Field care for turkey mount..

[wooly]

Curious if you guys that have turkey mounts might have any pointers worth mentioning for field care between the time the shot is taken until he's dropped off at the taxi.

From the most basic that might go overlooked, to the most complex I'd never imagine.

Planning on calling in advance to find out what would be preferred by the guy doing the work and what kind of time line I should expect to have to work with from field to studio arrival.

 

This may be my all time DUMBEST question here, but would a taxi be expected to skin and butcher a gobbler upon drop off to salvage the meat, or is good grub something that is sacrificed when you decide to do a mount?

This would NOT be something for me personaly, but a strong possibility for someone I will be hunting with, so I wouldn't want to do something that could compromise a quality stuffed gobbler.

 

[G-Man]

First do not shoot i. Strut, oe too close to blow head apart, do not run and jump on bird or allow it to flop areund the woods losing feathers, if it does pick ip.all the feathers you. Can and sandwich between cardboard. Cardboard to put around tail top and bottom, to keep feathers from bending or breaking, wrap in. Newspapers, not plastic. Get to taxidermist fast, most will skin and give you the breast meat in my experiance. If bird is wet pat dry before wrapping, a cooler is good to have with cold packs in ot if traveling a distance..

Best advice is call taxidermist you plan on using to see what he recommends

[maytom]

One trick we tried when we went to Texas for Rios years ago, buy a pair of woman's panti-hose, cut in half at the crotch, hence a leg in each hand. The carefully pull the opening over the bird starting from the head until the entire bird is "in" the leg of the pant-hose. Two options, take it like that right to your taxidermist as is, or place into the freezer and take at a later time when he is open.

The guy we took our birds to said that was an excellent way to prevent and damage to the feathers, beard, etc.