How do I preserve the tail feathers?

[Rayzorp]

Just got an invite to take my son for his first turkey hunt. Bird or not, we will have a great time.

Just in case an angel smiles on us and he gets a bird, what is the best way to preserve the tail feathers and beard until I get a mount kit?

Thanks!!!

Ray

[VermontHunter]

Check out this link ,, I think it will cover everything you will need to know ,,

http://www.nwtf.org/tips_adventures/tips.php?id=289

Good Luck and most of all have fun ..

[huntnfish]

Great link. Good luck on the hunt.

[Rayzorp]

Thanks man!! I got some work cut out for me

[Flintlock1776]

My fast approach:

Cut off the tail

Trim off the meat at where I pulled the tail off the bird

drench the tail in salt

spread out the fan on a flat surface

I used some left over paving bricks to keep the fan flat and spread out.

If I get a chance this weekend I'll stack all the fans I have and post of hoto of them.

For the beard I just cut them off kind of like creating a belly button if you get what I am trying to describe an then salt and flatten it out.

'

Done deal

[slaw]

gather tail feathers in one hand , grab them down low, above anal, cut above anal but below pointed bone that holds feathers , fillet toward the head till you get secondary feathers along with tail fan...cut off and put in a bag and freeze...let taxidermist do the rest.

[PA_RIDGE_RUNNER]

I have mounted a bunch of tails, beards and spurs. I cut off the tail as mentioned and trim as much meat and fat as possible. I then get a piece of cardboard at least as big as the fan spread out. I then spread the fan and either use push pins, straight pins or small nails to hold down the fan in the spread position. I cut off the beard by pulling on it and cutting it off leaving some skin around it. I also cut the legs at the joint. I cure the whole thing with Borax laundry powder stuffing as much as possible into the butt of the fan. I usually pour a small pile at the base of the fan and place the open ends of the beard and legs into that pile and set aside for two weeks or longer. I used to use salt but the borax seems to work better at drying for me. I also make my own plaques from about an 8 inch circle of wood and woodburn a Gobbler scene into the face. I then take a 3/4 inch piece of wood just as long as the lower 4th of the circle and drill a hole in each end for hanging the legs and a hole in the middle to hang the beard. Works for me. When I mount one from Kansas I woodburn a sunflower with a gobbler in the middle.