What's On Your Workbench December 2022

Wow , you all been doing some awesome work .. as usual .. Myself , well we have a drought in Kalifornicstan and didn’t get any water for our lease so didn’t have a place to hunt this season that’s worth a crap anyways so many of my customers haven’t been shooting birds this season .. Been a ton of birds around but refuges are tough to get in in on weather days .. As my hunting goes so goes my taxidermy … But I have finally had a few start trickling in … And they’re all full of pinfeathers .. like this Tarbelly Speck … head and neck all pins , back and tail .. but it’s a trophy so I had to try and god decided to give me a little grace cus it’s turning out pretty good so far … mounted the tiger belly blue a few weeks back ..

 

I’ve skinned and fleshed 5 specks this week all killed in Arkansas last January, and all had pins. One was loaded with them. I mount them anyway.

 

Brewers ? They all look a little different..

 

I do too , long as they don’t loose too many feathers .. Ive had them loose so many feathers it’s funny .. I mount the ones that come out decent after drying , some I throw away or use for tying flies … I let the clients know ahead of time … if the feathers fall out forget it … I don't have the patients to try and glue feathers back in place when I have a bag full … Badly pined birds are always a crap shoot for me .. Some work out , some don’t …

 

A nice pintail, young baddie and a good Ross goose. Todays it's a very young pintail. Not sure it can be saved. Only half a tail. We just don't get them here in Ohio so if someone does get one it's usually getting mounted regardless of the condition.

 

Hey Jim I know what ya mean I got this one in this year from SE Michigan during the 2022 late season split. Big Bull Pintail. Waiting on a body and head then I'll get him mounted up.

 

That's a nice sprig! Have fun mounting it up.

 

Yeah it is. It has a little more of a brown tint to the head in person but it’s mostly just green!