Outdoor Life correspondent Gayne Young travels to San Antonio to see the "78-Point Buck" and other trophies on display at the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum.
SHARE
Opened by Albert Friedrich in 1881, the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum moved to different spots throughout the city before settling at its current location at the corner of Houston and Presa. This puts it only a hop, skip and a jump from the Alamo. Really. I tried it.From the beginning, Friedrich would often accept horns, antlers and mounts in exchange for a beer or whiskey. Hopefully this knobby-antlered whitetail got some cowboy more than one drink.Friedrich’s wife, Emile, took jars of rattlesnake rattles in trade for drinks to craft art such as this deer.This whitetail had one hell of an underbite. I’m guessing he was good at dipping tobacco, though.Some of the trophies at the Buckhorn, such as this gorilla, can no longer be taken. Thank you, Dian Fossey.This longhorn had an almost 9-foot spread. Well, I guess he still does. Only he’s dead now.One of the many “freak” whitetails found at the Buckhorn.I purposely took this photo from the whitetail’s “bad side.”This whitetail’s bulbous antler growth is thought to have come about due to a screwworm infestation.Where do spokes-animals go when they die? To the Buckhorn. This is–or was–Atari the lynx, who used to advertise for Mercury Lynx in the early eighties.I can’t imagine what kind of trouble I’d get into if I shot a Galapagos iguana like this one.This whitetail died after a fight with a rival male tied him into a barbwire fence.What does Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai have to do with my visit to the Buckhorn? Nothing. Nothing at all.Yes, some hunter way back when thought shooting a flamingo would be a good idea. I’m not sure, but I think hunting flamingoes requires wearing pink camo.I’m not sure of the legality of taking an Ocean Sunfish or Mola Mola today. But then, I have no idea where you’d even find one of these things.In addition to trophy mounts, the Buckhorn also has a collection of oddities, such as this two-headed calf.Another “freak” deer.Taxidermy skills have improved immensely since this mountain lion was mounted many, many years ago. Looks like a bad face-lift, doesn’t it?I’d scream like a girl if I caught one of these while fishing. It’s actually a “devil fish” cut from a stingray.Somewhere there’s a Hereford bull denying he had anything to do with this deer’s mom.Likewise, somewhere there’s a longhorn bull denying he had anything to do with this deer’s mom.Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow…and the demonic thing had 8 legs! Run, Mary! Run! That thing’s possessed or something.These pieces were obviously constructed by some very sick taxidermists. Very sick taxidermists on acid.Apparently, two-headed calves aren’t that rare, as the Buckhorn has quite a few. My thanks to the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum.
