Through the years, I have seen many beautiful bird mounts.  Folks who previously didn’t care for having taxidermy in their homes can embrace birds easily.  Mounted birds can be incorporated into any décor from traditional to contemporary styles to add bright color and a warm, homey feeling.

Currently, chickens are popular in the home decorating industry. Having a bright colorful rooster in a basket or standing on a side table is an attractive touch.  As with any mount, be mindful of placing it in direct sunlight, or near heat or grease.   

Some taxidermists advise not using your dog when hunting for the birds you want to have mounted. I believe this is silly and takes the fun out of the hunt.  Every bird hunter knows that half of the fun lies in watching a good dog work, but care needs to be shown in the handling of the bird.  If your dog gets excited while retrieving your bird, take it from him quickly.  The more time he has to wrestle with it the more damage he will do. 

Wringing the bird’s neck damages the feathers and will make it less than ideal for mounting. Many hunters are in the habit of picking up a bird, and twirling it around by the neck. In doing so, however, they may damage a perfectly mountable bird without thinking. One method better used to finish off a bird is to hold the bird under the wings and squeeze the chest until the bird’s heart stops.

Carry your birds by their feet rather than their necks when walking through the field.   Take a bit of cotton or other absorbent material with you into the field. Place it in the bird’s mouth after you pick it up to prevent blood from getting on the feathers. 

Do not field dress any birds you wish to have mounted.  When your bird has thoroughly cooled, tuck the head under the wing and place it in a pair of old pantyhose, then a plastic bag to keep the feathers lying smooth. Put it on ice in a cooler, but keep it dry.

If your bird is mildly damaged, broken beaks, legs, wings and missing tail feathers can be fixed or replaced by a competent taxidermist. Treating your bird carefully before you get it to the taxidermy studio will make mounting it much easier.

If you need to store your bird before you have it mounted, make sure to place it into a non frost-free freezer.  The frost-free freezer is not good because it thaws and freezes repeatedly and will cause your bird to ‘freezer burn’ faster. 

Remember, it is a felony to sell, barter or trade any migratory birds.  This means you may not sell a wild duck to a restaurant, trade a goose for a rifle, or give a migratory bird of any kind as payment for a job done. You may not sell or purchase a migratory bird at a garage sale, flea market or on E-Bay. You may only give or receive a bird as a gift or donate a bird, but keep a written record of the transaction. 

Hunting game birds is fun and rewarding.  A great way to show off your effort is to have a gorgeous mount on your wall and a tasty, satisfying meal in your oven. 

With small birds such as doves, I prefer to use them in my homemade spaghetti sauce in place of meatballs.

Pheasants are wonderful when the breast meat is cut into strips, breaded and fried.  The leg meat for these birds can be tough so I prefer to use it in soup.  I don’t enjoy digging through the bird for shot, but I can usually find a kid to put on that detail.

I prefer eating skinned waterfowl (with the fat removed) as opposed to those that are plucked.  If the bird looks like it could become dry during cooking, place several strips of bacon on top of it, and put it in an oven roasting bag before you place it into the oven. This keeps the juices in the bird and also adds a nice flavor.  Here are two of my favorite recipes:

Game Bird Spaghetti Sauce

All of these measurements are approximate. You may want to experiment with them to suit your taste.

1 lb Hot Italian Sausage (links cut into 1-2” pieces)

1 lb Mild Italian Sausage (links cut into 1-2”pieces)

½ lb or so of well-cleaned dove, quail or other small bird breasts.

8-10 Cloves of garlic

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 large can Tomato Paste                                  

2 - 28 oz cans Tomato Sauce

1-2 tsp each, Oregano, Basil, Parsley

Olive Oil