How to Preserve a Turkey for Mounting After the Hunt

Spring turkey season is short. The window to kill a mature tom is even shorter. When you finally fill your tag on a bird worth mounting, the last thing you want is to ruin it before it ever reaches the taxidermist.

Here's exactly what to do in the field to make sure your bird stays preserved the right way for your trophy mount.

The Problem Most Turkey Hunters Run Into

Turkeys are big birds, a mature tom can run 20+ pounds. That size means more mass, more warmth, and faster breakdown if you don't act quickly. Any exposed skin on the body can easily get full of bacteria. Feathers, especially that fan, are fragile once the bird is dead.

Most hunters just bag it and drive home. That works fine if you're hunting 20 minutes from the taxidermist. But if you're hunting out of state, camping, or running another morning hunt before you head back, you need a plan.

Step by Step Turkey Field Preservation

1. Don't gut the bird if you're mounting it. Leave the body intact. Your taxidermist needs the full bird to work with.
2. Handle the fan carefully. Fan out the tail and let it air dry briefly before bagging. Don't compress it or it'll fold permanently.
3. Wipe down exposed skin and the head. Pat it dry gently. The vivid red and blue coloring will fade after death, that's normal. Your taxidermist knows how to recreate it.
4. Set gauze inside the mouth to prevent feather damage. Often overlooked, gauze in the mouth prevents blood from dripping into the bird’s feathers causing discoloration.
5. Wrap the whole head and both feet completely in wet towelettes. It is important to stay away from paper towel that can break down into the bird's skin.
6. Bag it properly. Use a large plastic bag. Air flow in or out of the bag in a freezer environment ruins trophies with freezer burn.
7. Ice it down or freeze it. If you're within 24 to 48 hours of the taxidermist, ice is fine. Any longer you must freeze it. A properly bagged and frozen bird can hold for months. Better yet, a Tagged and Bagged preserved bird can keep in your freezer for 3+ years!

The Kit Built for Big Birds

The Tagged & Bagged Large Bird Preservation Kit handles turkeys, cranes, swans, and other large birds. At $29.99 it's a fraction of the cost of a professional mount, and it's the thing that makes that mount possible.

Shop the Large Bird Preservation Kit

At Tagged and Bagged, we are here to preserve your once in a lifetime memory!