yeah Annie, leave the bone, lol....i'm telling you that was a chore putting them all together with the staple gun.....lol......your idea sounds really neat, can't wait for ya to post the pics...get errrr done

Great looking mounts! Nothing wrong with traditional mounting, but sure is great to see a more artistic side, which these great birds deserve!

2Droptines

How is the fan secured in there Ma?? It looks very cool, and wouldn't mind doing that with one of mine sometime...lol

the fan is screwed into the wood.....i countersunk it, you just cant see it because i put the beard thereover the screwhead
i was going to do my other tail, but it's still not dryin'......it's going to be cool......old fence post with barbed wire......wait to see the results because you know i am going to share

nice pics. i cant wait till i get mine back!!

Nice job there huntnma...
This year I only saved the tail feathers, though I do have a bunch of other loose feathers that I pick up while in the woods. I been thinking of mounting them a different way cause the traditional way is a little boring once you have one mounted that way. Now that I've seen yours I want to hunt down a nbice piece of driftwood.
Thanks for sharing...

Looks real good, Ma!

The only thing I might suggest is this: after a few years, bugs and mites can destroy the fleshy parts of the tail, even if you treat them. A really good and permanent way to display them is to take some "bondo" putty and form it into a 2-3" fat "pancake," then pluck out each feather (starting with the long ones, and working forward) and insert them into the bondo, rebuilding the tail fan as you go. It will end up looking as good as new, and won't rot.

thanks again ya'll.........i do like that bondo idea........good luck PahunterJEN on your wood search

One other thing (I REALLY ain't pickin' on your display...I just think these look awesome!) is to take your cypress knees and boil or steam 'em. The bark then peels right off. Set them out in the sun to get a "tan," and they are amazingly beautiful. I always try to find some interesting knees every year, and I have a bunch of 'em that I use for displays. I got the idea from the Tom Gaskins Cypress Knee Museum down near Palmdale...I don't think it's still in existence, but it sure was a cool roadside attraction in its heyday.

i know what ya mean......no offense taken......i have one without the bark in my fish tank, it's really pretty, so i know there's beauty under the bark.....i thought about it, but decided it probably would come off in time anyway..........i appreciate the tips.....can't get better if you keep doing the same thing over and over......i love you guys/gals for all the support/tips you gave me.....