If you shoot a bird you want to have mounted, what do you do with it in the field to keep it from being messed up?

I would wash off any blood as soon as I could, set it aside in a safe place, away from the dog and your PO'd hunting buddy, ask your taxidermist the best way to freeze until you can get it to him

Most taxidermists will have this information on their website. Here's Matt's for example:

http://www.birdworkstaxidermy.com/field_guide.htm

Tuck the head under a wing, fold the legs in, keep wings folded tight, clean it up gently not hurting the feathers. Hand carry it like a football. Triple bag it with freezer bags. Go to birdmanstudios.com also for pointers.

Don't put it on a strap by its neck. Otherwise everyone has it covered.

Clean all blood off the bird, put it in a pantyhose, sliding it head first so to not to ruffle the feathers, then freeze.

I've had a couple taxi's tell me NOT to put them in pantyhose.

Pantyhose is old school.

Good Info but let me add; take special care of your future mount and if the bird is light colored wash the blood off to keep from staining the feathers and pat dry, tuck the head/neck under a wing then slip into a pantyhose short term or just wrap the bird in plastic (cling wrap for starters and squeeze out the air) to keep from losing moisture and multiple layers does not hurt for long term storage then in a plastic bag, do not store in a freezer with auto defrost cycle. Hope this helps.

Heck, just freeze it in a block of ice.

Thanks next question.

You shoot a bird that looks great and would consider getting it mounted, however, its still alive, just can't fly off.

How would you put it down?

Shot my first greenhead, but I rung its neck to put it down. Didn't want to shoot it again, and needed to put it down to keep if from suffering any longer.

I was told to sufficate it, but that seemed harsh. Plus wasn't sure how to do that. Hold my hand over its bill?

sit/kneel on it.

Hold it underwater?

Stuff it in your waders?

I take some steel 2 3/4 7 shot to finish them off if they are swimming.

He wants to mount it and not shoot it again.

well, suffocateing a bird is pretty brutal (almost as bad as shooting a ringer at 10 yards ) but if you have the stomach for it you can bite the head and crush the skull, or take two shells and squese the head between them like a nutcracker... I have heard that some people carry a syringe and shoot air into the brain to kill them quickly, but if my buddy pulled that out I would leave him in the blind and go home

Put it on it's back and put a knee/boot on it's chest until it gives up the ghost.

The 2 3/4 7 shot wont mess it up to mount.

Grow a pair

I shot one today with 2 3/4 and damn near took its head off... So much for mounting that bird I was pissed.

Dont put it in pantyhose.Pantyhose are for big women and bank robbers.Just keep it clean and put it in a freezer ziplock bag.Also it a good idea to keep some ziplocks in your blind bag for that reason.

No panty hose. To finish them off bite the head just above the eyes I can think of a couple of birds that I have had mounted and guys who have hunted with me that I had to give that treatment to. It takes too long to suffocate them.

The taxidermist I used years ago said to carry a hat pin, or in his case a long T pin he used in his work.

Push it in and up at the base of the skull and scramble the brains. Just takes a second.