Congrats! Nice bird. I like the mount. I'm not a taxidermist, so I don't know as much about the quality of the mount, either, but it looks good to me.

Good question on the beard. I got my first turkey back and the beard on mine seemed to all but disappear. The beard on mine wasn't overly long to begin with - it seemed thicker than most, though - but it seemed even shorter when it was mounted. I think a good portion of the length on mine is 'hidden' in the breast feathers, though.

Is yours a freeze dried head or artificial?