A friend of mine killed a nice bird this morning and wants to try one of those DIY kits from bass pro, anybody have any tips on how to do it? I think you can out the beard on to I have no idea, was hoping for some help.

The kits I believe usually comes with instructions or are you wanting to know how to remove the fan and beard from the turkey?


Earl

Yes the iinstructions aren't very clear its his first turkey and I dnt want to mess it up I've never done one, neither has he.

I know it has been discussed on here many times. Try search here of posts or arhieves or simply google it. L cut whole tail section out intact with feathers in place attached to a big biscuit sized piece of meat. then using scissors and sharp knife removevexcess meat so you are left only with as much meat as isctequired to hold spread tail feathers intact. Take a flat piece of heavy duty two foot square piece of cardboard and in middle Put a pile of borax(laundry shelves at grocery) 6 inches id diameter and couple inches deep Take a thin long finishing nail and put it through meat on tail section and then pin/push it through pile of borax and through cardboard, thus burying one side of tail meat in base of large pile of borax. Take another nail and pin it through feather on inside of main feather stem Of last feather on one side of tail. Pin level that feather at one side of cardboard and using same process pin last tail feather on other side so tail is flat against cardboard and pinned down at spread level position -thus last tail feathers are level and tail appears as half circle. Put more borax on top exposed meat and work borax in to any raw meat, covering well. Store in dry flat place for a few months or until boraxed meat is very hard and cured. Use pliers to remove middle nail when dry. Mount as you wish on board or display as is. i have hundreds done this way. Go back decades. No problems if you don't skimp on borax.

Thanks gn will give it a try

As to the base I think you want to avoid cutting skin out with the beard. Unless it is a double beard (another story).
Just slowly pull beard from bird, holding securely all around beard where it enters the skin. It should pull out in one piece if held tightly all around when pulled. You will see it has a course base which you want to keep in one piece if possible You can put some borax on it s Base but it does not really need it. Wash lightly to remove blood if any. If beard needs straightening some , arrange it and place a brick or heavy flat item on the non base part of it till it dries at the base which is a week or so.

This site has videos that show it.
http://www.grandslamnetwork.com/mountin ... pe-and-fan