Field Care

#1 Waterfowl & Game birds

Always try to carry a couple of Zip Lock bags, a couple paper towels sheets or napkins, (only white in color), and a couple cotton balls. These will fit very nicely in your blind bag or lunch bag and take up very little room. 2.5 gallon Zip Lock bags will accommodate any size trophy duck.

#2 Ducks

After securing your trophy, never carry it by the wings or head. Always carry by the feet. Wrap a paper towel or napkin around the head and bill and fold the head and neck down across the chest, place head first in the Zip Lock bag. Leave the bag unsealed and place in a secure area out of the way for 60 minutes until it cools down. Squeeze all the air out of the bag and then close the seal on the bag. Place it in a protected area out of the sun and ice.

#3 Geese

If you are going on a goose hunt and you think securing a trophy goose is a possibility, Zip Lock does make bags large enough to accommodate a large goose. XL4 Zip Lock bags or a garbage bag will work. Follow the same procedures for ducks. Geese are a little more forgiving protection wise, but remember to never lay a wet goose or duck on the ice or an aluminum boat. Below freezing temperatures causes the feathers to immediately freeze to the boat or ice and your trophy will be ruined. Also keep the birds out of the sun.

#4 Game birds

Always carry game birds by the feet, never, never by the head or wings. Try to push a cotton ball down the throat of the bird and a couple of small pieces in the nostrils if possible. Quail and pheasants have very loose feathers and blood clotting on the plumage could result in feather loss. As a rule of thumb, keep the blood to a minimum and use the cotton immediately after retrieving the bird. Again immediately place the bird in a small plastic garbage bag (pheasant) and slide it head first into your game pouch or vest and try to get it back to your vehicle ASAP so it can cool down.

In the taxidermy business, we realize that all of the above is not achievable, however, as a hunter myself I can attest to the fact that the bags, take up virtually no room and are of no inconvenience in the field. I have heard horror stories of beautiful birds ruined as a direct result of poor field care.

Place the bird in the freezer upon your return from the hunt and contact your taxidermist as soon as possible. He will instruct you on additional protective procedures to prevent freezer burn or storage damage. This is very critical.

In closing, remember the better the field care the better the mount. It is well worth the extra steps on a trophy bird.