I have been mouinting birds for 3 years now and they have for the most part turn out good. I have competed with them and done well. I hear guys talk about using caulk could someone tell me about the advantages,and where to use it or should I just keep doing it the way I am. than you for your imput. alex
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I use caulk extensively in my bird work. It does take some practice and a whole lot of cussin' to get good with it and not get it on feathers.
On commercial ducks, I caulk the wings, head, and tail slot. On competition I caulk almost the enitre bird (head, neck, wings, side pockets, seam, back, tail slot). I use a "Monoject Curved Tip Syringe" from Dixieland Supply to inject caulk in ducks.
On turkeys, I caulk the wings (if opened), back, chest/neck, and sometimes the belly.
To me the advantages of caulk are numerous. On open wing birds, I don't rebuild the muscle in the radiu/ulna area (I use caulk). The caulk in the head give it a nice smooth shape. The caulk in the tail slot makes the tail rigid. On your competition birds, the caulk helps to keep the skin form shifting over time. So, you can take the bird to a show a year or two from now and everything is exactly as it was when the bird was first mounted.