Preserving Duck Feathers

[jschwar2 0]

Hello everyone,

 

This is my first post on this forum. I just received a full mallard duck cape from my step father along with 6 additional wings. They have been frozen for 4-5 months and have had most of the meat/fat removed. Could someone please help me through the steps of preserving/de-bugging the feathers for long term storage? I greatly appreciate any mentoring that you could provide.

[1st.YearTyer 0]

I am also a new member but have many years experience hunting.So welcome fellow newbie.It's pretty easy actually,lay out the item on a flat board ,scrap off all or as much as YOUR able to of any fat/meat/sinew from the inside of hide/skin.Then get some COARSE SALT and absolutely cover the entire exposed insides with it.Not just a light sprinkling but a mound of it.If your not sure you have enough then heap on more.Salt is cheap getting another hide/skin is not.Keep it in your garage/storage area for at least three days.Give it a look-see after that.If its looking like beef jerky go another day or two.It's done when it's hard/stiff.Keep it in a Tupperware container type along with a papertowel.Some people use the moth balls/flea collars but I never have in all my years of leather work but maybe me being in Northern Canada helps.

Good-luck with it and let me know how it goes for ya.

 

Later

 

TonyB.

[mybadhabit 0]

if you do a search, I asked the same ? a few months ago, but was told not to use salt, it degrades the skin, but instead use borax!!

If you do a search for preserving feathers, you will find it, and like many other items and ?'s, a search works well, and if you can't find it there then by all means ask, I know these guys love the ?'s and I love seeing the answers, but many of the topics have been here before.

 

Welcome to the forum, we are glad to have you both aboard.

 

Blane

[perchjerker 0]

Welcome to the wacky world of fly tying, and this Forum. You have embarked on a long, downward spiraling, but very rewarding, venture.

 

Get all of the fat off of the skin and simply coat it with nothing but borax. This is how Museums prepare bird skins for permanent storage. There is no need to salt a bird skin as they are so very thin, and contain very little water. What cell water there is will be removed by the borax. The wings are an entirely different matter, due to the muscle mass around the bones in them. Any good book on taxidermy will lead you through the process of removing these muscle masses. Once again, once the muscle mass has been removed, a little borax is all you typically need, provided that you do a good job of muscle removal. If there is some concern about the quality of the muscle removal, then put salt into the cavities around the bones, along with borax.

 

The freezing should take care of any vermin they may have had. Mites are the most likely pests on birds, and they normally will not damage the feathers, as they are typically blood suckers. Once the bird is dead, they either soon leave, or starve to death. It is moths, that come after storage, that are the dreaded culprits. The sprinkling of whole cloves among your stored feathers, and other natural materials, does a good job of keeping them at bay, and they make the materials smell good. I am not a fan of the fumes from mothballs. Pieces, or small balls, of western cedar also work. They are available in some craft stores. However, every grocery store with a spice section will have the cloves.

 

I have several pairs of duck wings, mostly teal, that were simply put out in the hot sun on a roof to sun-dry after sprinkling a little salt on them and lightly working it under the feathers. Here in Texas, we have an early teal season in September; a time when it can still approach the mid 90's F with plenty of sunshine, making this method possible.

 

perchjerker

[iso18 0]

Welcome to the wacky world of fly tying, and this Forum. You have embarked on a long, downward spiraling, but very rewarding, venture.

 

Get all of the fat off of the skin and simply coat it with nothing but borax. This is how Museums prepare bird skins for permanent storage. There is no need to salt a bird skin as they are so very thin, and contain very little water. What cell water there is will be removed by the borax. The wings are an entirely different matter, due to the muscle mass around the bones in them. Any good book on taxidermy will lead you through the process of removing these muscle masses. Once again, once the muscle mass has been removed, a little borax is all you typically need, provided that you do a good job of muscle removal. If there is some concern about the quality of the muscle removal, then put salt into the cavities around the bones, along with borax.

 

The freezing should take care of any vermin they may have had. Mites are the most likely pests on birds, and they normally will not damage the feathers, as they are typically blood suckers. Once the bird is dead, they either soon leave, or starve to death. It is moths, that come after storage, that are the dreaded culprits. The sprinkling of whole cloves among your stored feathers, and other natural materials, does a good job of keeping them at bay, and they make the materials smell good. I am not a fan of the fumes from mothballs. Pieces, or small balls, of western cedar also work. They are available in some craft stores. However, every grocery store with a spice section will have the cloves.

 

I have several pairs of duck wings, mostly teal, that were simply put out in the hot sun on a roof to sun-dry after sprinkling a little salt on them and lightly working it under the feathers. Here in Texas, we have an early teal season in September; a time when it can still approach the mid 90's F with plenty of sunshine, making this method possible.

 

I totally agree with perch jerker. BORAX, been using it for years. Works and leaves a nice smell.

cheers,

shane

 

perchjerker

[Markbob 0]

So if I am trying to use individual feathers that I find from large raptors and other large birds, all I need to do is freeze them to make them safe to use from a health stand point? Does the freezing cause any damage to them at all?

[utyer 0]

Markbob. Check the federal statutes, possession of raptor feathers in not legal. Follow this link and read up on the migratory and endangered bird information. About 83% of all song birds in the lower 48 states are protected, and their feathers should not be in your possession.

 

About the ONLY feathers you can collect are domesticated birds like chickens, turkeys, ducks etc, and birds with open hunting seasons.

 

Simply having a protected birds plumage in your possession can get you into serious trouble. Even Native Americans are not exempt (except for a few tribes that may collect Golden Eagle feathers.) Most of the plumage you see at Indian Pow Wows and other gatherings are not genuine owl, raptor or eagle feathers.

 

It doesn't matter how the feathers came into your possession, you need to be aware of the laws.

[1st.YearTyer 0]

Canadians are much better off when it comes to endangered/rare/protected species.If you find a dead one you want ya take it with you to the nearest Fish & Game office,get a permit and it's yours.

 

I like how people contradict themselves when spewing advice,must be talking just for the sake of talking.Thats a jerkpercher for ya!

[perchjerker 0]

Bet you are up to your eyeballs in deep dodo if you don't get the permit. Moreover, the Endangered Species Act is a US Act; whereas the Migratory Bird Treaty Act was signed by Canada, the US, and Mexico in 1919, and has been revised at least twice since then; with more countries becoming signatories with each revision. The operative word in the title of this act is TREATY, which means a mutual agreement between two or more parties. This TREATY was developed to stop the commercial harvest of migratory waterfowl in all three countries. Bet the language of the TREATY is the same in all participating countries, as this is usual and customary.

 

What was the contradiction in my earlier post? I think you misspoke on this point.

 

perchjerker

[perchjerker 0]

markbob;

 

What utyer says is true. It is a Federal offense, and possibly also a state offense in your state, to have, possess, disturb, purchase, or barter any and all parts of birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), including their bodies and parts, as well as their eggs, nests, UNLESS you have both a FEDERAL AND A STATE COLLECTING PERMIT, which typically is issued ONLY for scientific purposes, and MUST be held PRIOR to collection. There are exceptions to the basis for issuing such a permit. The 1957 Revision did make allowances for feathers from those birds for which their is a legal hunting season in the participating country. This modification made the use of these feathers legal for fly tiers.

 

As previously noted, the only birds that are exempt from this coverage within the contiguous 48 states are: starlings, house sparrows, common pigeons, and any other invasive species that have entered the contiguous 48 states since the last MBTA revision.

 

perchjerker

[Markbob 0]

Hmmm...I would like to read up on that more...

[Druce 0]

perchjerker----> slam dunk into the basket of knowledge.

[perchjerker 0]

markbob:

 

The MBTA is codified at: 50 CFR 22.

 

CFR stands for "Code of Federal Regulations", which document series contains all of the federal laws, as finalized, and upon which any and all regulations emanating from them are based. Number 50 is mostly, if not completely, devoted to the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service Laws and Regulations. The MBTA is found at Section 22.

 

Your local public library should have a set. If not, they should be able to get it on Inter Library Loan for you. Be sure to have a bountiful supply of No-Doze at hand, as reading these things can be a real 'sleeper'.

 

perchjerker

[perchjerker 0]

Not that it really matters to the basis for this thread, but I erred earlier. The MBTA has been revised twice since 1957. 1957 is when all birds other than starlings, house sparrows and feral pigeons were added to the list.

 

For the benefit of the Canadians on here, my understanding of your MBCA (Migratory Bird Convention Act), which is the title of your law, has the same limitations and penalties for " taking, having, possessing, etc.," that our MBTA has. If my understanding is correct, you must have the permit prior to the "take"; not get it after the "take". The penalties for not doing so can be quite stiff.

 

Thanks for the comment Druce.

 

perchjerker

[Markbob 0]

Perch, thanks for the reference, I am familiar with the CFRs from working in radiological controls on my shore duty before I got out of the navy but that was mostly 49CFR for transportation of hazardous materials.

 

Having pigeons on the list is ridiculous, which makes me suspect that seagulls are on there too and there is nothing at all endangered about them.

 

I guess I will have to stick to turkey feathers which is no big deal because we have a large wild turkey population around here (in the wild and in my liqueur cabinet).