# How to Preserve a Turkey Fan



## jigmeister (Feb 6, 2003)

Here is most of the article from the Feb 2001 Field & Stream, pages 73 & 74.

The procedure is quite simple, and with relatively few supplies, anyone can do it. You will need at least 1 cup of uniodized salt, a cup of 20 Mule Team Borax, a stiff wire brush, and a hacksaw blade. A good skinning knife is also neccesary to clean your fan.
Cut off the meaty part of the tail that holds the feathers together. Skin this out, removing the meat and fat from around the quills. Be careful not to cut the quills away from the skin. When you have exposed the quills, use your knife to remove any remaining fat from around and in between them. After you have gotten all that you can with the knife, remove any remaining flesh or fat with the wire brush. When finished, your quills should be shiny and white.
Tack a piece of foil (10" square) onto your drying board with a couple of finishing nails. Leave enough foil free to create a leakproof pocket around your fan base. Mix together 1 cup each of uniodized salt & borax, and sprinkle generously onto the foil. Place the fan base onto this, and secure it to the board with a few more finishing nails.
Spread the tail feathers into a complete fan and tack into place with the rest of the nails. It is best to work from the center outward to the edges of the fan. When you have arranged your fan satisfactorily, cover the base with your salt-borax mixture. Be sure that you get plenty of mixture in between and around the quills. Fold the free section of the foil up over the base to make your leakproof pocket.
Cut the beard from the turkey's breast. Clean away any fat from the base; use the wire brush to get it thoughly cleaned. On a small piece of foil, put about a tablespoon of the salt-borax mixture. Place the base of the beard into this and wrap. Saw the spurs from the legs with a hacksaw blade, and put some more of the mixture onto another small piece of foil. Be sure to get the base of the spurs in this and wrap. I suggest that you tack the beard and spurs to the board with the fan to keep everything together.
Place everything in a cool and dry place when you are done. Your fan should be located where it will not be exposed to excessive heat or cold while drying. Drying time will vary, but it should take between 3 weeks and two months.
When your mounting board is prepared the way you want it (e.g., sanded, or varnished), and your fan is dry, clean away the salt-borax mixture from everything. Coat the fan base, the base of the beard and the spurs with a thin layer of pure borax. Attach the fan to the board with two or three wood screws. Then tack the beard and the spurs to the small cover board, and fasten this over the base with additional wood screws. On a couple of fans, I have glued the empty shell casing to the cover board as well. You can place a few acorns or artificial leaves around the base cover, too, for a decorative effect. 
It's best to dust your mounted fan regularly. Occasionally you may want to brush out the feathers with a soft brush. With proper cleaning and maintenance, your fan will last forever.


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## mich buckmaster (Nov 20, 2001)

Very nice instructions!!


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

Cool, dry and away from flies...

Had the maggots get into the full legs I was drying down a couple of years ago. Couldn't get enough salt/borax in there to kill 'em. Really interesting how they would squirm out when you worked the tendons, though! :yikes: Change in this weather should stall them for a while!

I've done 5 tail fans now, #6 is on the workbench. I make the plaques, put the beard into the shotshell and mount it with the commemorative patch from the DNR/MWTF. Dry the legs and wrap with leather lace to hang from it. A very nice memento. Will try to post a pic soon. Running out of wall space though...


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## uptracker (Jul 27, 2004)

Nice tip...I have had trouble in the past.


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