I'm just courious, I know it's subject to opinion, but that's what I am looking for.
I am asked all the time, "how do you think I should pose it?" I tell them "it's your bird do what you like, I like standing relaxed birds.
So that ogt me thinking.
As taxidermists we see alot of different poses.
If you where going to mount a bird for yourself, what would be the first pose that came to mind?
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My favorite pose is the dropping in to land. Where I would suspended them form the ceiling. I love the look of a hole mess of birds dropping in to land.
I don't think there is one pose for "waterfowl"...which has diving ducks, puddle ducks, tree ducks, geese, etc...nature has provided each species with their own uniqueness. If you've ever hunted waterfowl, you know the air-ripping sound made by a flock of teal buzzing by...much different than a big honker gliding in with his head up and looking from 100 yards away...or a Wood Duck's seemingly imposible twisting through the branches of a flooded oak stand compared to an Eider barely skimming the ocean waves. Same for standing poses... a diver standing on one foot isn't going to be a pose I'll do, but great for a puddle duck. I believe each species may have "best" poses...ie a swimming Hooded Merganser with his crest up and throat wide is a great pose for that particular species, but don't believe there is one single "best" pose for all the diverse "waterfowl".
They also seem easier to me for some reason.
I would have to say the easiest pose to mount. I hate when a customer comes in and either cant decide or has a pose that he just cant explain. He wants the head 30 degrees left, one foot like this and one like this, wings almost like a picture but not quite. You know what I mean. It gets to the point that you offer just certain poses and thats it. Some guys can drive you crazy. Thank god we have the internet so guys can surf and find just the right pose, and print a photo of it. I persnally hate standing poses. i cant tell you how many guys have wanted me to fix up a standing pose that the cat got to or the dog, because they had it on the coffee table. On the wall is the only way, or under glass. Im a hunter and I like to have a bird mounted in the same position that it was harvested in. Most of the time that is bombing into the decoys. I have to agree with kennedy, an entire flock bombing in is a sight that can make any hunters heart race.