Shoulder mounts of deer and full body mounts of birds require vast experience, talent and skill to do well, but good looking turkey fan and cape mounts can be achieved by any hunter willing to care for the feathers in the field and take a little extra time to skin and dry the parts.
Looking at the bird from the back, notice the parting of the feathers that runs down either side from neck to fan. The parting is similar to a human hair part line. These two lines will be the borders of the cape.
To make the skinning process easier, some recommend hanging the bird by its head and neck and clipping its wings, but good results can be achieved just as well without either of these steps.
Make the first cut across the back of the bird’s neck where the feathers and hairless skin meet, then follow the part lines down the length of the bird, cutting a few inches on each side at first to get the process started. Take care to pull on the skin and not the feathers to keep from displacing any more feathers than absolutely necessary.
Make the side cuts all the way down the bird to the fan, peeling the skin up a little bit along the way until the long cuts are complete, then return to the neck area and carefully peel and skin the cape away from the bird’s back. This skin is very thin in places and this step warrants a little extra time and attention to detail.
Once the cape is removed as far as the fan area, finish the cuts on each side to the legs so the end result will fall behind the fan. With this done, grip the fan at its base and confirm you’ll be able to cut below the fan to remove it without cutting into the cape.
The cape and fan are meant to remain attached to one another throughout this process and in the end result. Detach the fan from the bird, taking the cape with it, and the caping process is done.
To preserve the fan and cape for any length of time before undertaking the curing process, fold the cape onto itself feather side out and freeze it.
To cure the cape and fan, you’ll need borax, a wooden board or large piece of cardboard, and small nails or push pins. Borax, or sodium borate, is a natural mineral with many uses. It’s commonly sold as a laundry aid and can be found in most stores that sell detergent..
Laying the cape feather side down, spread the fan and cut away the group of feathers behind the main fan quills. These can be cut away with a sharp knife or scissors. Press the fan flat and remove any remaining meat from this area until the yellow near the quill tips is easily visible.
Spread the rest of the cape and trim away any ragged skin along the edges and any meat or fat that may be attached as well. At this point, the preparations are complete and it’s time for the curing process to be set up.
Capes and fans can be cured feather side up or down. By laying them out feather side up, you can be sure of the final arrangement and alignment of the end product. Begin with the cape feather side down. Pour generous amounts of borax onto all of the raw surfaces, paying special attention to the fan area. Next, pour a heap of borax onto your board next to the cape, shaping the heap into a dune slightly wider and longer than the raw side of the cape itself. Then, flip the cape and fan raw side down onto the top of the borax dune. Don’t worry about getting it into the feathers at this point. All of the excess will brush away once the curing process is complete.
Use nails or pins to spread the fan, and to stretch and align the cape. By doing this feather side up, you’ll be able to be certain of all elements of the cape’s positioning and the fan’s opening. This is the time to decide how much or how little you want the fan to be spread. However it’s placed at this point will be the shape it takes permanently.
To ensure good contact with the borax, gently lay heavy books or a smooth board across the top of the feathers, and all the work is done. Curing by this method should be complete in five weeks.
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