Just like to know if it is possible to pull the skin back ovewr the head on Wedgeon? I have switched to this method on my last 4 birds. Really like not having to sew the insion. Just did a Bull sprig and it was a bit tuff. Did a Spooney and no problem. Had a terrible time on a blue wing teal but I managed. Learned later that they make a small cut to pull it over. Just seems likt the Wedigeon bill looks small and I may be having problems. I don't want to do any cutting If I have to sew. I'll do it the old way if I have to. These are all my birds.Been using the real heads with a little rebuilding. I make sure not to change it too much. I'm going to try the fake heads next. I have learned a lot also reading this Web the last few years. Thanks!
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But there is always the exception. If it's too tight you run the risk of splitting the skin where you don't want it to split or pulling feathers trying to re-invert. I would either skin from the bill back, or go with a small incision under the chin.
Jon
If you used an artificial head, you'd only have to cut around the beak and leave all the skin intact so there was no sewing and no danger of "blow outs".
I've got 20+ years experience with speciializing in birds, so dammit, that ought to be worth something.
The best advice I can offer is is don't use the real head. Plain and simple. Listen to George and then to me. Make the incision around the bill and work back toward the body that way. And don't attempt to do this on your way to a job interview or while your wife is in labor. This is not impossible but does require patience. Skill comes with experience, but if you are patient then you've got the game already half-beat. The other half of winning the game comes with using a synthetic head, also a game of patience and using Zap a gap sparingly. You can do it! Don't waste any more time with the back other the head or under the chin incisions. And don't get discouraged if the first attempt doesn't work out perfect. Then again, strectching the skin over the skull of a waterfowl be it a duck or goose is not going to yield perfect results either, no matter how often you've done it.
Good luck with it and mail me if you have any questions,
Best wishes for 2005!
Clark
Thanks guys for the responces. I have been skinning from the beak back just like you would do to use a imatation head but I used the real head instead just to see what it was like. Time isn't an issue for me. Anyway I bought 2 tapes of Stefan Savedies and on a cinnamon t
Teel he had to make a small cut near the beak to inlarge the openining to make it possible to pull the skin over in the mounting. I thought those Wedigeon bills looked kind of small and they may need that same cut to enlarge the opening. I'll get her done, I did manage to pull the skin over on a Blue wing without ripping it. I almost gave up thought but hung in there and it came out great at the end. Thanks Pat
I haven't mounted every duck but I have mounted a few. I have never used a real head, although I would like to do one or two just for the experience. I have never had to make a cut to get the skin over the head. So far I have mounted
Pintail, Mallard, Bufflehead, Widgeon, and Goldeneye.
Good Luck.
One thing that will help you get the skin over the head without tearing or cutting is to make sure the skin is not folded under itself. Use a pin or needle to pull the skin over. first the bottom and than the top. Go back and forth from bottom to top. Most heads will go over without tearing. do about a quarter inch at a time. Pintails can be tough.
Tony
Well I must be in the non-majority here. I've always used the real heads on ducks and too me it just seems easier? Once you figure out how to get the skull back through the neck it works pretty well on MOST ducks except some of your larger birds like Mallard. So what would be the advantage of using a fake head over a real head? Is it more for preservation or are there also aesthetic benefits to that technique. I'm surely willing to try anything that would help me out as I've only been at this taxidermy stuff for a year or two so any suggestions or tips are welcome.
Cheers
Bart