Hey guys. I'm going to try my hand at mounting a duck. I have seen some body forms and stuff, there are quite a few places to get them. Anyone have any tips for a newb ? I have found some instructions online but they are all different. I haven't found a good one yet as far as drying the skin. Can I just use borax or what? Also I've seen them injecting the feet with something

Sorry, I had to laugh my butt off at your Subject line.

Good luck mounting your first duck; don't take any compromising photos!



(okay, seriously, good luck with the taxidermy; sorry I have nothing constructive to add).

You are going to want to go to the forum at taxidermy.net and read all you can. Buying a DVD can be a world of help as well. There are many ways to skin a cat and even more ways to mount a duck but most of them have a lot in common.
To answer your specific question, the borax isn't for drying the skin, it's for bug proofing and yes that's all you will need birds have very thin skin that dries with minimal shrinkage so long as it is properly cleaned and fleshed so there is no need to tan the skin. As to the feet, most inject either a two-part resin called Masters Blend or a 50/50 mix of glycerin and formaldehyde. Both of these steps are to prevent the feet, which are very fleshy, from shriveling up.

Good luck and have fun.

Any favorite place to get supplies like body forms? I found one called lonestar. They have whole kit I guess for $25.