Ethics of bird taxidermy

B

BakkenRoosterMan

New member
I've come across a little moral dilemma here. I've seen a couple pheasant mounts I really like lately. makes me want one when I get a good one one day. The question is this: is it possible to retain the meat from a stuffed bird? I know with large game, very little goes to waste even if you do a full head mount. With fish taxidermy, they have refined the process to where all you really need is a picture to get a good amount of your fish, so nothing really goes to waste there either. Can the same be said for birds? I have a real problem taking the life of an animal just for the sole purpose of making a decoration, but on the other hand, certain mounts look really, really cool.

What your take?
 
It's a fair question, and I can't answer it for you. Not one bit. But what I can say: I don't believe you will be judged by other sportsmen if you mount, rather than harvest the meat, from one bird. Personally, I have only seen one bird worth mounting. It was a grouse that was incredibly beautiful. Gorgeous.

But I'd like to hear others' opinions.
 
You know, there's a stat out there that states the average American house-hold wastes somewhere around $1,200 (each year) in uneaten food. Either through spoilage, freezer burn, simply tossing it in the garbage, etc.

Anyway, I'm a full-time taxidermist. I eat very well throughout the year if you know what I mean.;)

There is a liability issue with giving a client his bird or mammals' meat back, so most of us will not do so for that reason and a few others. I'm sure there are some who will give it back to the client though. I have on occasion, but it's very rare. With that said, it most definitely dose not mean it's getting tossed/going to waste.


Nick
 
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Just for fun; I mounted two pheasants on Friday. One's hanging on the wall as a flying mount, the other is standing on driftwood waiting to be shipped out to Iowa in a few weeks.

The meat from those two birds went into the pheasant pie in the photo below. The skin, feathers, and bones are used for the mount/s, the meat to feed people. No waste:)

 
I was hoping you would weigh in there Nick. One of the mounts that I was referring to I saw on your website! is it safe to say that if I were to purchase a mount from you, that the meat from that bird will be consumed (or has been consumed)?
 
That is correct. It will not go to waste. If there is a safety issue with consuming the meat, that's a different story. Other than that it's going to be used.

I have some meat-cuts from the neck area of a deer on the stove right now. The meat came from a clients deer. It's starting to smell like dinner time around here:cheers:

Nick
 
I've done a few bird mounts as a hobby. Pheasants, ducks and geese mainly. Maybe a little over a dozen total for myself and hunting buddies, and just for fun not for pay.

The main difference in how I clean the birds is that I am really neat and precise when I want to mount one. I clean them with a scalpel instead of a hunting knife... I've eaten the breasts of all the birds I mounted, and on the pheasants I de-boned the thighs and ate those too.

Anyway, I'm just agreeing with 1pheas4, that there is a good chance the taxi probably would eat your bird anyway. But I'm sure if you tell him/her that ethically it is important to you that someone eats the meat from your bird, he will help you out by eating it for you. :laugh:
 
I mount birds also and have never eaten a clients bird. I just don't know how it was handled before it got to me. i have skinned a few turkeys for people on the day they shot them so they could keep the meat. If your concerned about the waste bring it to the guy your using unfrozen and he may skin it for you so you can keep the meat.
 
I'll ask clients how soon the bird was placed into a freezer (after shot) because your right, you don't know how it was handled prior to coming into the shop.

Plus, questionable meat has a smell to it that says "don't eat me".

Nick
 
pheasants

I'v been mounting bird for 30 years ,and agree with the other taxidermist here , but if you think mounting a fish with just a pic. is ok, why don;t you take a pic of your pheasant and give it to your taxidermist and say mount this for me , you can even bring the real tail in to use ; i always have them in stock that i ate.
 
I don't think there is anything to debate. You harvested a special bird and want to immortalize it in your home for generations to enjoy. Your kids, grand kids and beyond will look at the mount and you can retell the history behind it.

As a hobbyist taxidermist I agree with others and would not consume the bird. It' OK. I assume you are an ethical sportsman and don't waste resources. More than one rooster was knocked down today and not recovered. Those birds aren't wasted either. Some other wild creature will consume them and life goes on.

Congrats on a special hunt.
 
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