Freezing Duck to mount later?

[Antlershed]

I've done it before and just put it in panty hose and then in a plastic bag in in the freezer it went. Is that still the best way to do it, or is there a new way? Thanks.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Yep thats the way I tell people to do it.  Just make sure all the feathers are going the same way and don't push it all the way to the toe.  That way the taxi can cut it and slide the duck out.  If they pull it out the way it went it it can damage feathers.

[Antlershed]

Thanks Michelle.

[alecvg]

how long do the last that way?

[boneaddict]

depends on the freezer and how many times you open it.  The epidermis on birds doesn't last as long as big game.  I have mounted some that were in the freezer for 2 years.  If its a REAL quality bird you aer after, I'd go a year.

[Michelle_Nelson]

 

[ghgetter]

Careful with the panty hose...I have burned a few birds doing that. Could have been my faul though, but I wont use them again.

[singleshot12]

Head tuck behind the wing into a panty hose. And then place into a newspaper funnel for extra insolation and protection. And then put into a plastic garbage sack. Should last a couple years.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Careful with the panty hose...I have burned a few birds doing that. Could have been my faul though, but I wont use them again.

How did you burn birds using panty hose?

Panty hose are only to keep the feathers flat to keep them from getting damaged.  You still need to wrap them in news paper and a couple plastic bags.

[Elkstuffer]

I personally don't like using newspaper. It can absorb all the moisture out of the skin of the bird causing it to freezer burn faster than normal. I will put cotton in the mouth,tuck the head under a wing and then wrap in clear plastic wrap and then into a garbage sack making sure that you get all the air out. A bird will last 2 years or more easily doing it this way.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Yeah I probably should have elabrated a little on the layering.  I pit the bird in the freezer to chill for several hours.  Then I wrap it in a grocery plastic bag.  Than in a couple layers of news paper and than another plastic bag.

A Frost Free freezer will also cause your birds to freezer burn faster.

[alecvg]

Thanks, I am thinking about mounting one.

[Antlershed]

A Frost Free freezer will also cause your birds to freezer burn faster.

I read that quite a few places. I have a manual defrost freezer, and I plan on getting it mounted pretty soon, so I think mine should be ok.

[Michelle_Nelson]

Yeah it will be ok.  You just don't want to store it for a long time.