Turkey fan mount?

[afishinman14]

In preparation for turkey season does anyone have a good breakdown on mounting/preserving a turkey fan? Including how to remove it from the bird.

Maybe there's already a good thread on this?

[Axe Man]

To cut it off, you hold the feathers and feel the little ridge it makes and just slice it off. To mount it, I open the fan and pin it down on a board then use bondo just above the meat to get it to set in that position. I then cut the bottom meaty part off and finish up the rest of the bottom with bondo. Mounted the same day it was killed!

[Patton]

Turkey fan mount?

Tagged I'll try to come back and right a better report on how I do it when I'm not on my phone. In my opinion, if you mount a bird the same day you kill it- your asking to get bugs. A turkey fan is composed of the big fan, and two 'mini' fans. You need to separate the three, and clean out as much of the yellow fat as possible. Cut out the tail bone at the base of the fan, and apply borax. Fully fanned open, and pinned (or use a coat hanger w/clips) to a piece of cardboard. I usually do at least 3 weeks, changing out the borax a few times.

[kornsqueezer]

Tagged I'll try to come back and right a better report on how I do it when I'm not on my phone. In my opinion, if you mount a bird the same day you kill it- your asking to get bugs. A turkey fan is composed of the big fan, and two 'mini' fans. You need to separate the three, and clean out as much of the yellow fat as possible. Cut out the tail bone at the base of the fan, and apply borax. Fully fanned open, and pinned (or use a coat hanger w/clips) to a piece of cardboard. I usually do at least 3 weeks, changing out the borax a few times.

Best way, I know. have one with 5 beards been mounted for around 13 years. no bugs using this method.

[Eric C]

Tagged I'll try to come back and right a better report on how I do it when I'm not on my phone. In my opinion, if you mount a bird the same day you kill it- your asking to get bugs. A turkey fan is composed of the big fan, and two 'mini' fans. You need to separate the three, and clean out as much of the yellow fat as possible. Cut out the tail bone at the base of the fan, and apply borax. Fully fanned open, and pinned (or use a coat hanger w/clips) to a piece of cardboard. I usually do at least 3 weeks, changing out the borax a few times.

Agree with cardboard and borax soap. It's very easy to do but I let mine sit 2 weeks and it was fine.

[Texantax]

As stated before, clean as much as the meat and fat as you can off and then coat with borax. Use painters tape to secure it to the cardboard. It keeps the fan just how you laid it down and peels right off the feathers.

[gumbl3]

I did one ten years ago.. I fleshed the meat off every feather and pinned them down as I went to a piece of foam so I didn't lose my place. Only took a couple hours and a six pack. Then I just bondoed the whole thing together and put the brass end of the shell in the middle to hide the ugly with the beard hanging down at the bottom. So far no bugs and still looks good.

[afishinman14]

So the feathers stay "hinged" together at the bottom while mounted right? Even though you cut out the tail bone.

Surely you're not placing each feather in, individually.

[TxTyler]

So the feathers stay "hinged" together at the bottom while mounted right? Even though you cut out the tail bone.

Surely you're not placing each feather in, individually.

yeah you basically are grabbing the tail al together and snipping it off with a bit extra skin so that all feathers are still together.

I take the beard and do the same thing. If you leave some of the feathers around the beard still in tact, you can fan those out in to a circle and mount that directly over the bottom of the tail feathers to hide the not so great looking parts.

I will post a picture in a second to show how mine turned out.

[TxTyler]

I did as TexasTaxi mentioned. I spread the fan out, pulled as much meat off as I could then I covered the meaty area with borax and spread the fan out on top of a sheet of plywood. I then used "u" shaped nails, tacks to hold the fan open on to the plywood. I put another sheet of plywood on top and added a little weight to help it dry open and flat. I left it for about a month to dry. Not sure if that is necessary, but that's what I did.

I did the same thing for the beard and the feathers spread out in a circle around it. Plywood on bottom and top with a little weight so it would dry flat and spread out like I wanted it to.

[Patton]

So the feathers stay "hinged" together at the bottom while mounted right? Even though you cut out the tail bone.

Surely you're not placing each feather in, individually.

Correct, but I have had few feathers separate more than once. Reason being is that I am as thorough as possible when removing the fat/tissue. I try to leave as little as possible holding the feathers together, let it cure for with borax for a few weeks, and then apply bondo.

In my opinion- what makes a good mount is getting the fan to lay open 180* if possible. Some birds are missing a few feathers and dont always open 180*. Also I try to have the feathers to be as symmetrical as possible. Below is one of the better mounts I have done. The green band in the feathers of the smallest fan is pretty fluid, as is the 'middle fan' and main fan. The sun coming through the window washed out the edges of the mount in this picture. Not a perfect mount, but this is the best one I have made.

[TxTyler]

[dkmossoak]

I am liking that fan with the driftwood, could almost see it free standing.

[Patton]

I am liking that fan with the driftwood, could almost see it free standing.

It is free standing on a shelf (if you were talking about mine)

TxTyler, nice work man. I think I may have to copy you on a mount like that.

[afishinman14]

What about preserving the fan until it's time to work on it? I'm assuming like most other things, I can put it in a freezer for a week or two until I have time?