Rooster tail sagging

Submitted by John on 03/15/2004 at 02:44. ( duxnbux1@yahoo.com ) 198.26.120.12

I got my rooster back from the taxidermist not long ago and I have a problem with it's tail. I got it in a flying pose like it's banking but the tail is so long that it sags pretty bad. What can I use to keep it straight with his body. I was thinking about taking a clothes hanger and sticking it into the form and running it along the tail to support it's length, but didn't know if it would mess body up by sticking this wire in it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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would work

This response submitted by r stanton on 03/15/2004 at 03:02. ( ) 170.215.201.171

try a u-shaped wire


Is it the tail or the tail FEATHERS?

This response submitted by George on 03/15/2004 at 08:08. ( georoof@aol.com ) 205.188.209.5

I suspect the latter. Nothing you can do to change gravity. Carefully twist your bird on the mounting piece or turn the bird so the feathers fall back into line with its intended flight. A big, wild rooster pheasant's tail is going to droop if you have him flying level along a wall. I usually pose my big birds as if they are flying into the wall with their heads slightly turned back just for this purpose. In my thinking, it's imperative that such a bird be mounted to a piece of drift wood just to give that 3-D appearance instead of being stuck to the wall.


Have you ever watched

This response submitted by Larson on 03/15/2004 at 09:49. ( ) 65.222.30.34

a video of a pheasant in flight and stopped the frames to see all the contorted possitions that tail gets in. Its really interesting. Feathers are in all directions. you will never see a bird in flight with as perfect of a tail possition that you see on mounted birds.

If its not the feathers as George suggested your taxidermist may not have kept is carded long enough. In which case the entire fan is sagging and if its dry you are out of luck. If its still moveable you know thats what he did and you will be able to wire and card until its dry as Stanton suggested. I really thing its most likely what George implied. Just keep in mind that a pheasant can literally put ist tail up or down and 45 degrees to both sides, so it may be a natural pose anyway.


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