How to Cut Off a Turkey Fan

You don’t have to be a professional taxidermist to preserve a wild turkey’s fan. You can mount those tailfeathers quickly and easily with materials you probably already own.

But before worrying about your fan mount, take care of the meat. Your priorities are butchering the bird and cooling its meat. Besides, a turkey fan has only a small patch of flesh that can spoil.

To remove the tail fan from the carcass, fold the tailfeathers together and grip them as one unit. With a sharp knife, sever the tail from the carcass just above the anus by cutting through the triangular patch of flesh at the tailfeathers’ base.

If dirt or blood is on the fan, gently wash the feathers with soap and water. Dry the fan with a blowdryer on low heat, smoothing the feathers with your fingers until their barbs intertwine again. Get rid of the unnecessary smaller feathers. Photo Credit: Hunters Specialties

Once the tail is clean, flip the fan so its back faces up, and then cut off the flesh and smaller feathers behind the tailfeathers. Leave most of the smaller, covert feathers on the fan’s front side. However, feel free to pluck any of those feathers to make the mount look symmetrical. Cut off the tailbone. Photo Credit: Hunters Specialties

With a pair of scissors, cut the tailbone from the fleshy area on the front and back of the fan. Remove excess flesh. Photo Credit: Hunters Specialties

With a sharp knife or scalpel, remove excess flesh at the base of the fan on the front and back. Be sure to remove the oil gland, which is on the front of the fan in the center of the flesh. Separate each quill. Photo Credit: Hunters Specialties

Using your knife or scalpel, cut the flesh in between the base of each quill, separating them from each other. Clean any easily accessible flesh you see there. Then, with a wire brush, scrape the fat and flesh, brushing toward the tail’s base. Repeat this step on the front and back until most of the fat and flesh are removed. Coat the flesh with borax. Photo Credit: Hunters Specialties

Once the flesh and fat are mostly removed, coat the fleshy areas with borax, working it into all fleshy areas. The borax dries up the grease and deters insects. Lay the fan out flat on a piece of cardboard to dry. Photo Credit: Hunters Specialties

Now, lay the fan on a piece of cardboard. Fan the feathers into the desired shape and use pins to stake the fan into position. Once the fan is spread out the way you want, set it aside to dry for a week or two. You can use auto body filler to speed up the process. Photo Credit: Hunters Specialties

A faster path to the same results is to use auto-body filler. Lay out the fan how you want it, and pin it into place as described above. Now, mix up some body filler and apply it to the base of the quills where the flesh was. Body filler sets up in minutes (see the manufacturer’s instructions), which saves lots of time.

Once the fan is dried in place, mount it to a commercially produced fan plaque, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

When a turkey hunter successfully harvests a turkey, one of the prized souvenirs is the turkey’s fan of tail feathers. The colorful, fanned tail makes a great decorative piece to display. However, to preserve the fan, you must carefully cut it off the turkey and properly treat it. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to cut off and preserve a turkey tail fan.

Supplies Needed

Sharp knife
Wire brush or toothbrush

Pliers or wire cutters
Borax
Small nails, pins or staples

Cardboard or wooden board to mount fan

Step 1: Wait Until the Turkey Is Fully Deceased

It’s important not to cut the fan off until the turkey is completely dead and inert Attempting to cut the fan off too soon could damage the feathers and leave blood stains Be patient and wait several minutes after harvesting your bird before proceeding.

Step 2: Locate the Fin Bones

Turn the turkey over onto its back and spread the tail feathers to expose the base where the feathers attach You’ll notice a triangular shaped bone structure called the pygostyle where the feathers connect, This is what you’ll need to cut through

Step 3: Cut Through the Pygostyle

Using a sharp knife, make a cut through the middle of the pygostyle bone to detach the two sides. Try to cut as close to the bone as possible to get a clean break and avoid cutting feather quills. Once the pygostyle is severed down the middle, you can spread the feathers even further apart.

Step 4: Scrape off Meat and Fat

Use a wire brush, toothbrush or pliers to scrape off any excess meat, fat or tendons around the base of the feather quills. Try to remove as much tissue as possible to prevent rotting. You may also use borax at this point to help dry out the tissue.

Step 5: Remove the Oil Gland

Near the base of the feather quills you’ll find a small yellow or brown gland called the uropygial gland or preen gland. This needs to be removed completely to prevent oozing. Use pliers or wire cutters to cut it off.

Step 6: Fan Out the Feathers

With the pygostyle cut, you can now spread the feather completely into a fan shape. Arrange them how you want them to look for displaying.

Step 7: Mount the Fan onto a Board

Place the feather bases against a piece of cardboard or thin board. Use pins, nails or staples to secure the quills in the fanned out position. Apply more borax liberally around the base.

Step 8: Let the Fan Dry

Keep the fan mounted for several weeks to allow it to fully dry out. Replace the borax 1-2 times per week. As it dries, the feathers will stiffen into the fanned shape.

Step 9: Create a Hanging Mount

Once dried, you can decorate the cardboard or remount the fan onto a plaque, shield, or hanging display as desired. Add a label with details like the date, location, and beard length.

Properly cutting off and preserving the tail fan allows you to proudly display this trophy from your successful hunt for years to come. With caution and care, the vibrant feathers will remain in great condition to remind you of the memorable experience. Follow these steps whenever you harvest a gobbler to obtain a decorative souvenir.

how to cut off a turkey fan

Adding the Beard You can create another layer and add the beard to your mount. Photo Credit: Hunters Specialties

You can also add your turkey’s beard to the mount. Gather the beard in your hand and cut it from the breast near the base, leaving some skin connected to the beard’s base.

Scrape off the flesh with a knife or scalpel.

Coat the flesh with borax, work it into the flesh, and let it dry.

Add the beard to the fan mount, per the manufacturer’s instructions. Share this…