What size eye is best for a woodcock (male)? And what color? Dark brown or just brown. Thanks for the info; doing first woodcock.
Joe
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Joe,i use a 12mm dark brown eye for those guys.They are extremely hard birds to do,it is like mounting wet toilet paper!Good luck on your bird.
Thanks Richard, I am dicovering through all the posts I've read that this little guy will be a real challenge. No matter how it turns out, as long as I learn, thats the real value. (This is my own bird). One more question Richard, do you sew the breast incision or just pin to the form along the edges?
Thanks again,
Joe
Joe,i would pin because the skin is so thin and weak.I have done many of these and found alot of new tricks how to do them,they look really nice when they turn out proper.I use artificial heads and carve my own bodies.They have very small feather tracts so you don't want to over bulk him or the feathers will lay funny.use alot of reference photos when you begin.
Thanks again Richard. I thought pinning would probably be best. I'll be using a Danny Owens standing body. I wouldn't have a clue how to carve one, at least on this first one. I'm going to clean the skull and rebuild with clay. I know they don't have much of a neck and I was thinking of using closed cell backer rod foam. Any tips on how long it should be or best way to attach it to the head and body? I probably have to look at references and just trim and adjust till the head and neck position look right. Sorry for all the questions. I really appreciate you helping me out with this Richard. Might have a few more as I go.
Thanks again,
Joe
Joe their necks are fairly short,i would be safe with about 2 inches of foam neck.I would stuff the skull really good with soft clay and make your wire longer to go through the skull.Once you get the wire through the skull cut off your wire as close as you can so its not showing.How did you skin the skull?Did you make a neck incision?If so you can super glue that incision,use sparingly and work small.I have a Eurasian woodcock to do up soon,he's twice the size of ours,my friend in France sent him to me for my collection.
Hi Richard, and thanks again for the help. Good luck on that big doodle. I haven't skinned yet; still in the freezer. Just trying to do as much research as I can before I start. That leads me to another question. Can I skin now, borax, and refreeze? Or can I skin now, refreeze and then borax just before mounting. I'm waiting for the form, supplies etc, but I'm getting anxious to start. I was going to do a breast incision and then just invert up at the head/neck area all the way to the bill. Tell me if that is wrong. The head on a woodcock doesn't seem too big to invert through the neck, but I don't know. Keep the tips coming Richard. You've been very helpful.
Thanks, Joe
The head is too big to invert but here's the way i do it,it takes a little more time but it turns out nicer.I cut around the beak and make a small incision on his forehead so you can slip and skin as you go.Do not start until you get the form because you need to do this guy up after it is skinned because it so thin skinned.Its okay to do that with ducks,pheasants etc;but not woodcock.Oh by-the-way do not use a wire wheel use a wire brush to take fat and grease from feather tracts.
Hi Richard, what do you mean by slip and skin? If I understand you right, you're saying to cut the skin loose from around the bill, then a small incision from the bill up onto the forehead, then skin back from the bill towards the body instead of inverting the other way. I then assume when I get past the head I cut the head off and take care of the skull etc. I wonder if I could just make my breast incision all the way up under the neck to the beak and open up the skin on the neck and head from that incision? I had hoped to invert to the beak and leave the skin attached to the beak, clean, borax and rebuild the skull, attach skull to neck material, attach to form and then bring the skin back over and mount on the form.I'm a little nervous about cutting the forehead on this little guy. Getting those tiny feathers to lay right in that area seems like it would be hard for me to do. I'll try that if it's the best way. Like I said, as long as this is a learning experience for me, it will be worth it.
Thanks
Joe
I've done many Eurasian woodcocks and haven't had any problems with inverting the head up to the beak without incisions. You just have to be very careful and take your time. Could be your American woodcock is more difficult to do though, because it's smaller.
Peter
Joe you can do it that way,you could hide it easier,that is how i do mine for attaching an artificial head.Our woodcock heads are much bigger and their necks are very small,it would be like pushing an orange througha straw.
Thanks Richard. Glad to hear you think that might work. I think for my first one, an incision all the way up the neck would be the easiest. I will post a picture no matter what it turns out like. That is unless all the skin falls apart in my hands. You can point out all my mistakes and that's how I'll learn. Don't be surprised if I have a couple more questions, but for now, till the form comes, I'll let you get some work done.
Thanks for all the advice.
Joe
Hi Peter,
I forgot to say thanks to you as well. All advice is welcome. This website is fantastic!
Joe
Joe what state are you from?
Packer Country
Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Richard, I forgot to ask about what type/size of pin to use to pin the skin to the form along the incision. I didn't order any, so can I find something that will work at walmart, etc? Also, should I use any super glue along the incision line?
Thanks again.
Joe
Joe,you can use regular straight pins and then super glue.I would just use sraight pins on your first woodcock project.How far are you from Janesville?
3 hours, 15 minutes or 3 hours 30 minutes. Somethinglike that. It's about 2 to 2 and 15 form Madison, so I'm just taking a good guess. Do you live in Janesville?
Joe
No,i went to school at Rhineharts taxidermy about 16 years ago.You guys got some great fishing out your way huh?
Great fishing and lots of game. The next world record musky will come out of the Bay of Green Bay. The Fox River is filled with boats right now. All catching trophy class walleye. I hunt and trap a little north of here. We have great deer, turkey, grouse, yotes, and all the small game. I trap for mink, coon, yotes, fisher, bobcat fox and rats. Not always successfully, but I trap for them! I wish I had more time! I'll let you now when I get that doodle form and get started.
Joe
We have alot of game too,just no giant walleye and musky,i would love to catch a monster though!I am central NewYork between Rochester and Syracuse.Do you do any fowling?
Hi Richard. I used to do a little waterfowl hunting when I was younger. Doesn't seem to be much time anymore. We used to hunt alont the Mississippi River backwaters for mallards, teal and geese and a mixed bag of other stuff. Also did some mallard hunting in the picked cornfields around here. Now I mostly bow hunt, grouse hunt, turkey hunt.
Just mounted that woodcock. What a job! Took me seven hours. You can't hardly look at those things without putting a hole in them, much less touch them. The feathers cover all the holes, but I hope I wasn't supposed to sew them up? I hope when it dries that won't be a problem? How long will it take to dry? I posed him in a little strutting pose with his tail up and fanned and wings drooped. I saw a picture of a live one like that and it looked realy nice. I didn't even know they did that. I had to do a little pinning arount the eyes. How do I fill those little pin holes? Do I use apoxie sculp or the like?
Thanks Richard for all your help. I'll get a picture out when he's done.
Joe
Joe,told you those are very tough to do and their skin is like 1 ply of tissue paper that is wet!You could just pin the holes then if they show you can paint or try to hide with feathers.He should dry pretty quickly.The pinholes can be closed up with apoxy,just a warning when they dry...there is no going back because the skin dries very hard and the feathers dry in place like iron!Good Luck and send that pic when he's done! ~Rich
Hi Richard, (and anyone else)
I also emailed this to you, not knowing which you would read first. I've definitely caught the bug and I can't get enough of this stuff! Got a question or two about that timberdoodle. First, I got a couple of small spots of super glue on him. I'm sure most would not notice, but I know. I've tried acetone, but it doesn't seem to take it off. Also, there is a very fine and light dusting of borax on him. Can I gently wipe that off with something? It almost seemed like when I was trying to wipe off the glue, the acetone was taking off the dust. Maybe that will work. Or maybe just a lightly damp cloth. Help! Is there any way to make him shine up a bit? Also, for the base, can you use real props like dried leaves, acorns, sticks, dirt, etc, or do you have to use artificial? I read on a post that you could put real dirt on your base and then spray with a mixture of white glue with a think it was water. That would harden clear and permanent. Any suggestions? I'll try to send a pic and post on the bird and beginners pages hopefully tomorrow.
Thanks Richard
Joe Nowak
Green Bay WI
Joe,let the bird dry completly then you can blow the borax off or brush off with a feather duster. For glue on feathers i don't know how to get that stuff off.I had some on my woodduck tail but i just pulled the feather out.I found you need to use that stuff with caution,i was reading a post on here before and a guy accidently set his prize pintail on a tag with glue on it.That stuff is bad when it binds to feathers.You can mix elmers glue with dirt and leaves for your base,it works well.Do some experiments and try different mixtures.