# Now What?



## got em (Jan 25, 2011)

Ive read many of the topics on turkey hunting that have already been posted, and my question is about what to do once I have already shot my turkey, the now what moment, saying I am lucky enough. Once I shoot the turkey do I wanna "gut" it there or can I wait to get home? What is the best way to clean a turkey? What about the tail feathers? I would like to keep the fan, how do I cut or what do I do to preserve it? I would like to get your opinion on these and I appreciate it in advance!


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2011)

ive always taken mine home to do all the dressing. i just breast mine out and cut off the legs. as far as the tail fan, its kinda hard to explain, but if you feel around, you can probably feel where to cut them off at. just make sure you cut off too much flesh, instead of not enough. you can always cut more flesh off. same thing goes for the beard. im sure theres videos on youtube that can explain in greater detail on how to do it properly.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Gut him when you get back to camp or the truck if you're going home(otherwise they will bleed all over you as you tot him in). I normally pick 'um at the same time and they pick better the warmer the are. Ya gut 'em like any other bird, lift up the breast bone and cut a smiley face, reach in and grab the guts and pull'em out. Cut around the vent and make the disconnect, you're done with the guts. Now, reach up in there and rip out the heart and lungs. On the other end, you got a big old crop, usually full of stuff like leaves or nuts or sprouts, carefully remove it with the contents intact. DO NOT REMOVE THE BEARD OR HEAD...YOU NEED THEM AS PROOF OF SEX! Cut the whole big tail off where it is attached to the body, close the fan up and wrap it gently with paper towel and store it in a safe place until you get home. If you want the fan preserved "fanned out", nail it to a board in that position and sprinkle a generous amount of borax on the meat, in a couple months it will be dry and ready to mount along with the beard. A lot of hunters cut a one inch section of the leg off that has the spur attached and save them for mounting with the beard and tail or they can be put on a necklace, etc. I actually prefer to save the entire leg from the knee down.
One more thing...if you are planning on having your first bird mounted, ask Tex...a regular on this forum...the best procedure for "after the kill. 
And one more tip...while he's a floppin there on the ground, run up and get a foot on his neck as close to his head as you can, he will settle down and pass on to that giant roostin' tree in the sky without a struggle...then look in the air and thank the good lord for your good luck!


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Get him to my taxidermy shop whole and un-gutted. I will skin him while you wait and send you home with all the meat. Then we can talk about how you want him mounted...


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Of course, ya could just take him to Tex's shop and let him do all the dirty work...Dah!


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> Get him to my taxidermy shop whole and un-gutted. I will skin him while you wait and send you home with all the meat. Then we can talk about how you want him mounted...


 :lol:


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## ajwildcat (Mar 27, 2008)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> Get him to my taxidermy shop whole and un-gutted. I will skin him while you wait and send you home with all the meat. Then we can talk about how you want him mounted...


Tex, what city is your shop in? Also what is the ball park price for a full body mount?


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

ajwildcat said:


> TEX-O-BOB said:
> 
> 
> > Get him to my taxidermy shop whole and un-gutted. I will skin him while you wait and send you home with all the meat. Then we can talk about how you want him mounted...
> ...


I'm in Kaysville a little north of LaGoon. For all my info on prices and lots of pictures to look at go to my web sight.  www.birdfishtaxidermist.com


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## got em (Jan 25, 2011)

Thanks for all the advice I was thinking of doing by my truck since I have a 2 hour drive home. And BP one of the first things I will do is the thank the good Lord! Saying I do get one that is!! Now borax I can just get at any store?


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

> If you want the fan preserved "fanned out", nail it to a board in that position and sprinkle a generous amount of borax on the meat, in a couple months it will be dry and ready to mount


 :| This information is FALSE! (no offense BP)

If you don't flesh ALL the meat off and most the fat and leave ONLY the connective tissue, you'll have a stinky, nasty, bug magnet hanging on your wall.

If you wanna do it _right_ fallow these instructions.

1. Flesh all the meat and fat from the quill butts. (I use a high speed wire wheel)
2. Wash the tail in Dawn dish soap and HOT water.
3. Wring the excess water out and blow dry it with a hair dryer.
4. Preen the feathers and fan them out how you want on a piece of cardboard.
5. Brush a small amount of car wax under the feather butts on the cardboard so the glue won't stick to the cardboard.
6. You can use hot glue but I prefer Bondo. Mix some up and carefully spread onto and cover the feather butts with he show (front) side up first. Then after the bondo kicks and cools, turn the fan over and do the other side. 
There, now you have a clean, sturdy, bug proof tail fan hanging on your wall instead of a smelly moth farm. Your wife/mother will love you!

If this sounds like too much work, I agree, bring it to me and I'll do it for you.


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## got em (Jan 25, 2011)

So I checked out your website Tex and if I only want the tail feathers but not the whole turkey done how much would that be? I didnt see that in your pricing.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

got em said:


> So I checked out your website Tex and if I only want the tail feathers but not the whole turkey done how much would that be? I didnt see that in your pricing.


PM sent


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## ACHY (Oct 18, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> > If you want the fan preserved "fanned out", nail it to a board in that position and sprinkle a generous amount of borax on the meat, in a couple months it will be dry and ready to mount
> 
> 
> :| This information is FALSE! (no offense BP)
> ...


Or you can do what I did on my first. I tried the above process, but got bogged down on step one. So I plucked all the feathers, cleaned them individually, and then carefully laid them out and glued them back together.


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