Pheasant Taxidermy Questions

[Sackett]

Some friends and I will be going Pheasant hunting in Kansas. I'd like to bring one back to have mounted. I've never hunted pheasant so what should I do to preserve it for the trip home and any taxidermist recommendations?

[mjhaverkamp]

Some friends and I will be going Pheasant hunting in Kansas. I'd like to bring one back to have mounted. I've never hunted pheasant so what should I do to preserve it for the trip home and any taxidermist recommendations?

I would just order one, there is a taxidermist in South Dakota, it is called Petes Taxidermy, he has hundreds of them and they were all pen raised so you get a perfect mount, he is really good.

[Buckshot-73]

I have 2 mounted by Ram taxidermy.

Before I went, he suggested buying the cheapest pantyhose, and dropping the bird head first, then ice or freeze.

Keeps the feathers in place.

[austin.28]

Pantyhose put the bird in head first, and then put it on ice or freeze it until your ready to take it to the taxy


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[Low Fence]

Pantyhose can ruin a bird. Just buy one. It’s what most do. Even the taxidermist in pheasant county take yours and exchange with a pen raised perfect bird a LOT.

But if you want presumably yours:

Keep dry and babysit it
Wrap feet in moist paper towel
Fold head back onto back
Put in trash bag... cause tail won’t fit in zip lock
Remove all air and freeze

[stevieray54]

X 2 on Buckshot. Nylon stocking or panty hose keep's feather's tight i also wrap in news paper and put in trash bag. Keep's it dry and from freezer or frost

[Shurshot]

pantyhose is the way to go.

[texas shag]

Pantyhose can ruin a bird. Just buy one. It’s what most do. Even the taxidermist in pheasant county take yours and exchange with a pen raised perfect bird a LOT.

But if you want presumably yours:

Keep dry and babysit it
Wrap feet in moist paper towel
Fold head back onto back
Put in trash bag... cause tail won’t fit in zip lock
Remove all air and freeze

What low fence said is what pat at avian arts has told me to do with my birds last year when I went to Kansas to kill ditch parrots. He instructed me not to use newspaper or pantyhose. Seeing as pat Mcgruder is one of the nations best bird taxidermists, I would follow his instructions.

[Sackett]

Pantyhose can ruin a bird. Just buy one. It’s what most do. Even the taxidermist in pheasant county take yours and exchange with a pen raised perfect bird a LOT.

But if you want presumably yours:

Keep dry and babysit it
Wrap feet in moist paper towel
Fold head back onto back
Put in trash bag... cause tail won’t fit in zip lock
Remove all air and freeze

I appreciate the advice, but I DO want my bird done, not someone else's. That'd be like taking a whitetail I earned by hard work and determination over to a taxi and telling him, nah, just give me one off your wall that looks close.... That memory means too much to me to take a pen-raised bird.

Y'all calling pheasants "Ditch Parrots"; are they not good to eat? I guess I always had them in my head as a "Regal" bird species?

[thegrouse]

I eat them. We deep fry them and they turn out good.

[texas shag]

I appreciate the advice, but I DO want my bird done, not someone else's. That'd be like taking a whitetail I earned by hard work and determination over to a taxi and telling him, nah, just give me one off your wall that looks close.... That memory means too much to me to take a pen-raised bird.

Y'all calling pheasants "Ditch Parrots"; are they not good to eat? I guess I always had them in my head as a "Regal" bird species?

No, they are great to eat if prepared right. They are just colorful and make loud noises like a parrot, and you will see them running in roadside ditches. It’s a common slang name for them among the bird hunting crowd.

[Jmh05]

Ditch parrot only second to corn eating giraffe parakeet ha ha.

[mjhaverkamp]

I appreciate the advice, but I DO want my bird done, not someone else's. That'd be like taking a whitetail I earned by hard work and determination over to a taxi and telling him, nah, just give me one off your wall that looks close.... That memory means too much to me to take a pen-raised bird.

Y'all calling pheasants "Ditch Parrots"; are they not good to eat? I guess I always had them in my head as a "Regal" bird species?

Na, no different than having a replica made of a fish, you will get a better mount with the pen raised bird but I do understand your stance, hope you get a bunch of them.

[mdnabors]

What low fence said is what pat at avian arts has told me to do with my birds last year when I went to Kansas to kill ditch parrots. He instructed me not to use newspaper or pantyhose. Seeing as pat Mcgruder is one of the nations best bird taxidermists, I would follow his instructions.

This...Pat did an amazing job on my KS pheasant! Has a Pintail for me now too

[WildThings]

Pantyhose can ruin a bird. But if you want presumably yours:

Keep dry and babysit it
Wrap feet in moist paper towel
Fold head back onto back
Put in trash bag... cause tail won’t fit in zip lock
Remove all air and freeze

Don't use the panty hose and never use newspaper. The pantyhose will cause more problems with the feathers than it will help. Newspaper, paper towels or anything like that will suck the moisture out of the bird and cause it to freezer burn quickly.
Keep it cold and dry.
For long term freezer wrap the feet in WET paper towels.
Fold the head under the wing or along the back. Never leave it extended. That's a good way to get the head broke off after it's frozen.

Use 2 gallon size ziplocks and double bag it. Leave the tail sticking out but don't zip over it, Squeeze out as much air as possible

Good luck on your hunt and we love pictures

WT