Best way to preseve a turkey tail?

[limbhanger777]

I've always tried to save my turkey fans with little luck, I flesh as much meat and fat off the tail and have tried salting it heavily and using borax. It seems no matter what I do bugs tend to find it and make a mess.

What do you guys find is the best way to preserve the fan?

[backforty]

The only thing I can think of is that your not leaving it in borax long enough or not changing it. I leave it for at least two weeks and change it often. I have one tail that's been in my garage for 3 yrs and bugs haven't touched it.

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[limbhanger777]

I will give that a try this year thanks

[ChiefBubba]

Shoot I leave mine in the Salt or Borax for months sometimes. I'm usually in no rush. I will check it and refreshen it every couple of weeks in the beginning but after a couple of times I just leave it dry. Bubba

[bonasa]

I skin out the tail, remove all meat, fat and bone clipping down the quills. The skin is fleshed, degreased in soapy water, salted then soaked in alcohol. Once it is finished, I tack it down to dry, once dry I mix up bondo and do both sides. It is now ready for the fan board and there will be no danger of rot or bugs to contaminate the fan or any other mounts you may have. Takes about an hour between all the steps.

[jryser]

http://www.springthundertv.com/blog/mounting-a-turkey-fan/

Here's a vid for u!


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[Bowguy]

Don't use plain borax. Use dry preservative. It's borax w mothproofer. Now if you keep it in a non climate controlled area you're still find challenges to this

[culpeper]

Take it completely apart.  It's actually a fun project and when done there isn't one spec of meat or fat, it will all be hot glued together.   So first lay it down on a large piece of cardboard and lightly trace out the shape and take a picture of where all the quills come together.  This way you'll have a great pattern when you rebuild it.  Then cut away, as you have done before, as much meat and fat as you can.  Then literally start cutting away the individual quills and when you do lay them out on another large piece of cardboard just as you took them apart.  You'll need a strong utility knife for this step.  This way, when you rebuild it you will know exactly which quill goes where.  After that, while holding the feather lightly, scrape away using a sharp razor blade or utility knife and using the edge, ALL of the fat and sheath membrane around the base of the quills so there is NOTHING left, but the crisp clean base of the quills.  Now take a small stiff piece of cardboard in the shape of a fan maybe 6" wide and 4" tall shaped like a turkey fan and lay it on the cardboard where you have the poutline drawn.  You are now going to rebuild the fan by gluing the quills to that small piece of stiff cardboard.  So using that outline, and the hot glue gun, start rebuilding the fan and refer back to the picture of the quill group where they all meet so you can see how real tight they actually need to be set.

[GobbleNut]

If you are having your fans (or other turkey parts) being destroyed by bugs, it is probably because you have a bug problem more than anything.  Sounds to me like you are going through the correct process of removing all the meat and fat and then using a preservative on the tail base.  I would suggest using moth balls and/or spraying the fan on a regular basis with an insect/moth killer. 

[MK M GOBL]

Here's what I do, awesome no bugs. I use Bondo and an acrylic blended with hardner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhCiJvXuwQw


MK M GOBL

[firedup]

What Culpepper said. Fan is ready to mount as soon as glue dries (silicone is also a good thing to use but takes a couple days more drying).  There is NO MEAT. NO BORAX.  Just feathers! Nothing for bugs  no smell.  And if your are careful it looks great. You can also replace damaged feathers real easy!

[superx2]

What Culpepper said. Fan is ready to mount as soon as glue dries (silicone is also a good thing to use but takes a couple days more drying).  There is NO MEAT. NO BORAX.  Just feathers! Nothing for bugs  no smell.  And if your are careful it looks great. You can also replace damaged feathers real easy!

Just like the two above mention. I started doing it the same way found an awesome video thought it was easy to follow and explained the sorting out and positioning of feathers very well on youtube.only difference I use hot glue gun ''thats what I have on hand''
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_NeXcZPZag