Fan Transport after harvest??

[Texforce]

I was curious if any of you fellas have a snazzy-smart way to transport the fan from a bird that you have killed---after you have spread it out, and the "drying" process has started? I'm talking about one that you are going to display. Is there a certain type of 'box' that one could use to protect the drying fan on the way home?? I hope this question makes sense..... Thanks for any input, and Good Huntin'

[MShillhunter]

I typically will just fold it in and wrap it in a plastic bag and keep it in a dry spot in my cooler until I able able to get home to start the drying process.

When I am home I work to get as much meat off as possible and leave as many of the smaller feathers on the front as I possibly can.  Then I'll just spread it out and tack it on to a piece of cardboard and cover the base in borax or salt and put in a dry place to dry out for a few weeks.

[Texforce]

So, it's not too difficult to spread it out after that much time has passed since you killed him??

[Bowguy]

Best bet if you can is fold it up in a plastic bag n freeze it. The quills need to be cleaned n that gets grease all over fan. If you don't do that you're way more prone to bugs.
Once home, whip quills on a wire wheel or preferable bird flesher as it's less torque n won't blow holes through quills or tear it up.
Once real clean, wash it in dawn soap than fresh water to remove leftover grease. If you have no tumbler dry on a towel n then blow dry the feathers til totally dry.
Card out fan n apply dry preservative, it's like borax w a moth proofer to quill ends only. Be careful or the preservative can get on feather n take sheen away.
Dry preservative can be gotten at a taxidermy supply.
If you're saving feet you can get injection fluid too otherwise they'll shrink. Don't forget needles if you do this

[Bowguy]

Also remember the feathers are like roof shingles so besides proper spacing position them right

[dejake]

Quills need to be cleaned?  That's ridiculous.

[Bowguy]

Quills need to be cleaned?  That's ridiculous.

Yea it should be cleaned, washed n degreased. Do whatever you want. I did taxidermy full time for years.
If you don't it can be done but it won't look as good, maybe if you're just throwing it in a garage you don't care. If not you can get bugs, the little black things you see by so many at home done ones.
If it's a climate controlled area the bugs are a little less likely but the sheen won't be on the feathers if it's not cleaned the same.
To be clear it's only the area by the meat but all yellow fat and meat is best removed

[stinkpickle]

I wait until I get home to do anything with it, too.  Instead of cleaning up the quills, I snip the ends of the quills off and all the meat, leaving just a thin layer of skin holding the whole thing together.  That makes it easier for me position the fan the way I want.  I pin it to cardboard, pour a mound of borax on it, and let it sit for a year.  That thin bit of skin is plenty strong enough to hold the fan together after it's been dried.

[chow hound]

Best thing to do is to fold it and put it between 2 pieces of cardboard that you can take together, put in a plastic bag and throw it in your cooler.

[mwr]

So, it's not too difficult to spread it out after that much time has passed since you killed him??

Not as long as you keep it frozen...

[wvboy]

So, it's not too difficult to spread it out after that much time has passed since you killed him??

As long as you keep it on ice or even freeze it.. it will open right back up once it is thawed.. they don't dry unless left out in the air.. and don't dry well unless you use salt or borax..

[Texforce]

Thanks for the replies, gentlemen. I appreciate it !! Good Huntin'

[Bill Cooksey]

I'm not all that big on saving fans, but I've saved a dozen or so over the years. I've had no problem opening them back up after a few days in a cool place. Also, I used to tack them to a board. Now, I just clip them to a pants hangar, cover with borax, and hang in the garage to dry after a minimal cleaning, and I do minimal because I really don't care if they don't work out. Haven't had bug or grease issues with any I've done this way. I'm in Memphis, so it's hot, damp and "buggy" when I do it.

[LaLongbeard]

I cut the fan off at the base of the tail the bottom part with the meat etc. easily fits in a 1 gallon zioloc bag fill ziploc halfway with salt or preferably borax.The drying/curing can start immediately and the meat and fat come off easier when dried. Just shake out the borax and you can clean the fan.

[HawkeyeGobbler]

I have used a bread bag and a rubber band before. Also at work we have one of those shrink wrapping automatic turntables in a warehouse. The shrink wrap it uses comes on a big card board tube. Before the season I will grab some empty ones from the cardboard bin, a folded fan fits in them and the cardboard is thick so it wont get smashed.

I don't do a great job at fans but bugs seem to leave them alone. Dry with borax, and what keeps bugs off it is diatomaceous earth. I use it on bird/animal mounts in my house too, dust them with it every time I dust and clean the mounts. The diatomaceous earth isn't a bug "repellant" but it kills them if they come on the mount. Feathers and fur hold it in welll. Microscopically it is very sharp and has razor edges, it cuts the bugs and the compound itself dehydrates them until they die. Once I started using it on hides, mounts, fans etc I have not had bug problems.