Many hunters who pursue big game would love to show off their prized buck, bull or bear, but they don’t have the money for a head-and-shoulder mount. After arrowing a mature buck in Kansas last fall and leaving the head with a local taxidermist for a European mount, I began researching options for displaying the skull/antler combo in my home. I finally decided on a product called Table Hooker.
About Table Hooker
The Table Hooker ($59.99) is designed to showcase small- to medium-sized skulls, which includes North America’s No. 1 game animal, the whitetail deer. As the name implies, the Table Hooker doesn’t mount to the wall. Instead, you attach a skull to the Table Hooker (no drilling of the skull required) and then place the finished display on a shelf or other flat surface. FYI: If you desire a wall-mount system, then check out the Skull Hooker, which is made by the same company.
When I looked at this product online, I liked the two finish options: Robust Brown and Graphite Black. But would they look as good in person as on my laptop? Also, the Table Hooker was described as adjusting easily up and down to provide a natural presentation of a trophy. Would it perform as advertised?
Assembly and In-Home Use
After unboxing the Table Hooker, I was pleased with the look of the powder-coated steel. I chose both a brown and black one because I couldn’t decide which color would be best with the dark-colored rack of my Kansas buck. Plus, I planned to give whichever one I didn’t use to my dad for Father’s Day.
As the photos here show, there isn’t much to assembling a Table Hooker. A single screw and nut connects the vertical arm to the base, then two screws with nuts are used to connect the prong (the piece that goes into the skull) to the arm. A wood screw is also provided in case you want to secure the base to a shelf.
