Even though I've been fooling around with taxidermy for nearly 45 years as a hobby, I've never really done a whole lot of waterfowl. In fact, in the last 20 or so years, I think I did one buffle head for a friend of my son. Anyway, after retiring a couple of years ago I decided that I needed to add a few ducks to my collection of upland birds. The following are my first attempts in the last 20 years.

This wigeon was the first duck I did since the bufflehead.


My second attempt was this grey duck (gadwall) that dropped in on a couple of us late last January (2010), He had a rather strange bill color, most grey ducks have all black bills.


My latest creation is this black duck that I just finished a couple of weeks ago.



Frank

I believe you have got it Frank! Nice mounts. Thanks for the pic's.

Frank,

I know this is an old thread, but your duck mounts look beautiful. Do you do this work professionally? I'm having a hell of a time finding a taxidermist that will do a good (doesn't have to be STUNNING) job for under $250/bird. OOCH!

Keep up the good work,
B-Boy

Given the amount of work I suspect is involved, $250 a bird certainly doesn't seem out of line.

B-Boy, no, I don't do this professionally. I'm basically a hobbiest. I mount birds for myself and relatives and friends. I particularly like doing them for the kids of friends of mine. The are really amazed by the whole idea. I just did a pheasant for a friend's son that was his first bird. It really came out pretty good. That little kid's face really lit up when I gave it to him.



Skeeter, $250 a bird is on the inexpensive side, especially whe it comes to waterfowl. But, it really isn't a lot of work. Or even materials. That pheasant I did took about 3 hours total. and that includes all the fiddling as it was drying and putting the finishing touches on the habitat base. A duck might take an extra hour. They're a little more difficult to flesh and take a lot of cleaning with degreaser, but the habitat is usually just a piece of drift wood and a hanger loop. As far as materials, with today's prices, you're looking at maybe $10 to $12.

Still, on a professional basis, $60 to $70 an hour is cheap.

Frank

You'd need to ship your birds , as Mike is in AZ , but this guy does very nice work .
Mike was based in Chicopee Mass. when we were using him , I hunted with him a couple times on Lake Ontario .
Nice guy , good work and good prices .
http://artoftheoutdoorsman.webs.com/

Nice mounts!


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire

Nice mounts.

Very nice. And, I like selection of ducks!