Treating turkey fans

[Rogue Bay]

Does anyone on here treat dried turkey fans for bugs before bringing them into the house? I’ve always just dried them thoroughly using Borax on the base of the tail, top of the beard, etc. but a few years ago we had a fan that got eaten on by bugs while in the garage. That was a first for but I wouldn’t want to have that happen if the fan was in the house with my other mounts.

Has anybody had this experience and what’s your go-to method?

 

[Jimss]

Try to get rid of all the yellowish fat. Borax usually works well with me once all the fat is gone. If you really want to make a fan bug-proof you can put a thin coat of bondo on the base.

 

[Rogue Bay]

Thank you for the suggestion. I read about the Bondo online but that was the first I’d heard of it until you mentioned it.

 

[UncleNommies]

As mentioned above, bondo works great! I get all the yellow fat off the best i can, fill the tub or sink with dawn soap and water, then i give the fan a really good washing. Hit it with a blow dryer and it comes out looking better than before! I lay down some plastic wrap where the bondo will be, spread the tail fan out to where i want it, then tape it down. Mix up the bondo and apply it to the base, fold the plastic wrap over and place a heavy book on it to form the bondo. Once the bondo is dry, carefully pull the painters tape away towards the tip of the feathers. It's more steps, but way faster than the borax method!

 

[WCB]

As mentioned above, bondo works great! I get all the yellow fat off the best i can, fill the tub or sink with dawn soap and water, then i give the fan a really good washing. Hit it with a blow dryer and it comes out looking better than before! I lay down some plastic wrap where the bondo will be, spread the tail fan out to where i want it, then tape it down. Mix up the bondo and apply it to the base, fold the plastic wrap over and place a heavy book on it to form the bondo. Once the bondo is dry, carefully pull the painters tape away towards the tip of the feathers. It's more steps, but way faster than the borax method!

Id do very similar but split in between the feathers even further and probably get 99% of all the fat and meat off the quills. Wash with dawn, rinse well, then dry with hair drier set on warm. Borax the connective tissue between the feathers.

All the other feathers I individually pluck and clean the quill off so no need to clean those. I assemble with clear JB Weld epoxy and some hot glue if needed.

From start (cutting it fresh off the bird) till wall hangable about 2.5 hrs. Absolutely no worry about bugs. Seen too many grouse and turkey fans even "salted/boraxed" get eaten by bugs or even mice when all the meat and fat wasn't removed. Picture below is one I made 3 years ago including the plaque.

 

[Rogue Bay]

This is incredible! Thank you all so much for the instruction! I’ve got a tail in the early stages of drying I’ll practice on. Thanks again!

 

[Jbehredt]

Agree with the above but I find a little JB weld easier to work with and stronger which is nice if it’s destined to be a decoy fan.

 

[Chris in TN]

I've always just used Borax but now you have me thinking about checking the ones in the barn for bug damage.


Damage or not, I might hit them with some permethrin while I'm at it.

 

[High Climber]

Wow I need to step my game up on Turkey fans mine look no where near that clean at the quills I cut as much as I can with a knife, pin it out, then salt the crap out of it for a few weeks and nail it to the wall in my shop

 

[OneGunTex]

I've done the Borax + salt to dry fans before, but for a permanent mount I have clipped and placed individual feathers. Takes a lot longer, but lays nice and flat and perfect.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I trim as much of the soft tissue off as possible and then encase the base in a mixture of salt and borax. Let it sit until all of it is cured/dried. No bug problems ever after 25 or so..