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Does anyone have an idea how long a duck (wrapped up of course) can stay in the freezer before you have it mounted? I have a Black that has been frozen for a while and I hope I haven't "missed the bus" on it so to speak. [img]images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]

SkippyJ, it mainly depends on how good the duck is wrapped up. Length of time varies from taxidermist to taxidermist, some say 3-6 months, others say that they are still good up to a year in the freezer.

My personal record is five years for a Black Duck that, due to a good taxidermist, turned out to be the best looking mount I have. (Out of 7)

I have a Gadwall in the freezer now going on three years.

Not reccomended, but hey it happens.

P.S. I'm not an expert. [img]images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

Im like booger I am not an expert, but my wife says if she had all the money I have spent on mounting animals, she could be driving the jaguar shes always wanted.

Anyway I had a Wegion in the freezer 4 years in nothing but a zip lock bag, and its one of the best looking mounts I own.

Thanks for the info Booger and Duckaholic, now if you could point me in the right direction of a "good" taxidermist in your neck of the woods. Oh yeah my "EX-WIFE" b!$tched about the same thing but now she doesn't have to worry about looking at them anymore!!! [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Ferrels in Union does good work. He does better on sitting ducks than flyin' but I'm picky on what a cupped up duck should look like.

Jay's down in Quitman is getting better at ducks every year.

None in Meridian (anymore) that I can strongly reccomend for ducks. While David Espey supports everything in Meridian (DU, Wildlife Expo, etc.) so I try and support him, but not with duck mounts.

There are others that I know very little about, so I'm leaving them out. If I had to get this Gadwall mounted today (without a visit to Jay's) I'd go to Ferrels.

She did not take your mounts??

skippy,

I am originally from Enterprise, and we have a taxidermist I take everthing to, does good work and good prices, he has won a ton of contest also. Name is Mikes Southern Taxidermy, on hwy 11. IF your looking around he is worth a look at. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Bobby Brown in Mendenhall. Best feather man. Go look at his ribbons.

We have two great guys in Hattiesburg, Drew and Kyle Turner. Turners Bros. Taxidermist, 601-5832638. I known um all my life, and they are fantastic. Won most every award available in the CONUSA and do beautiful ducks. But...you do get what you pay for. It ain't cheap. About $170 per bird last time I checked in with them. They mounted three mallards, cupped-up for me and they are coooool....P.S I must be lucky, my wife loves a house full of critters....

I here ya Model 12, my wife likes that stuff too. Its nice to be able to hang something on the wall win you want to and have it remain there.

Skippy J, what area are you from? A guy down here in Columbia does pretty good jobs on em'
Think the last time a buddy had some mounted it was around $75-90 bucks.

Thanks for the info guys, I gonna give these guys a call and compare work and prices. Blacklab I'm from the land of rolling hills and flooded pines [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] Until you've eaten a duck that has been feeding on pine cones, ya just aint lived. Better than Merganser!!! [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

As an ex-taxidermist: bad health; The lenght of time depends on the amount of wrap and other things. The bill, feet, legs and eyelids will shrink excessively if frozen and not properly wrapped and I am not talking freezer burn. You can wrap the head and feet in dampened paper towels to buy ome extra time and your wrappped fowl can also then be placed in a burped ziploc. Bill shrinkage can be repaired with some of the epoxies and shrunken legs and feet can be rehydrated and when once again soft can be injected to plump them up. A real problem is tying to deal with wings that are in stages of freezer burn. Best bet is not to hold any
bird longer than you know that this specimen is the bird you want mounted. IMHO [img]images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img]
I have mounted them 4-5 seasons old.

[ October 24, 2001: Message edited by: Swamp Rat ]