Preserve Your Bird
Turkey Preservation Instructions
What to do the moment your bird hits the ground — and everything after.
A great mount starts long before the bird gets to the studio. What you do in the first hour after the shot — and how the bird is stored between then and drop-off or shipping — has more to do with the finished mount than almost anything we do later. This page is the short version of what we tell every client.
The 5 rules of turkey preservation
- Do not gut the bird. Gutting a turkey almost always damages breast feathers and complicates skinning later.
- Do not wash the bird or dunk it in water. Wet feathers mat down and can permanently distort.
- Do not tie the legs together tightly. Tight zip-ties leave crease marks in the legs and belly.
- Get it cold fast. Turkeys go bad fast in warm weather. Cooler with ice on the way home, then straight to a freezer.
- Freeze whole, in a plastic bag, with the head under a wing. See below for the exact steps.
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Questions about your bird?
Call or text Spencer before you ship — a two-minute conversation prevents most mistakes.