Hunting Washington Forum

Community => Taxidermy & Scoring => Topic started by: WCTaxidermy on May 11, 2009, 08:34:30 AM

Title: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: WCTaxidermy on May 11, 2009, 08:34:30 AM: I just finished a batch of Birds ready to go to their new homes :) Thought I would share a few with you as I get pictures taken of them. Here is a Harlequin that was sitting in a freezer since 1994. It about went into the garbage can more than once when mounting this one up :bash: Didn't turn out too bad considering living in a freezer for 15 years. Take care and talk with you soon. John
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: bucklucky on May 11, 2009, 08:39:48 AM: Nice job, looks good especially for being in the freezer for so long.
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on May 11, 2009, 06:45:27 PM: Looks great. Pretty bird.
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: boneaddict on May 11, 2009, 06:55:34 PM: SWEET!
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: bowsandhose on May 12, 2009, 09:10:03 AM: looks good
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: WCTaxidermy on May 12, 2009, 02:03:02 PM: Thanks guy's and gal's. My picture taking really sucks :( Maybe someday I'll get good at it. I'll post some more shortly. Talk with you all soon. John
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: robb92 on May 13, 2009, 12:54:25 AM: Looks good to me! Thanks for posting the pic!
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: Rob on May 13, 2009, 02:04:46 PM: Quote from: WCTaxidermy on May 12, 2009, 02:03:02 PM
Thanks guy's and gal's. My picture taking really sucks :( Maybe someday I'll get good at it. I'll post some more shortly. Talk with you all soon. John

Please do post some more. That is an amazing creature and you did it justice. I like the snow habitat.
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: Rocky on May 26, 2009, 10:08:59 AM: Wow I have never seen a bird like this one, with al the mulitple colors.. Looks really good.
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: WCTaxidermy on May 26, 2009, 09:18:20 PM: Thanks Rocky, This one was shot on Kodiak Island. John
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: saylean on May 27, 2009, 08:28:50 PM: that is a pretty bird for sure. nice work man~
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: washingtonmuley on May 27, 2009, 08:37:09 PM: 15 years in the freezer? That bird looks awesome for that long in the freezer.
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: Tom Reichner on June 01, 2009, 10:56:13 AM: Very nice Harlequin mount!

"Freezer Birds" can be tough! In 2006, Stephan Savides mounted a big Ringneck Pheasant that had been in a freezer since 1980 - and it looked absolutely perfect! It's amazing what can be done.
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: bucklucky on June 01, 2009, 11:00:39 AM: Im not a bird Taxi but have been wanting to take some classes to get into it .....well maybee. All I want to mount is big bull elk actually :chuckle: Anyway, what has to be done to mount a bird that is freezer burned that badly? Or was it freezer burned at all?
Title: Re: Finished Harlequin Mount
Post by: WCTaxidermy on June 01, 2009, 09:55:42 PM: Hi Buck, OH YES, it was freezer burned. BAD! This bird was laying in an opened plastic bag in the freezer for that long. The wing joints were so freezer burned there was no way of spreading them for a flying mount at all. The hardest challenge you have on a bird like this is getting the skin off the body and head with out destroying it and without creating new cuss words to use in the process. Then feather slippage. Then the feet etc, etc, etc. Doing a bird like this takes up so much time and there is no guarantee on the outcome, I usually don't do them, but this was a special bird for this customer, so I wanted it to turn out nice for him.

If a bird is wrapped correctly, then placed in a NON FROST FREE freezer, It will last a long time. Thanks for the compliments and talk with you all soon.

John