Texas Hunting Forum
Bird mounts
Posted By: Hopedale
Bird mounts - 12/15/11 01:47 AM
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?
Posted By: BMowatt
Re: Bird mounts - 12/15/11 02:42 AM
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
Posted By: LuckyDucker
Re: Bird mounts - 12/15/11 02:46 AM
Most taxidermists will have this information on their website. Here's Matt's for example:
http://www.birdworkstaxidermy.com/field_guide.htm
Posted By: Roc
Re: Bird mounts - 12/15/11 04:06 AM
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.
Posted By: Judd
Re: Bird mounts - 12/15/11 04:09 AM
Don't put it on a strap by its neck. Otherwise everyone has it covered.
Posted By: Cody Malone
Re: Bird mounts - 12/15/11 04:10 AM
Clean all blood off the bird, put it in a pantyhose, sliding it head first so to not to ruffle the feathers, then freeze.
Posted By: LuckyDucker
Re: Bird mounts - 12/15/11 04:24 AM
I've had a couple taxi's tell me NOT to put them in pantyhose.
Posted By: Fooshman
Re: Bird mounts - 12/15/11 04:38 AM
Pantyhose is old school.
Posted By: ATracker
Re: Bird mounts - 12/15/11 04:40 AM
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.
Posted By: Fooshman
Re: Bird mounts - 12/15/11 05:36 AM
Heck, just freeze it in a block of ice.
Posted By: Hopedale
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 02:25 AM
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?
Posted By: LuckyDucker
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 02:33 AM
sit/kneel on it.
Posted By: kdub
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 02:36 AM
Hold it underwater?
Posted By: kdub
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 02:37 AM
Stuff it in your waders?
Posted By: Trozacky
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 02:40 AM
I take some steel 2 3/4 7 shot to finish them off if they are swimming.
Posted By: kdub
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 02:41 AM
He wants to mount it and not shoot it again.
Posted By: nogeese
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 02:42 AM
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
Posted By: Fooshman
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 03:52 AM
Put it on it's back and put a knee/boot on it's chest until it gives up the ghost.
Posted By: FowlDreams
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 04:34 AM
Put it on it's back and put a knee/boot on it's chest until it gives up the ghost.
Posted By: Trozacky
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 04:56 AM
The 2 3/4 7 shot wont mess it up to mount.
Posted By: Wilfred
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 02:08 PM
Grow a pair
Posted By: J McCoy
Re: Bird mounts - 12/16/11 05:46 PM
I shot one today with 2 3/4 and damn near took its head off... So much for mounting that bird I was pissed.
Posted By: Muddyfoot
Re: Bird mounts - 12/17/11 01:26 AM
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.
Posted By: crazyal
Re: Bird mounts - 12/17/11 03:48 AM
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.
Posted By: Bobby B
Re: Bird mounts - 12/17/11 04:50 PM
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.
Posted By: Guy
Re: Bird mounts - 12/17/11 05:09 PM
Sit on it?
Posted By: Guy
Re: Bird mounts - 12/17/11 05:11 PM
I've had a couple taxi's tell me NOT to put them in pantyhose.
Yeah I been told pantyhose sticks to the feathers is the reason you do not want to do that...
Posted By: fordtough
Re: Bird mounts - 12/19/11 06:41 PM
turn truck on put his head in the exhaust pipe.. thatll kill him.
Posted By: Erichugh22
Re: Bird mounts - 12/19/11 06:47 PM
I pinch the throut untill they die. Seemed like the quickest easiest way to do it. I had to do it with my cinny the other day. I shot a pintail the other day and tried the biting the head thing and all that did was make blood come out the ear holes and beak and get everywhere
Posted By: Dave Speer
Re: Bird mounts - 12/20/11 03:43 AM
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.
Base of the skull? Trying to figure out where that means. I like this idea. Are you talking about coming up from the throat -- under the head behind the bill? Or from the back of the head pushing towards the eyes / bill? Or what?
what does a bird mount generally cost?
Posted By: hoginator
Re: Bird mounts - 12/20/11 11:59 AM
ok ok no more head crushing.. I am a taxidermist.the best way i know is to take out a knife sharpen the end of a small stick lift one wing you will feel a soft spot under there.That will be the lung area. push stick into lungs move stick back and forth open up lungs and remove stick.bird will pass on to bird heaven.now the hole is covered by feathers when mounted.just try it...you can even use a knife blade(small).