Submitted by Dan Childs on 11/15/1998. ( drcjss@southwind.net )
I am wanting to get a tail made for my decoys. I shot a young doe and have her tail frozen, hoping to find a way to preserve it and add it to my flambeau decoy. Any and all help appreciated. Thanks
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This response submitted by John Bellucci on 11/15/1998. ( ArtistExpr@aol.com )
Dan,
Skin it, tan it - oiling it very well, and mount it over a flexible deer tailform. WASCO sells them as "Acu-Flex", and other suppliers sell them too - Van Dyke's comes to mind. Good luck... John B.
This response submitted by Bob C on 11/15/1998. ( bobswildlife@webtv.net )
He Dan hows it going, Correct me if I'm wrong but I dont think your a taxidermist ,right?? So lets try to make it simple for ya. I dont think I'd go overboard and try to do a perfect job. After all its going to be out in all weather and get banged around a bit.Longevity shouldn't be a problem, as long as it lasts the year. You can always keep another one in the freezer until you have to replace it.Boy am I gonna catch some slack from some of the hard liners but what the heck. This is what I would do.First skin out the tail . Make a cut down the underside of the tail and remove the bone and tissue.Scrape the fat off the skin , and rub borax over the skin side. Now get a piece of wire , even a piece of coat hanger will work.Make it about twice the lenghth of the tail. Now the tricky part , wrap paper towels around the wire to the shape of the tail bone you removed. I'd make it a little smaller in circumference.Then wrap that with tape. Masking tape wil work fine.Now sew up the tail using small stitches an tie it off at the end. Now squirt some laytex calking into the tail and stick the artifical tail inside the skin.Set aside and let dry. Now drill a hole in the rear end of the decoy and slid the wire in and bend it over inside the decoy. This way the tail will swing from side to side just like a live deer. You could even tie a piece of fishing line to the tail and tug on the other end once in a while to add life to the decoy. And all for a couple of bucks.Get it BUCKS .Ha Ha Ha .Pretty dry huh. Bob C
This response submitted by Bill on 11/15/1998. ( yoxtax@aol.com )
decoys are visual, until the buck swings around downwind, then it's ALL about scents. I've got a better suggestion that makes 'sense'. The finished tail, done like John or Bob suggests will be realistic, to be sure, but it will smell like what it has become. I'd use a clean white rag or hankerchief, cleaned and weathered like your hunting clothes are, with a TINY bit if scent if desired. The rag moves freely in the breeze and keeps the bucks attention while you prepare for a shot. If it's too windy, just tie the bottom end down, too. It'll still move around. It does work, just watch the other hunters and your safety factor. Thats my opinion,anyway.
This response submitted by John Bellucci on 11/17/1998. ( ArtistExpr@aol.com )
Hey this discussion reminds me... I have "planted" a lifesize deer mannikin at the front edge of the field on my property. Not just a full-body mannikin, oh no. This thing is a Chase (actually Jonas) body that has darkened with age to a DEEP yellow ochre, with a Ben Mears headform, and white McKenzie Natra-Look plastic earliners nailed in place, glass eyes surrounded with oil-base clay, a darkened "nose-pad", and a ten-point rack. On the end of the rump I nailed a tanned deer tail cut off of an extra old tanned deer hide.
Now... the thing is still unpainted any natural colors - the color of the foam body part and headform don't even match! Here's the kicker. The local whitetail does are in absolute LOVE with this guy!!!!! No bull!
I'm telling you, I watched a doe licking the "nose-pad" of this stupid thing for nearly five minutes (that reminds me, I have to re-darken that nose-pad), then she walked all around him, "checking-out his goods". Then, ready for this... she actually spent at least two maybe three days (nights actually) bedded down nearby this "stiff"!!!! With no scent!!!! I can only imagine the "action" this guy could get if he used the right "cologne"!!!!
I know the local bucks don't take him for granted either! I have found where they scrape and rub all around the perimeter of this thing! Now I'll really piss a lot of you off... I don't even hunt any more. At least not with a gun.
I DO hunt with my camera however, yet I never have it with me when these occurrneces happen - of course. I'll get these shots yet! Hey I photograped a "Night-Raider" one time - a raccoon making mid-night raids on a thistle-seed finch feeder of all things!! It's just a matter of time.
This all hit so close to home when Bill mentioned the importance of using scent on a decoy. Like I said, if this thing can bring 'em in raw, I just can't imagine the fun there'll be with a few drops of scent in the right places. Thanks Bill, I may just get that photo yet!! Take care... John B.
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