Preserving Turkey Wings for Decor – A Hunter’s Guide

As a turkey hunter, you likely have fond memories of past hunts and prize gobblers What better way to commemorate a successful hunt than preserving and displaying your trophy turkey’s wings? Mounted wings make for great decorative accents in your outdoor room, cabin or lodge With proper technique, you can preserve your turkey wings for years of enjoyment.

Why Preserve Turkey Wings?

Turkey wings are highly prized hunting trophies. Their large, colorful feathers showcase the unique plumage of wild turkeys. Mounted wings are ideal for decorating hunting cabins and lodges. They convey a rustic, outdoorsy feel.

Preserved wings also serve as lasting mementos of memorable hunts. Looking at your mounted wings lets you relive those exciting moments in the turkey woods.

How to Remove and Prepare Turkey Wings

Prepping your wings is the first step for proper preservation:

Cut wings off at the ball joint leaving some shoulder plumage attached.
Make an incision along the underside of the wing to expose the bones
Carefully remove all flesh and fat from between the wing bones using a knife. Be sure not to cut off any feather bases.
Wash wings with mild dish soap to remove oils and grime. Rinse thoroughly.

Drying and Preserving the Wings

Once prepped, turkey wings need to undergo a thorough drying process:

Apply liquid preservative on the wing tip and raw cuts. Borax powder also helps dry wings.
Position wings how you want them to dry. Place books or weights on feathers to hold their shape.
Let wings air dry completely, around 5-7 days. The drying time depends on humidity.
Check wing feathers periodically to ensure they are drying into the proper pose.
Paint fully dried wings with clear shellac to protect and preserve them.

Mounting Your Trophy Turkey Wings

The final step is mounting your preserved wings for display:

Attach a small wire loop to the wing bones for hanging on the wall like a picture.
Modify a plate hanger to grasp the wing bones and hang it on a wall or plaque.
For a rustic look, use a large rat trap with the springs repositioned to hold the wing.
Create a custom plaque or shadowbox to highlight your memorable trophy.

Handling Precautions

When transporting fresh wings before preserving:

Guard wing feather tips so they don’t bend backward.
Keep wings protected in a game bag until you can start the drying process.
Avoid getting wings wet or exposing them to dirt or oils.

With the proper harvesting, drying, and mounting techniques, your treasured turkey wings will stay preserved for many years, allowing you to reminisce about your favorite turkey hunts.

how to preserve a turkey wing

How to Prepare/Mount Turkey Wings for Display

FAQ

How do you protect turkey wings?

Holding a wing in your hand, lift that side of the turkey a couple of inches and tuck the wing underneath the bird’s back. Lower the turkey and repeat with the other side. This step makes for more even roasting and keeps the wingtips from burning.

How to preserve bird wings?

Salt Water Method: If fresh enough to preserve the entire wing for a fan, the best way is to soak the part for two weeks in a saturated salt solution (pickling salt or the driveway salt works well and is inexpensive). In a bucket of lukewarm water keep pouring in salt and stirring until no more of it will dissolve.

Can you freeze fresh turkey wings?

Yes, you can freeze turkey pieces (like drumsticks and wings) that still contain the bone. Wrap them in plastic wrap before sealing in a bag to lock in moisture and prevent freezer burn.

How do you keep a turkey tail from slamming?

Even if you are not into grand slamming, a turkey tail or wing makes an attractive wall mount for the den or trophy room. To preserve a wing, cut it off close to the breast, leaving some of the shoulder plumage attached. You can remove any excess shoulder skin later. Cut the skin open along the underside of the wing.

How do you keep a bird wing from stiffening?

Inject the wing section at the tip with liquid preservative and apply borax to the raw parts. When all the flesh has been removed and dry preservative applied, spread the wing the way you want it to dry and place objects such as books on the large feathers to hold the wing in position as it stiffens.

How do you Dry a turkey tail?

Now you’ll want to spread the tail into its fan shape for drying. Using T-pins and placing the turkey tail on a board or foam board, push one pin into the base of the tail and then working from the outer feathers toward the middle place a T-pin alongside (but not through!) each feather’s shaft (or rachis).

How do you maintain a Turkey fan?

Dampen the rag in rubbing alcohol or lacquer thinner and gently wipe the feathers down (in the direction they lay). Alcohol and the thinner will evaporate away, leaving the feathers clean and dry. One other tip that will extend the life of your turkey fan is to keep it out of direct sunlight.