Displaying Your Turkey
The best thing about turkey mounting is that all the chores involved are fairly simple and easy. There is no packing heavy loads, grueling hikes or any other laborious work. The same also applies to displaying your prize. In fact you can easily do all the work on your own without spending hundreds of dollars on a taxidermist. Here are tips on how to successfully punch your turkey tag for all your friends to see and admire.
Field Care
How the hunting begins usually determines how beautiful the mount would be. For example, avoiding to break the bird’s tail feathers is easier than trying to aligning them. A turkey that is directly facing you seems like a great target but in real sense it can be a lower success target and you can easily damage the fan with the pellets. So wait for the animal to stretch the neck or drop the tail and then target where the neck skin ends and feathers begin. And before carrying the animal make sure you smooth the tail feathers in place and then pack it gently in a bag.
Extracting the Beard
The next easy task is extracting the turkey’s beard. Just slice the beard at the base but leave some skin to attach it together. Apply a preservative to the base and some in a container. Place beard inside to dry out.
Separating the Tail
Start by cutting off the skin that connects the tail feathers and the rest of the body. Place the tail on a flat surface and then carefully and gently trim meat from the bottom of the quills without cutting the tissue that connects them. After that you can wash the tail with soap and warm water to move dirt and blood. Then generously apply a preservative to the base and massage it thoroughly. This will help prevent insects and rot.
Finally in this step, spread the tail on a soft but flat surface and then secure the feathers with nails or pins. Alternatively,you can staple the base of the tail and then organize the feathers carefully before you spread out the fan. Cover the tail with a cardboard and leave it to dry. This should take about 7days. Also note that once the feathers dry,you cannot re-organize or move them.
Presenting Your Work
This final but important step usually requires good quality turkey mounting plaques. Various stores offer a wide array of plaques but those ones that stand out and are known for their durability are Turkey mounting plaques from Stump Jumper Designs. They are reliable handcrafted and made from highly figured materials such as Curly Black Cherry, Black Walnut and Curly Maple. In addition all the plaques from the store are modeled to hold both the beard and the tail fan and they are very easy to install. The designs simply offer users incomparable and splendid ways to display their trophies.
Now after the 7-day drying period remove the beard from the container and the tail from cardboard and then remove any excess preservative. Then simply slide the fan into the slot of the plaque. Most mounting plaques from Stump Jumper Designs usually have a slot at the base for the beard too. Just coat the beard with hot glue or epoxy and then slide it into the specified panel.
Wrapping it Up
One of the most adorable things about mounting your bird is that there are many attractive ways to do it. Whatever architecture you go for just make sure that it will not only remind you of the turkey hunting escapade but also the fun you had in conserving your prize!