I just pulled a pheasant from the freezer that my son shot last fall. I noticed the end of the tail feather is bent like a U. The U is probably 4 inches long. Will this U relax once I thaw the bird and then start work with it? Or, should I use a different bird.
Finally, can I really use a small wire brush to remove the fat and flesh from the bird's skin? On the video they use a machine! Would sure appreciate a second opinion on that.
Thanks.
Mark
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As for the bent tailfeather, you can try to bend it back gently or you can pin it out straight and mist it with a bit of water and it will straighten back out after a few days. Fleshing can be done without an electric wire wheel, I use a small brass brush(Walmart Golf Department -$1.97)and a stainless steel dish scrubbie and I get most of it off. Good Luck!
Hey Sam,
This is my first taxidermy...period. Anything I should be especially careful of as I do this pheasant?
I have one of those brushes as I am a golfer. Might as well use it for taxidermy. Never seemed to help me get any birdees in golf! Ha!
Thanks, Sam.
Mark
hey,
just happened that a guy just told me to use a curlingiron to straighten tails. Otherwise if all else fails just get another feather i have tons of them
Kyle
http://www.kcgamebirdfarm.com/
The tail feathers will straighten out on their own after wash, if not use steam. Yes you can use a small wire brush just be careful and patient. When skinning the bird be careful at the tail area and the head area (ears, eyes, and beak, it's easy to cut holes in the skin in those two areas. That's my 60 sec crash course. Good luck and you can e-mail me when you start having problems. Later