PROPER FLESHING: WATERFOWL
by Rick Carter

"Don't worry about how fast you are if you are a beginner. Do it right and the speed will come later."

THIS ARTICLE IS THE SECOND in our series of proper fleshing techniques. The birds used for demonstration are a lesser scaup (blue-bill) and a ring-necked pheasant. I chose a scaup because scaups are diving ducks and usually have thick fat and a fishy odor. The methods shown will eliminate both problems. A pheasant is a very common upland game bird that lends itself well to taxidermy.

It is difficult to discuss proper bird fleshing without first covering some basics of skinning birds. Also prior to skinning, a few other decisions are necessary. Incisions for birds were covered in Spring Issue 63 and a cut for using an artificial head was shown on page 68 of that issue.

This article will expound a little into the use of a real bill as well as using an artificial head.

It has probably been over thirteen years since I last skinned out a bird with the intent of using the real bill, so I had to think about it for a while before I did it. It was good for me to revert to my old ways in order for me to appreciate the new, easier methods used for artificial heads. As I recall, one of the selling points for an artificial head was the omission of tearing or cutting the...

...Continued in the Winter 2002 Issue of Breakthrough.

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