Preserving Fans the easy way
 

I am a relative newcomer to this board and have recently read a number of posts concerning the preservation of fans. The first thing I read is that I have been doing it all wrong. Many of the posters seem very knowledgeable and they contend that using salt is all wrong. Apparently salt preservation is an invitation to insects and mice.
Maybe I have just been lucky but the fans I have preserved using only salt have all held up perfectly. I have used this approach on over two dozen turkey fans and numerous grouse fans dating back some 40+ years and every one is still in great shape.
To make things worse, I dont even try to get that much meat off. The whole process for me takes less than 20 minutes (plus a month or so for curing).
This is how I do it; First I cut off the butt just below where it spreads. Remove the little fuzzy feathers to expose most of the butt skin. I do remove the meat that comes away easily and score (slice into) the rest to allow the salt to penetrate. I then get a large piece of plywood, put down an inch or so of kosher salt and tnen press the rear side of the butt down on the salt. Drive a nail through the butt into the plywood, making sure you first grease the nail or you will have a tough time removing it later. Sread the fan to its max and hold bottom two tail feathers by hammering in a small nail to act as a stopper. You may need to use additional stoppers to tame unruly feathers but just the two is usually enough. Lay a book or two around the fan for maximum flatness, cover the entire butt area with plenty of salt, work it in a little and you are done.
After a week or so, pile some more salt on, work it in a little and then forget about it for a while. I don' t really know how long it takes to fully cure but I usually give it a at least six weeks (you cant overcure it so why take chances).
The meat portion of the beard should be left in a small container of salt too.
After its complete, superglue a few of the more attractive feather endings (that you put aside when you plucked it) to cover the ugly dry buttmeat (God that sounds awful).
Nail it to the wall, nail the beard directly below it (but still touching) and admire your work. Most of the people who see these mounts like them better than those kits in the catalog, most of which look kind of cheesy...especially those which use plastic heads.
Like I said, a lot of smart people will disagree with this method, but all I can say is that it works great for me.

RE: Preserving Fans the easy way
 

Boy Blue, I tried the salt method a few times and ended up throwing out many fans due to the bad smell of the rotting meat and the bugs!! I was told to use Borax instead. What a shame loosing all those fans of mine, wish I known about that ahead of time. I' m glad to hear that your not having the problems that I had with using salt!!

RE: Preserving Fans the easy way
 

Like I said Maytom, there must be something to it when so many guys like yourself say salt is the wrong way to go. I wish I knew why my experience has been so different. How long did you keep the salt on? Did you use kosher (non-iodized) salt
What is the process with borax? Does borax remove all the moisture like salt or is it a different type of curing?

RE: Preserving Fans the easy way
 

Step 1:
Trim excess meat and fat fragile from the base of the tail. Leave a thin layer of membrane covering the quills to hold the feathers in place when dry. Rub all remaining flesh with Borax

Step 2:
Fan the tail out. Place the fan on a 3' by 4' peice of heavy cardboard and secure feathers with straight pins. Apply more Borax enough to completely cover all flesh.
NOTE: Be sure that all feathers are placed correctly because they will dry in this position!

Step 3:
Store fan in a cool, dry area for atleast 2 weeks. The fan should be located in an area where it will not be damaged or exposed to excessive heat or cold while drying. After 2 weeks , apply more Borax and allow to dry for an additional 2 weeks.

After this you will beable to enjoy your trophy for the rest of your life my friend;)
Borax can be easily found at your local grocery or Wal Mart store You can find it in the laundry soap dept. Look for a yellow and green box that says 20 Mule Team BORAX
Have a Good' n and I hope that I helped you out:D

RE: Preserving Fans the easy way
 

i use salt on mine and they turned out just fine......i soaked em in the salt for like 6 months though, kept that salt fresh........i will try the borax on the next one, my hide that i did on a buck still likes to suck up that moisture and it' s been outside drying for close to a year.....excellent post :)thanks :)

RE: Preserving Fans the easy way
 

Salt / borax? being a newcomer to the sport i only hope to have this decision
to make after this years season.
Consult your local taxidermist i' m sure he will have some good advice.
good luck & god bless
jvjbadger

RE: Preserving Fans the easy way
 

Thanks Brian, I may go with a mix of salt and borax on my next one.
Huntinma, you may be right about that longer period. Now that I think about it, I usually refresh the salt a time or two and by then the striper season is on and I may not get back to the fans. Like I said you cant overcure, so longer periods are always safer than rushing it.

RE: Preserving Fans the easy way
 

One additional Note:
To make it really shine and help out with the fluffyness of the feathers
After you fleash your fan soak it in some dish water ( I use Dawn) for 1/2 hour or so
Then take it out and rinse thourghly until no more soap comes out then dab off excess water and Blow dry with the med heat setting on your blow drier.
After it is completely dry :
Then proceed with step one;)
Good Luck you all !!!

RE: Preserving Fans the easy way
 

Thanks Brian. I suppose that works as well with old fans, right? I usually just dust them, but they do lose some of their shine after a while.

RE: Preserving Fans the easy way
 

Well I am not sure that I would do that once its dried
But you can use lemon pledge or some other dusting spray that will refresh the shine and also take off dust.;)
Just spray a small amount on a soft rag and wipe off in the direction of the feathers.:D