To those of you who have made stuffers...

Did you use the foam body mold? I know a guy who used a block of wood to wrap the skin around but that doesn't seem like the best idea. Any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Might want to try the taxidermy section.

I've never made my own crane stuffers, but the process would essentially be the same as mounting any bird, minus all the fine detail and finish work. You can use the foam body molds or you can wrap your own bodies, which would be the cheapest option. There's a lot more to it than just wrapping the skin around a mold and sewing it up though.

I'd see what expanding foam would look like, I mean if it doesn't work you didn't waste a ton of money, and if it does then you saved money

Expanding foam is a poor choice for any decoy because it soaks up water like a sponge.

If you wanted to shape your own bodies you could do it out of dense insulation foam (closed cell).

Of course you could buy mannikins from a taxidermy supply house online.

I've never hunted sandhill crane off the water, just on their way to and from the salt lakes, I didn't think about the spray foam soaking up water, but yea I guess you are right.

Thanks for all the input. I have had ridiculous success over my silhouettes but I think it's about time to upgrade. Goodluck hunting this year!

Once you've hunted over stuffers you will be ruined for life. The upside is that it is unbelievable how well they work. Some of the best gunning I've had has been over geese and sandhill stuffers. The downside is that they are a lot of work and money to mount, store and transport.

You still have to prep the skin properly just as you would for a commercial taxidermy mount, but beyond that you can get creative with how you build them. Heavier wire is the first thing and bondo to install the leg wires in the mannikin will help them to stand up to abuse. You can use the real head as well. Again, lots of work and cost, but worth it.

Spanish moss wrapped with twine does real well

I use to guide for a company that used them and the quality of the hunts produced was unreal. You are right about them being a pain but it is well worth it!

Spanish moss is not abundant in my area haha

Hobby lobby sells a bag of it for a cpl bucks