Photo by Matt Lindler

Tips from the tax man

Here are a few more tips from Morris on successfully taking your trophy from field to taxidermy studio.

Bringing the bird from the field

Treat the turkey delicately. Grab the turkey by its legs or handle the body. Don’t grab it by the head or drag it on the ground. Keep the feathers from getting bent or dirty. Also, when transporting the turkey, lay it on its belly, not its back.
When you return from your hunt and you’re ready to package the gobbler for shipping, lay it on its back and be careful to keep blood from dripping on the feathers. If blood gets on the feathers in the field, wash them off with water.

If the head is bleeding, stick paper towels in the turkey’s mouth. Roll the head in paper towels. Fold towels over the head and tape them closed.
Tuck the head inside the wing. Fold the wings tight against the turkey’s body.
Pre-cut a piece of cardboard to place over the tailfeathers and feet. Do not tie the feet and feathers together for any reason inside the cardboard. (This is one of the most important steps; kinked tailfeathers are difficult to repair.)
Put the turkey headfirst inside a large plastic garbage bag. Roll the bag over in a teardrop shape, handling the turkey by only its legs or main body. Tape the bag.
Fit the cardboard around the tailfeathers and feet. Tape or staple the cardboard into position.
Lay the turkey in the freezer on its side. In 36 to 48 hours, the turkey will be frozen solid and ready to ship.
Take the turkey out of the freezer and wrap it in bubble wrap.
Place the turkey headfirst in a box. The turkey should fit tight to prevent movement. Look for boxes at your local grocery store or moving company. If there are old labels on the box, tear them off or mark through them with a black marker so they do not confuse the shipping route.

Always ship your turkey to the taxidermist on a Monday if possible, and never on a Thursday. If you send it out later in the week, there’s a chance it could get misdirected and sit in a terminal over the weekend, thawing out and ruining your prize. A frozen wild turkey takes about two days to thaw.
Depending on where you ship the turkey, expect to pay $15 to $20 in packing supplies and $35 to $45 for shipping costs.
Be sure you have the taxidermist’s correct address. Never ship to a post office box. Ship only to a street address and include appropriate phone numbers on the shipping label.
Along with your turkey include your name, address and phone number. Be ready to discuss the pose of your wild turkey mount.