Larder Equipment, Deer Extraction, Knives.
