Does anyone ever have problems with the fine brown feathers on a mallard on its back just below its white ring on the neck? They never seem to look dry, almost like they are stringy or something? I wash well rinse well and flesh well and blow dry.
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Wash them again and again and again..They are very thin ya might not be getting that feather group tight enough in your adjustment...
maybee not? Will soap residue cause this seeing is how these feathers are so fine? On my last bird he came out looking like a million bucks all except this area and this is the first time I did not use mineral spirits but instead I just blew him dry, also I did not tumble him. It really allowed the down to do its job.
I seen the same thing on the Mallard I just did. It doesn't look bad it just looks like the feathers are real small but you can't seem to do much with them. I know I wash my birds very well and rinse until I think my water bill is going to go up. I will have to pay more attention on the next one before I skin it out.
You're not the only one. I think this is characteristic of a mallard drake. They are not dirty - they are short and few. In addition, I think we are dealing with a sort of a cow lick (like the brisket of a whitetail deer). What I have started doing is to take about 1/2" off the length of the neck. Taxi the neck skin up toward the head and down toward the white ring. This gives you a thin appearance in the middle of the neck (so it doesn't look short and fat) and it gives you a little extra skin in the problem area to help cover the short, wild feathers
This last greenhead i scrubbed and rinsed well, so its nice to know that its the duck and not me, finally i can blame something else. Ill try the taxi gig on its neck that phil suggests on my next one. Thanks