Can it really be THAT easy?...

[growalot]

I do not have any mounts and to be honest my tries at turkey fans and beards go by the way side  unless I'm using them on a decoy...That said, I found this while cruising.I want to make a turkey skin to lay over one of my decoys so looked up tanning turkey hides...found this interesting.

http://www.hidetanning.net/WildTurkeyTaxidermyTips.html

http://www.qualitytaxidermysupply.com/StopRotTaxidermyTanning.html

Edited January 26, 2017 by growalot

[stubborn1VT]

I don't think it's that hard.  My buddy made this for me from a bird I shot 3 or 4 years ago.  I believe he just used salt, and then a Borax solution.  It was something he looked up on the internet.  He made mine as a test, before doing the same thing with his son's first turkey.  The frame is just wire and Bondo.

Edited January 26, 2017 by stubborn1VT
Forgot to attach pic.

[growalot]

Did we forget a pic?....

[stubborn1VT]

Haha!  Yes I did.

[mlammerhirt]

What does the back look like?

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[dbHunterNY]

i have a turkey fan and beard still in the freezer.  i was thinking about just doing it to put on my tom decoy.  a real fan alone on a plastic/rubber decoy does great versus the cheap fans they come with.  full decoys or skins get beat up and spurred too much for the effort i feel like.  that doesn't seem like too much work though.

[stubborn1VT]

Not sure how helpful this pic is.  

[landtracdeerhunter]

I have used Borax on the meat part of the tail with success. I never put salt on it though.  I have also removed the feathers to dry, keeping them in order on cardboard until ready to mount. I like the Borax method better as it looks more natural, like fresh off the bird.  I will get the nerve up someday to mount a whole bird using shipping fiber and transformer wire or chicken netting.  I will first practice on chickens. I need to make a tumbler and grind up some dry corncobs, before getting to excited.  I don't know if I'll have the nerve to post it, however, LOL.

 

Edited January 29, 2017 by landtracdeerhunter

[growalot]

Quote

i have a turkey fan and beard still in the freezer.  i was thinking about just doing it to put on my tom decoy.  a real fan alone on a plastic/rubber decoy does great versus the cheap fans they come with.

I do that...my one attempt at hunting film...hand held ...once was enough...lol .....but fans work!

https://youtu.be/yXQUwL_K7vU

[dbHunterNY]

i usually run and gun versus the ground blind.  filming takes a lot of practice and failure to figure out.  one setup is so expensive i refuse to bring it in the stand or out in bad weather.  the fans do work great which is why i need another one and have a fan still in the freezer.  epoxy bedding at the quill base works great to keep the feathers in place and take the abuse.

[helmut in the bush]

On January 26, 2017 at 10:20 AM, stubborn1VT said:

I don't think it's that hard.  My buddy made this for me from a bird I shot 3 or 4 years ago.  I believe he just used salt, and then a Borax solution.  It was something he looked up on the internet.  He made mine as a test, before doing the same thing with his son's first turkey.  The frame is just wire and Bondo.

That's very nice

[stubborn1VT]

Thanks Helmut.  I wish I could say I made it myself.  I think it shows just how big a tom turkey looks in full strut.  I'm a big fan of their colors too.