New and needing advice!

[Cheshirekazz]

Okay, so I'm not really a taxidermist.. yet.. and I can hunt squirrels... with a practice bow I made when I was 15.. regardless... I need assistance..

I have purchased a pheasant pelt, because I fully intend to turn it into a hat.
yes.. as in a whole pheasant with wings outstretched... on my head.

Thing is.. the wings are all folded up on the pelt.. and I have NO clue how to get them to spread out- or if I can.. I only have until labor day weekend to make this hat, and I've never so much as stuffed a bird (unless cooking thanksgiving dinner counts) and I could really use some help from y'all here.

all of the stuffed pheasants I find online cost upwards of $155, so when I saw a whole skin including head and tail online for $6, I jumped on it. was that right?

 

[bobeyerite]

Welcome to UPH, I wish you luck with your hat project. Hope to see you here often talking pheasant hunting...........Bob

 

[jmac]

Welcome to the forum. I cant help you with your hat, however it is a very interesting topic.

 

[FCSpringer]

A guy I watched used wire. He fed the wire through the body, neck, wings legs etc. all in long pieces. About 1/8" diameter, I would guess. The wire stuck out at the ends of every thing, head wing tips etc. He had the tips ground to a sharp point for feeding them where he wanted them. He bent it to the shape he wanted and let her sit I guess. But he cut the wire just under the skin pushing in on the body part slightly, then clipping, and pull slightly back to allow the wire to be hidden under the skin. Then just let it dry I think. Of coarse the meat and bones were gone and replaced with some foam filler thing , body or whatever. Best I can tell ya. I have no clue how to do it my self. But his looked good.

 

[quail hound]

My only advice is don't where that thing in the field, or you might have an idiot hit you with a load of high brass sixes.