# First attempt to mount a duck



## Fireaway (Apr 17, 2009)

This is my first attempt at taxidermy other than turkey tail fans. I am pretty happy with the whole thing except for its lower back. I think the skin got a little stretched out and that is causing the ruffled appearance. 
Hope yall enjoy


----------



## cball917 (Apr 17, 2009)

looks good


----------



## John2 (Apr 17, 2009)

very nice for a first try!


----------



## Arrow3 (Apr 17, 2009)

Looks good to me...


----------



## wingding (Apr 17, 2009)

good job! how long did it take you.thinking about doing one myself


----------



## fi8shmasty (Apr 17, 2009)

Not Bad. I like it.


----------



## Dustin Pate (Apr 17, 2009)

Not bad for a first try for sure. I would be proud to be able to do that.


----------



## Fireaway (Apr 18, 2009)

wingding said:


> good job! how long did it take you.thinking about doing one myself



It took about 5 hours for me to skin and de-flesh/ de-fat the hide, but it definately would not take someone experienced at it that long. I then froze the skin while I waited on the foam body from van dyke's to come in the mail. After the body arrived I thawed the duck out and washed the skin and feathers with dawn dish detergent and then white gas. Mounting and drying the bird onto the body took me all afternoon one day because I had very little instruction, and was not really sure how to get the wings, feet, head, and neck wired up correctly.


----------



## clent586 (Apr 19, 2009)

Looks alot better than some of the ones posted here.......and they actually paid someone to do those!


----------



## Take Em Matt 2 (Apr 19, 2009)

SICK!!!!!!!!!!!! and youre not even a taxidermist!!!!!!!!!!!! what are you going to mount next???


----------



## Skyjacker (Apr 22, 2009)

For someone that has had a lot of birds mounted but never done one myself, how hard was it to deflesh the bird?  I heard that it takes a long long time.


----------



## MustangMAtt30 (Apr 23, 2009)

clent586 said:


> Looks alot better than some of the ones posted here.......and they actually paid someone to do those!



Hahahaha!!!!!


----------



## Fireaway (Apr 25, 2009)

Skyjacker said:


> For someone that has had a lot of birds mounted but never done one myself, how hard was it to deflesh the bird?  I heard that it takes a long long time.



It was hard for me because I used a regular ole wire wheel mounted to an electric air fan that had the blades taken off of it. Some stray wires were a little long, and if I went too far with it the wire would begin to rip a hole in the hide.  If you could get access to a taxidermists fleshing wheel, and possibly his advise, it would probably make it easier and not take so long.
However I must say that after doing my first one I think I could do it again and make it look much better.


----------



## SELFBOW (Apr 25, 2009)

That is a great first attempt. I have tried numerous animals and ducks are difficult.
Congrats!!


----------



## Boudreaux (Apr 27, 2009)

I think that's a good first attempt.


----------



## 11P&YBOWHUNTER (Apr 27, 2009)

Looks better than my first.  That poor Black Duck looked like a B52!!!  Yours looks nice..


----------



## Medicine Man (Apr 27, 2009)

Boudreaux said:


> I think that's a good first attempt.



I completely agree..And it really does look better than some of the paid mounts I've seen lately.


----------



## XTREME HUNTER (Apr 27, 2009)

Good Job,
1st bird or not I think it looks good


----------



## Gut_Pile (Apr 29, 2009)

Looks good!


----------



## sullivanfire1 (Apr 29, 2009)

*Got a funny feelin !!*

Got a funny feelin you might be mounting more of these for your buds and others, BTW how much will u charge me to mount a couple of woodies next season?

Great job, that bird looks better mounted than he ever did in real life.


----------



## Fireaway (Apr 29, 2009)

sullivanfire1 said:


> much will u charge me to mount a couple of woodies next season?



I have heard that wood ducks have much thinner skin, and are more difficult to mount than mallards. I plan on trying to mount one of those this winter though. I am definately not comfortable charging someone to do a mount. 

Thanks for all the kind words though folks.


----------



## bassfishga (May 1, 2009)

Looks good. Coming from an artist, you will usually be your worst critic.


----------



## greenhead84 (May 1, 2009)

great job, now stop blaming my fabulous fleshing wheel!


----------

