# Taxidermy



## Quack Addict (Oct 12, 2003)

I'm looking for some different ideas for Taxidermy on Ducks. I shot a beautiful Drake Bufflehead this year and want to preserve the memory. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance


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## PAPPY (Dec 30, 2004)

Quack, First--wall or table? I'm tired of doing flying wall mounts because of the limits of what you can do. Standing mounts are my favorite due to the unlimited possabilities. Hers a few of my favorites I try to talk my customers into:

Bufflehead:.1) relaxed almost asleep position, one leg standing head turned partially under wing, but not so much to hide the bill--a partial relaxed postion!! not totally asleep

2) Ever seen them standing on a stump or whatever with one wing stretched out preening them selves? Thats a good one too!

3) Have you done any work with acrylic plastic water? fun, time consuming,but its for yourself right?
Quack the ideas are limitless if you put your mind to it--the more creative you get the more time it takes. The Buffleheads main focal point is the beautiful head,, so make sure your mount draws attention to the head in a standing mount.

Hope this is some help--if I can be of any help with your waterfowl Taxidermy questions plese feel free to e-mail me or ask on these forums
PAPPY
[email protected] :beer:


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## waterdog (Sep 23, 2003)

I think you should mount it just like you shot it... :sniper: 
right next to a decoy... :lol: ......just kidding


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## fishunt (Jan 24, 2004)

in my optian is standing is looks better than flying bec it show more colorful and looking than flying stuff good luck :wink:


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

Driftwood is always a nice touch.


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## Matt Jones (Mar 6, 2002)

Driftwood and cattails always look nice. I saw a bufflehead coming out of a hole in a tree at a sportshow once and thought it was a different mount.


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## PAPPY (Dec 30, 2004)

I have done a few woodie hens in a hole but can't say I have ever seen a bufflehead in a hole of a tree!
Do buffleheads nest in tree holes? Thats a question I don't know the answer too. 
If they do, then thats a great idea!


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

Do an image search or look through books or waterfowl magazines. I have gotten a lot of good ideas from that. I have a drake standing on a log and I added some rushes around the mount. I've seen flying bufflehead mounts and don't really care much for them. Get the head, as someone mentioned to be the focal point. Also I have mine so the sun in the room can only hit the head for a short time in the day and it really brings out some neat colors in it that you normally don't notice.


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## Ref (Jul 21, 2003)

Rather than have single mounts done, I opted to have a whitefront, blue and snow goose all in one setting. They are mounted into the corner of my family room. There is a windrow of barley on the base. The snow goose is feeding, the blue goose is at alert and the whitefront is mounted on an old fencepost with barabedwire strands coming out the sides. The adult whitefront is attached to the fencepost with wings cupped, feet out and looking like it is going to land with the snow and blue goose.

I also have three roosters in my office. They are mounted on an old tree stump with the roots coming out. Each rooster is on a seperate root. The one in the middle is unique because it has no red pigment in it's feathers. His feathers on his body are all gold and/or black. The only red on that bird is the membrane around it's eyes. All these were wild birds shot in ND.

I'll try to get som pics of these two mounts in the next few days.


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## purepower (Sep 11, 2004)

id say mount them and then make an aquarium scene and put it standing in the aquarium to make it look like hes in his natural habitat. just an idea seen some cool ones wiht wood ducks.


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## Matt Jones (Mar 6, 2002)

PAPPY said:


> I have done a few woodie hens in a hole but can't say I have ever seen a bufflehead in a hole of a tree!
> Do buffleheads nest in tree holes? Thats a question I don't know the answer too.
> If they do, then thats a great idea!


Buffleheads, goldeneyes, hooded mergansers, and wood ducks are all cavity nesters. 8)


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## Anas Strepera (Nov 10, 2004)

That would look pretty cool. :run:


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Goldy, not a good idea to let sunlight ever hit your mount...Over time it will fade the colors on your bird! FYI...Buffleheads are one of the nicest birds you can ever mount! Flying mounts look nice with them, except try a table mount rather than the traditional wall mount! It gives your bird a 3 D appearence!


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## mallardhunter (May 15, 2004)

I would do a standing mount on a piece of diftwood.


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

> Goldy, not a good idea to let sunlight ever hit your mount...Over time it will fade the colors on your bird!


Yep, I agree it does. The set up that I have I control with the vertical blinds on the window and it is never hitting the bird when I am not around. I usually will just kick back with a cold bev. from time to time and open the blind at that time of day and just enjoy the colors for a bit. I'll be 6 feet under before fading is an issue with this. As far as a flying mount goes, to each their own, I just haven't run across one yet that looks as good as the standing mount on this particular bird.


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