Mounting Parts of a Dead Grouse

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Emma Hayes

Emma Hayes

Grumbler in Training
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Jun 2, 2020
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Old Hickory, TN
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Well, this wasn't quite the first question I thought I'd be asking since moving shops, but here we are. We have a customer requesting we mount the tail, wings, and claws of the last grouse they killed with a specific gun. My boss took the project in, but I would love to get some insight on what method y'all think is the best for mounting it to the backing board. Thanks y'all!
1000047880.webp
 
Probably sewing as I haven't encountered grouse glue on the open market.
As with any organic remnants, knowing how they were prepared can help.
I would be prone to take a pass if a taxidermist wasn't involved.
Also: Bird Flu.
 
I did a monkey skin a number of years ago and I stitched it.:whacky:
(sorry, I don't have a picture)
 
This reminds me of a bird tail I framed over 30 years ago. It still ranks as one of my least favorite projects in my 52 years in framing.
We referred to it as "the bird butt". It still had chunks of salt in it from the customer "preserving" it himself.
:vomit: Rick

Nowadays I wouldn't go near a project like that... especially considering, as Wally mentioned, potential ill effects to one's health.
Oh, and that doesn't even mention the possible presence of tiny mites or other parasites.
 
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Yes to sewing.
LMFAO to "grouse glue"
Also, I'm sure someone would mention it eventually, but since we're dealing with animal protein, unbuffered rag mats are usually the *best* option for preservation.
 
Feathers are pretty stable long term, but if the people who did the preserving didn't, I'd stick it in the freezer to kill off any mites (they eat feathers) and simply stitch it down in place on rag mat.

Not sure why it's getting "ew" responses, that's not even *close* to the grossest thing I've framed. (placenta prints, anyone? HORK)
 
GreyDrakkon said:
Feathers are pretty stable long term, but if the people who did the preserving didn't, I'd stick it in the freezer to kill off any mites (they eat feathers) and simply stitch it down in place on rag mat.

Not sure why it's getting "ew" responses, that's not even *close* to the grossest thing I've framed. (placenta prints, anyone? HORK)
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Placenta Prints?
How about Placenta itself.
 
GreyDrakkon said:
Not sure why it's getting "ew" responses, that's not even *close* to the grossest thing I've framed. (placenta prints, anyone? HORK)
Click to expand...
When the subject of unusual jobs comes up, Hubby's most notorious fave is the one placenta print we've framed. lol...
 
Emma Hayes said:
Well, this wasn't quite the first question I thought I'd be asking since moving shops, but here we are. We have a customer requesting we mount the tail, wings, and claws of the last grouse they killed with a specific gun. My boss took the project in, but I would love to get some insight on what method y'all think is the best for mounting it to the backing board. Thanks y'all!
View attachment 51170
Click to expand...
Emma Hayes said:
Well, this wasn't quite the first question I thought I'd be asking since moving shops, but here we are. We have a customer requesting we mount the tail, wings, and claws of the last grouse they killed with a specific gun. My boss took the project in, but I would love to get some insight on what method y'all think is the best for mounting it to the backing board. Thanks y'all!
View attachment 51170
Click to expand...
Hi Emma,

As an (ex) professional taxidermist, I can say that, if you want that grouse to be presentable and stand the test of time, you'd better seek professional help. Call a local taxidermist and get advice, at least. If the skin is not preserved correctly, it can rot, smell, and present a stinky mess. Having it done professionally won't cost much, I'm thinking in the $100-200 range, and will look great for many decades to come. Your client will thank you. (PS: Add your fee to the taxidermist cost.)

Tom in Delaware
 
I didn't have much of a choice in whether or not it got done, but I was told it had been preserved a few years ago with no real further details. It's done finally, all sewn down. I don't think I can wash my hands enough, even though I wore gloves the whole time.
1000048186.webp
 
Emma Hayes said:
I didn't have much of a choice in whether or not it got done, but I was told it had been preserved a few years ago with no real further details. It's done finally, all sewn down. I don't think I can wash my hands enough, even though I wore gloves the whole time. View attachment 51230
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Very nice job, Emma. It's quite unusual, too. I hope the client is thrilled. Congratulations!
 
Omg that turned out wonderful!

You just unlocked a memory talking about washing your hands though. I had the worst schedule-mash-up one semester in college where my vertebrate anatomy lab came right before a bookmaking class. One of the specimens we spent a few weeks dissecting was a dogfish--basically a small shark. Cool fact about sharks, but they stay buoyant with a high body content of fatty oil! I would come out of lab saturated in shark fat. It was doubly gross bc it was hard to properly feel and separate tissue layers with gloves so we often opted for a kind of lotion that made a barrier on our hands and made it "easier to wash" later. It still felt like my hands were saturated with fish grease even after 10 minutes of washing. But no time to fret, I had to run across campus and fold beautiful fresh clean paper into signatures to bind into books with the greases feeling ick fingers.

I accidentally impressed that bio teacher, who happened to be the ornithologist(birdman) with how I dissected the dogfish and mink, and he hired me to skin birds and degrease them to make study skins for his class. Ducks were equally fatty to the dogfish. We had to wash that skin in Dawn. Others, we'd blot the fat up with cornmeal so it wouldn't stain the feathers.

Anyways I shared all of that just to say it could have been worse! It always could have been fresh.
 
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