Turkey head care & prep
Before freezing (prep instructions)
A great mount starts with proper care both in the field and in the taxidermy studio. With a few minutes of extra time and attention to detail, you will be amazed at the results when you properly care for and prep your turkey heads.
1. Cut turkey head off from neck, saving however much of the neck & feathers you will need for mounting.
2. Cut below the wattles, leaving no feather line or up to 3 featherlines (your choice).
3. Roll/pull wattles back toward the beak and start skinning. Skin up to the ear only.
4. Chop the rest of the neck tissue off and discard. This saves shipping weight and freezer space.
5. Rinse and scrub the head.
6. Tag with any applicable customer information or pose information.
7. Freeze in water until you are ready to ship. PLEASE DO NOT SHIP FROZEN IN WATER!
1. Cut turkey head off from neck, saving however much of the neck & feathers you will need for mounting.
2. Cut below the wattles, leaving no feather line or up to 3 featherlines (your choice).
3. Roll/pull wattles back toward the beak and start skinning. Skin up to the ear only.
4. Chop the rest of the neck tissue off and discard. This saves shipping weight and freezer space.
5. Rinse and scrub the head.
6. Tag with any applicable customer information or pose information.
7. Freeze in water until you are ready to ship. PLEASE DO NOT SHIP FROZEN IN WATER!
Why freeze in water?
I recommend freezing turkey heads in water if you plan on storing them in the freezer for any time period over 1 month.
The idea is to prevent freezer burn. Freezer burn happens when the head stays in the freezer too long and starts to lose moisture. When we introduce water to the head, we are eliminating any AIR, and in turn eliminating freezer burn. You will be AMAZED at the quality of your heads once you start freezing in water. Just don’t ship them that way! The photos below show a head that has been frozen in water for nearly a year (on left) compared to one that was not. You can clearly see the difference! The skin remains fresh, supple, and detailed even nearly a year later!
A quick way to freeze in water is to use a plastic canister or tupperware-style container and add your heads then fill until water just barely covers. Let freeze, add a few more inches of water to cover any exposed flesh. If you skin out the necks, you will save space when freezing and shipping.
The idea is to prevent freezer burn. Freezer burn happens when the head stays in the freezer too long and starts to lose moisture. When we introduce water to the head, we are eliminating any AIR, and in turn eliminating freezer burn. You will be AMAZED at the quality of your heads once you start freezing in water. Just don’t ship them that way! The photos below show a head that has been frozen in water for nearly a year (on left) compared to one that was not. You can clearly see the difference! The skin remains fresh, supple, and detailed even nearly a year later!
A quick way to freeze in water is to use a plastic canister or tupperware-style container and add your heads then fill until water just barely covers. Let freeze, add a few more inches of water to cover any exposed flesh. If you skin out the necks, you will save space when freezing and shipping.
