A work in progress: The Redheaad

[cbrice89]

Yeah I looked all through the links and couldn't find one that said "eyelids drying out".

[Brad Jones]

Most of us have spent thousands of dollars on training - schools, seminars, conventions, competitions; and hundreds of hours reading and doing research and practicing on our own birds.  Taxidermy is not something you learn overnight, you can't just jump into it.

Take the initiative to look up answers to your questions using the search button on this site

X2 having a question or two is one thing. That bird should be done by now.

[Brad Jones]

Yeah I looked all through the links and couldn't find one that said "eyelids drying out".

Just spray a little h2o on it geez.

[Matt]

One thing's for sure, if you didn't get all that fat off the bird, you are going to see it in the feathers after it's mounted and dry. One thing I noticed is in on the head around the bill, you haven't fleshed it real good. When you go to put your head on and it dries, you are going to get some pulling away from the bill, not to mention some bleed through. There is alot of good read on this site as well as some very informative DVDs out there that would really help you out before a project like this. Good luck and keep us posted.

[cbrice89]

wow. didn't realize everyone got so mad from people asking questions. i figured you could just not reply if you didnt want to provide an answer. Sorry for offending everyone with my "newbie" questions

@WCTaxidermy: you say that a drake redhead is a privilege for most to mount? and that, essentially, i don't deserve to be mounting it because of my lack of experience? Thats like telling someone they aren't allowed to play at a particular golf course until they can shoot even par. Did you ever think that i may have just wanted to do it for fun? And possibly i may not have wanted to throw as much money into this project as i could have paid a real taxidermist to do it? I dont want this as a career, i was just messing around and seeing what could happen. anyways... here it is.

before you say anything i know that the feet are backwards. no one that will be looking at it (luckily) will be too critical.

[drakeman]

Good job getting him done!   You are right if people don't want to respond they don't have to.  Some good advice was given however.   Like John (WC taxidermy) gave you good advice.  He didn't say you don't deserve to mount it.  He means with such a good specimen don't rush in to it.  Good birds like that don't come around often in parts of the country.    You are welcome to ask anything and if people don't want to reply they don't have to.   If the duck is still wet try to adjust it so that it hangs a down a bit more.  Let gravity work.    Good job on your first.

[jeremy]

wow. didn't realize everyone got so mad from people asking questions. i figured you could just not reply if you didnt want to provide an answer. Sorry for offending everyone with my "newbie" questions

@WCTaxidermy: you say that a drake redhead is a privilege for most to mount? and that, essentially, i don't deserve to be mounting it because of my lack of experience? Thats like telling someone they aren't allowed to play at a particular golf course until they can shoot even par. Did you ever think that i may have just wanted to do it for fun? And possibly i may not have wanted to throw as much money into this project as i could have paid a real taxidermist to do it? I dont want this as a career, i was just messing around and seeing what could happen. anyways... here it is.

 Whooooaaaaaaaa easy there cbrice89, dont get your defenses up..... especially with what John said, you asked for help he gave you good advice. Pretty bad to go down this road after all the good advice some great folks have given you. Good way to not get much more help in the future. Take a breath....slow dowm.... and throw out a thanks instead of some attitude  

[WCTaxidermy]

wow. didn't realize everyone got so mad from people asking questions. i figured you could just not reply if you didnt want to provide an answer. Sorry for offending everyone with my "newbie" questions

@WCTaxidermy: you say that a drake redhead is a privilege for most to mount? and that, essentially, i don't deserve to be mounting it because of my lack of experience? Thats like telling someone they aren't allowed to play at a particular golf course until they can shoot even par. Did you ever think that i may have just wanted to do it for fun? And possibly i may not have wanted to throw as much money into this project as i could have paid a real taxidermist to do it? I dont want this as a career, i was just messing around and seeing what could happen. anyways... here it is.

before you say anything i know that the feet are backwards. no one that will be looking at it (luckily) will be too critical.

cbrice89, You obviously didn't take the time to read what I posted to you.  You are putting words in my mouth that I never said and I don't appreciate that!  There is no way in heck did I insinuate that because of your lack of experience you did not deserve to mount a Redhead. I wasn't asking you to throw a bunch of money into your project, nor for you to take it to a Taxidermist!  All I suggested to you was you might want to put your bird in the freezer and buy a $30.00 DVD and watch it a few times before you continued on with your project.  Why you would get bent out of shape by that I'll never know! 

Good job getting your bird finished.  If the neck isn't dried yet, you might want to turn the head side ways toward the right wing side, so you can show off the head more in the mount.  Just a suggestion and I'm not inferring anything other than that.  Good luck.

[cbrice89]

sorry i got defensive. I felt everyone was getting pissed because i kept asking questions. i thought thats what this forum was for. WC, I re-read what you wrote and i did take it out of context. Sorry for that. The neck is already dry (it was nearly dry when i put the head in) so i wont be moving it. This mount is going to have to remain like this but im not too disappointed in it.

[muleyhunter]

Thanks for apologizing to John. He is a good man and very knowledgeable when it comes to birds. Good luck to you in your future projects.