Which bracket would I use for my bighorn sheep?
The hanging of sheep skulls are addressed on an individual basis. The Table Hooker is an option, but because of the weight of a bighorn, the bracket can be tippy and only be used in areas that it cannot be bumped. Securing the unit down is recommended for this species. The Table Hooker has a hole located in the base plate to secure it down. However, but not everyone wants to put a hole in their desk or table. The wall brackets are a matter of wall clearance. The Little Hooker® can hold the weight, but only allows approx. 5” of clearance, whereas the Big Hooker® offers approx. 9”. To find the wall clearance needed for your sheep, measure a straight line from that hole in the back of the skull to the wall. When ordering the Table Hooker or Little Hooker® through the website, please add that you are ordering for a sheep species and we will trade out the prong with what we call our sheep prong. It is just a little bit wider and helps with the fit on the larger foramen magnum of the sheep species.
The Big Hooker comes with two prong sizes. Which prong will work best for my elk?
For most elk skulls, use the smaller of the two prongs provided. The XL prong is designed for much larger skulled species such as bison, cape buffalo and moose.
What product do you recommend for my Whitetail Deer skull?
Whitetail deer work great on several of our products. The Little Hooker®, Table Hooker and Trophy Tree will perfect. For those smaller bucks that do not require the wall clearance of the Little Hooker®, the Mini Hooker would be another option.
Will the Skull Cap work for my elk?
The current Skull Cap accessory does not work for elk.
How much weight will the Little Hooker®/ Big Hooker® support?
Weight is not what determines which bracket to use. The size of the skull determines which product to use. As a general rule, an elk sized skull and larger would be the threshold to use the Big Hooker®. All Smaller skulls work for the Little Hooker® and Table Hooker.
Do you make a Table Hooker for my elk?
At this time, we do not make a Table Hooker that will work for elk sized skulls.
What is the difference between the Mini Hooker and Little Hooker?
The Mini works for all the same species as the Little Hooker but has half of the wall clearance (2.5”vs 5”) to the Little Hooker®. The Mini Hooker is primarily designed for bears, pronghorn and smaller deer that do not require the additional wall clearance.
How many prongs come with the Trophy Tree and can I extend the height of the tree?
The Trophy tree comes with 5 Little Hooker® prongs. Additional prongs and pole sections can be purchased separately
Can skull capped trophies and larger game be used on the Trophy Tree?
Yes, a skull plate adapter and Big Hooker® prongs can be purchased separately to be used with the Trophy Tree.
Is the Trophy Tree stable?
Yes, the tree is has a 20lb weighted base. For heavier trophies, counterbalancing the weight is especially important to make sure the weight is distributed on all sides to keep the tree stable or not tippy.
Does the Skull Hooker work with a lower jaw and How do you secure a lower jaw?
Yes it does work. This allows for further customization of your trophy with the jaw opening. Place a small amount of bondo at each of the two pivot joints. For a closed mouth presentation and to secure the jaw further(although not required), place a small amount of super glue at any of the teeth overlap/connections (with the upper and lower jaw). To display the teeth in a slightly open presentation, insert a pen or larger object in the jaw immediately after applying bondo to the pivot joints and then allow to dry.
The arm pegs for my wall bracket do not fit or slide all the way down into the wall plate canisters. Is this an issue?
This is not an issue, it is designed this way. The arm pegs are tapered so that the arm can be pushed down (or tapped down gently with a rubber mallet) to lock the arm in place and prevent it from swinging. The pegs should only protrude about half way into the canisters.