Fan mounting is a great way to preserve the memories you made this season and, unlike big Moose and Deer mounts, can look subtle enough to get the approval of even the non-hunters in your family. These mounts can be created using just a hand full of common household materials and do not require any taxidermy skills to achieve a great result. This article will walk you through step by step, from shot to wall, how to make a fan mount of your own.
As a proud turkey hunter, displaying your prized turkey fan is a great way to commemorate a successful hunt. While you can pay a taxidermist hundreds of dollars to professionally preserve a fan, it’s surprisingly easy to do it yourself with minimal time and effort. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process of saving a turkey fan for display in your home or man cave.
Gathering the Right Tools and Materials
Saving a turkey fan is simple and straightforward. All you’ll need is:
- A sharp knife to remove the fan
- Borax to preserve the feathers (available at most grocery stores)
- T-pins to secure the feathers
- A drying board like plywood or cardboard
- Optional: Rubber gloves and eye protection for safety
Some optional steps require a few additional supplies like a Coleman lantern, large coffee can, hair dryer, and auto body filler. We’ll go over these shortly.
Removing the Feathered Fan
Be extremely cautious not to cut any feathers – only slice the meat holding them together. If needed, use your fingers to gently separate the fan from tissue. Remove any excess fat or meat, but leave the feather bases intact.
Optional For extra cleaning, soak the fan in a degreasing solution like Coleman fuel before washing with dish soap.
Preserving the Feathers with Borax
Borax is the key to drying out the fan quickly without rotting. Liberally sprinkle it onto any exposed meat or skin on the feather bases. Massage it in to fully penetrate
Next, carefully spread the feathers into a fan shape. Push T-pins alongside the shaft of each feather working from the edges inward to hold the shape. Add more Borax along the base.
Allow the fan to dry for 1-3 weeks. Halfway through, flip it over and re-pin if needed. The Borax will harden and preserve the tissue.
Mounting Options for Display
Once totally dry, decide how you want to mount the feathered trophy. Options include:
- Attaching it to a decorative turkey tail plaque
- Making a custom wood, metal, or leather display board
- Using strong adhesive to affix it to a wall mount
- Incorporating it into a turkey hunting decoy
For a durable decoy fan consider applying auto body filler around the base before sanding smooth. This protects the feathers from wear.
Keeping Your Mounted Fan Looking Its Best
To clean dust or dirt from your displayed fan, gently wipe the feathers from base to tip using a soft cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol. Avoid water, which can damage the feathers. Limit direct sunlight exposure to prevent fading.
With the right materials and careful technique, preserving your prized gobbler tail fan is simple. Follow this guide to enjoy your trophy for years to come. From removing the fan and drying with Borax to creative mounting ideas, you now have all the information needed to save a turkey fan in your own home.
Step 4: Cleaning the Feathers
After the meat is all cleared up, you should just be left with the fat that is in between the feathers. As seen below, this fat is super oily and can be one of the main causes of the fan rotting if not properly cleaned. For this step, I like to use scissors to separate the quills, then use a wire brush to scrape out the fat.
Cleaning the fat in between feathers
Feathers mostly cleaned (far left)
Step 5: Preserving the Mount
After all the fat is removed from in between the feathers, it is time to start preserving the mount. Although some go as far as soaking the feathers in white gas to remove all the oil from the base, I find Borax sufficient at drying the feathers and ensuring there is nothing to rot.
Before adding the borax, spread the fan out on a piece of cardboard and pin the feathers where you want them using small tacks or toothpicks. Once you have all the feathers where you want them, spread the borax liberally over the base of the fan, ensuring it gets underneath and in all of the cracks that could contain meat or oil that could potentially lead to spoiling. I typically let my fan sit in this stage for at least two weeks, occasionally checking the fan and removing anything that looks out of the ordinary. The more time left in borax the better, so don’t be afraid to let it soak for up to a month.
After the settling period has ended, wipe off the extra borax and pin the feather back in place if they have moved. Once this is complete, it is time to prepare the fan for mounting. This is done by creating a plaster seal at the base of the fan that can eventually be screwed through and hung on the wall behind a plaque. Regular Bondo that you would find at a hardware store is great for making the plaster, spread over the base of the fan and left to dry overnight. By the morning, you should have a solid base that will hold your feathers in position and allow it to be hung up and displayed.
How to Preserve a Turkey Fan | Professional Quality
FAQ
How long does it take for a turkey fan to dry out?
Lay out the feathers on a piece of cardboard and use straight pins to tack them into a fan shape. Cover and let the dry for two to three weeks in a dry safe place.
Do turkey fans grow back?
If they loose feathers they will grow back. If the tips are just messed up a little they may not grow those back until next molt.
How to dry out a wet turkey fan?
You’ll want to leave your turkey fan to dry for at least a week. Then turn it over, pin if needed, and dry for another week. It may take up to three weeks to fully dry.
How to make turkey feathers look good again?
Wash em gud with dish soap let em dry then brush em flat. Take dye way better. Then i rub lite oil from my skin or nose back into them. Stand up fine in rain. Always will as the quill and feather is just stronger as its made to hold a 22lb bird up in the air.
How do you preserve a Turkey fan?
The basic tools and equipment needed for preserving a turkey fan are as follows: Additional, optional equipment: After your turkey has been harvested you can get to work on removing its breast and legs or immediately get its tail removed. The best way to remove a turkey tail for displaying as a fan is shown by Lake Pickle in the following video:
How do you prolong the life of a Turkey fan?
Alcohol and the thinner will evaporate away, leaving the feathers clean and dry. One other tip that will extend the life of your turkey fan is to keep it out of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will bleach and fade the feathers faster than you can call in another ol’ tom.
How to mount a turkey fan?
To mount a turkey fan, first cut the tail off from the rest of the skin. Keep enough of the back skin and feathers for a nice look on the fan, which can be trimmed later if needed (and saved for other crafts!).
How do you clean a turkey fan?
To clean a turkey fan, I typically mix up some Elmer’s and water and apply a couple light coats on the back and front of the fan by the base of the quills. This helps to tame the light downy feathers around the base.
How do I remove a fan After gutting a Turkey?
Removing the fan is one of the first things that I do after gutting the turkey in order to avoid unnecessary damage during the transport and cleaning process. Removing it is relatively easy, finding the tail bone just above the bird’s vent and cutting along it with a sharp knife.
How do you put a turkey tail on a board?
Using T-pins and placing the turkey tail on a board or foam board, push one pin into the base of the tail and then working from the outer feathers toward the middle place a T-pin alongside (but not through!) each feather’s shaft (or rachis). Sprinkle a little more Borax on the base of the tail after it’s set in place.