i m having trouble with skining mallards.i m a begginer and i m asking u guys to help me with it.at this point i just want to skin them perfect, presirving skin is on the second place.
i m also interested in alternative ways of preserving skins,like regular washing soap.if there is anyone who could tell me,step by step,how to get the skin of the bird perfectly,feel free to answer me at my e-mail.i m so pashionable,and i want to learn everything about this subject,but it s preety frustrating if u don t know the basics.
please help me!
thank you
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dave .. there no Perfect way to do taxidermy. u have to see what going to work best for u.i personal skin al l my birds from knee to knee. this way when u but then on the wire wheel its like butting your hand inside a sock. helps to keep fat& gress of feathers some. u going to cut& pull some holes in the birds skinning them out, just go slow & take your time.. after fleshing i just wash 2-3 times in Dawn, but in merial spites for about 20 mins. let them drip dry. this is were u got to SLOW down.. the weight of the wet bird will pull& tear the skin.then tumble them in fine corn cob gritt for about 15-20 mins then i refreze if i not going to mount them that same day...
I split the bird from anal opening to breat bone.
Removing the body is going to take practice. Is in your hands, we cannot tell you the perfect way Like ed says "there is no perfect way"
Slow down take your time, its all about learning, and it up to you to learn. A large peart of it is learning from experience.
HEllo Dave,
You realy need to purchase this Manual. Most all the Supply Co.'s out there has them.
This manual will go into detail the many different skinning,Degreasing,washing, Preserving and mounting techniques. The step by step photos will greatly assist you with the processes. I feel it a "Must Have" learning tool for anyone and everyone.
Have a great day to all,
Dave
Buy a video made for beginners that shows a taxidermist doing the work. I'm not knocking manuals, but in my experience, videos may be a little easier to learn from than books. Maybe a combination of the 2 might be helpful! WASCO has several of these videos for around $20-$25 each. Try ordering their catalogue and look for them. Good luck!
You can also check e-bay for taxidermy videos tha will only cost you $10-15. There are a lot on bird mounting and will cover a lot of your skinning questions...but there is nothing like practice......