Wing Preservation.

[trevdog74]

Was wondering the easiest way to preserve Turkey Wings and Feet.
I would like to try and create a unique mount for my first bird taken.

[Huntress]

Welcome to R&S and congrats on your first turkey! I hope you'll share your story with us in the turkey board.

In order to preserve it properly and keep the bugs out it would be hard to post all the directions here. If you've never done anything like this before you should probably take it to your taxidermist for a good job.

[clearwaterart]

Huntress

I know you said it would be hard to post how to do it on here but I was wondering the same thing. I have a friend who is a Native America and I give her all of my goose, duck, pheasant, chucker, huns, and some times turkey wings she make ornamental fans out of them and presents them to elders of other tribes and what have ya. I asked her and my take is they basically pin them in place and let them dry out in the salt shacks. Kinda like hides, is this wrong and or wouldn't it smell or you think they leave them there for a real long time? I have a real nice wing in the freezer and I keep forgetting to ask to my taxidermist;.

[Huntress]

You're right Art, there are different ways to do it but Trev said it was his first turkey and I guessed that he wanted to preserve it to last a lifetime. By just drying out the wings, the way your friend does, they will last a year or two before they start to break down or get bugs in them. I have friends that dry wings every couple of years to use for a 'fly down call' when hunting.

In order to preserve them for a longer period of time they must be fully skinned, and COMPLETELY inverted to the last joint. This includes cutting the primary flight feathers from the bone....not easy for a beginner to keep the feathers attached to the skin without having them all fall out. The skin must be fleshed and all meat, marrow and tendons removed. Then the whole thing needs preservative/bug proofing and to be put back together.

If the wings are to be used for dog training or as a call for hunting, etc. then drying is ok. If the wings are a 'trophy' to you then I would recommend taking them to your taxidermist.

[clearwaterart]

huntress- holy cow I now have a new respect for all taxidermist, in fact I think I will give mine a big hug next time I see him. I had posted on here that I had a nice wing in the freezer, well I was going to make a wing bone call out of the other so I decided to try what you had described as I thought sounds simple enough but wow. I think next time you suggest some thing I wont even question it. That whole skinning out and fleshing and the flight feathers what a pain. For the record my nice wing will be going to my taxidermist.

[trevdog74]

Thanks for the advice. I didn't realize the extensive work that was needed to preserve wings. Does this same procedure need to be done with the fan, or do you simply trim and clean to the tips of the feathers and use borax? Also if you cut the feet at the knee joint cleaned and set to dry, would they last?

[Huntress]

trevdog74 said:

Thanks for the advice. I didn't realize the extensive work that was needed to preserve wings. Does this same procedure need to be done with the fan, or do you simply trim and clean to the tips of the feathers and use borax? Also if you cut the feet at the knee joint cleaned and set to dry, would they last?

There are a lot of guys that do their fans/legs the way you described. Can it be done...yes. How long it will last is a crap shoot. The more meat, fat, tendons, etc. you remove the less there is to attract bugs. It's kind of like painting your own car. You can sand and paint it in your own garage but will it look as good or last as long as if it were done in a body shop? Same with home taxidermy. The taxidermist has more tools, chemicals and experience to make the mount look better and last longer.

[wildbill]

thanks for the great info as always huntress.

[birdman]

Huntress has given some good advise. Their are always short cut's, but usually the finished product is less quality and may not last as long as a throughly cleaned and preserved specimem. Bone marrow should also be removed from wing and leg bones. The feet should also be injected with a chemical.