Hi all. I'm new to this forum and really, to taxidermy. I've played around with it a little in the past and really do it for my own enjoyment. I've never done a duck though and I have a hen shoveler in my freezer I want to try. My question is this. I wanted to wait to order the body until after I have the skin ready. I was thinking of this because if I trash the skin, I won't need the body. IF I get the skin ready (big if), what's the best way to keep the skin while waiting for the form? Or, is it even possible and should I just bite the bullet? Thanks for your help.
Kirk
Return to Bird Taxidermy Category Menu
well if the duck looks fine, not molting, go ahead and skin it and degrease it, put in freezer, order form, put on form. just be careful when doing ducks cause you'll get holes in them especially if this is your first time doing one, so just sew them up when it happens. haven't done a shoveler yet, but im guessing that it wouldn't be that hard of a duck to do. basically just keep stuff in the freezer after you skin it until you are ready to mount it.
Wrap a bodie out of excelsior/wood wool....
With the shoveler being a average size along with several others,,If ya trash it you can use it with minimal shpaeing on another bird.IF
I appreciate the responses so far. I do have some wood wool if it hasn't decomposed from being so old :) I've had it 33 years now from when I first started playing with taxidermy. That was when I signed up for (don't laugh) mail order lessons from the Northwestern School of Taxidermy. It was something that my dad and I did together. Looking back, at 16, we didn't do enough together but that's the way it goes. Last few birds I've done have been with the foam bodies and they're definitely easier as long as they're not too big. I'll probably skin the bird and if all works out, freeze it till the body arrives. Like Wally said, being a average size bird I may be able to use the body on another bird and I can always use the head casting as a bill reference for my decoy carvings.
Thanks, Kirk