Dukats Journal of Hunting

You finally make plans for that once in a lifetime trip to Nebraska to hunt the rare prairie chicken of the plains.  You have read all the articles, found the perfect location, and trained your dogs on making that rock solid point.  The day arrives when you set out on the open road, your truck loaded with gear, and begin the trip.

How do you make sure when the dogs lock up, and you make that perfect crossing shot on a mature male prairie chicken, that you’ll remember that day for the rest of your life.  This article will give you the tools to make it a success. 

Field care of your trophy is critical to giving your taxidermist what he needs to make it come back to life.  With a little preparation you can give him a bird worth mounting.   If you truly want to assure the birds don’t have ruffled feathers, after your dog locks up, the bird flushes, and you fire the lethal shot, call your dog off the retrieve.  Some dogs can bring a bird to your hand without a ruffled feather, but more likely than not, the dog will leave evidence that he made the retrieve.   For some, this is part of the memory, so a few feathers out of place is worth seeing your good buddy in action.

The nylon stocking will keep the feathers layered naturally and prevent damage in your vest or in your vehicle.  Once back from the day of hunting, place the bird in a plastic bag (or two) and put it in the freezer.  The plastic bag will help keep the bird from being burned in the freezer.  Then you just need to get the bird to the taxidermist.  The sooner the better, especially with upland birds.  They have very little fat and can freezer burn easily.  Three to six months should be the maximum they are left in the freezer.

If you have to transport it for long distances, get it frozen first.  Once frozen you can keep it in a cooler with ice, but don’t allow it to get wet.  Water is hard on the feathers and causes bacteria, so the less it is exposed to water the better.  Make sure you are careful with the feathers as you move the bird around to keep from bending or breaking any of them.

Another great tip, if there is slight damage to your bird and  if you are lucky enough to take two birds, keep tail feathers or even the entire second bird to give to the taxidermist.  He can use the feathers  to make your mount that much better.  And never try to skin the bird yourself.  This is a difficult process and is much better left to an expert.  Often people will try to salt or worse, salt and freeze the bird and it will be ruined even if the skinning was perfect.  That’s what your taxidermist is paid to do, let him handle it.   

The final thing to remember is not all taxidermy is the same.  An expert taxidermist at mounting elk, may be equally as bad at mounting a sage grouse.  Make sure you have a taxidermist picked out before the trip.  Try to look at his work in person to be sure your happy with it.  In my opinion, making a bird look natural is the most difficult taxidermy there is, and there is nothing worse than getting the long anticipated bird back only to find out it looks more like a drowned rat.

Good luck on your dream trip and remember these tips to assure your treasure will be with you for years to come.