i'm losing them along the sides of the neck, and on the body, underneath the wings. i don't see them on the table during skinning,or during the wirewheeling. but i think they will be covered under the wings,if it is mounted in a standing position.this is a pheasant i'm talking about. i followed the rinehart skinning & monnting video with dave luke. any advise would be apprieciated. thank you bob m.
Return to Beginners Category Menu
Some phes, really open up and turkeys are worse.
There are a couple of ways to handle them.
You can sew a baseball stitch and pull them togather a bit, but tuck the extra skin to the inside of the bird.
You can cut the larger part out and sew it up using the feather tracks for a pattern. And then use some caulk in the head and neck.
Caulk will hold everything in place.
Some taxis are good at it and dont have to worry about it showing.
The thing is wash the feathers well and rinse the hell out of them.
please e-mail me . i'm not clear on what you mean. are you saying this is common? will the bird look disproportionate,or just use a slightly altered form? this is my first bird. i've been practicing taxidermy for 4-5 years but only game heads,small mammals,& fish. i'de like to expand to birds. thanks bob m.
I think what John is saying is that feathers lay in tracks. If you have ever plucked a chicken you would know this. I know I have done plenty over the years LOL. What you need to do and I am no expert on birds but. What I have learned is the cleaner they are and the dryer the feathers are before mounting the better they go in place as you mount. I hope that makes sence. Jack F.
Sometimes when a bird is wet it looks like you have no feathers before you mount make sure the bird is dry. If it feels dry when you take him out put it back in for ten more mins. I have people mount birds wet or damp and say they will dry but look like sh--. So make sure the bird is dry if you are not seeing feathers come out when skining you may not have lost any.
thanks for the clarity & adise ,jack& sd....bob m.