Hey Fred S. - Merganser Mount

J

Jon Espey

Active member
I got my pair of Common Mergansers back from the taxidermist the other day and I am very pleased with the way they turned out.

Fred, that was an awesome trip, an awesome day, and a hunt that I will never forget.

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Jon, That was a fun day at "lake merganser" My boys are still talking about that day!!

Those mounts are really beautiful.

BTW had a great time with Jason last weekend it sure was fun to show him some of the scenery around here.

Take care

Fred
 
Very nice looking mounts. That's the first drake merganser I've seen that isn't a hooded. What is the bird in the bottom picture? I've never seen one of those. (I've only duck hunted for one year so I know this is a stupid question.)
 
Nice looking mergansers. Heck even the coot is neat, I bet there aren't a lot of those mounted.

btw If you add a couple lead sinkers to the base it will give them that last touch of realism.

Tim
 
Hey Jake - it's a Coot. They are quite common around here. So much so, that most folks turn their noses up at them (they winter here by the thousands...no, make that hundreds of thousands). Poor little guys just get no respect.

I took this bird this year during the last season I got to spend with my 11 year old YLF so it will always hold special meaning to me (as will all the other mounts in my house that she retrieved). Her last duck was a drake Canvasback and her last bird was a snipe (that will be getting mounted as well).
 
Jake-

Despite what anyone says, coot is actually edible and pretty good. :p
 
Dani, you are quite correct. Coot is perfectly tasty when cooked right, just like any other waterfowl.
I like them in gumbo, stir fried, in dirty rice, etc.., but a friend of mine always just "southern fry's" the ones he shoots.
In the last few years, we havent had near the coot numbers here we had back in 97-99, not sure why.
 
I think , no, I KNOW , thats Jons statement about the "other" mounts in the house is underrated !!!

C'mon Jon , what does that bring the total to?

you will be able to tell Jons SINGLE if we get a reply =) , He can still afford a taxidermist !
 
In my house right now I have the following mounts:

2 drake mallards
Pair of Canvasbacks
Drake Redhead
Drake Mandarin Duck
Greater Canada Goose
Lesser Canada Goose
Snow Goose
Blue Goose
Ross Goose
Drake Wigeon
Coot
Drake Black Duck
Drake Pintail
Drake Green Wing Teal
Drake Spoonbill
Drake Harliquin
Pair of Atlantic Eiders
Specklebelly
Drake Ringneck
Drake Greater Scaup
Drake Lesser Scaup
Tundra Swan
Atlantic Brant
Drake Black Scoter
Drake Whitewing Scoter
Pair of Surf Scoters
Pair of Common Mergansers
Drake Hooded Merganser
Drake Gadwall
Drake Bufflehead
Drake Common Goldeneye
Drake Barrows Goldeneye


I think that's all...

Waiting to be mounted in the freezer, I have

High Arctic Grey Belly Brant
Ruddy Duck


I think that I might have a problem...
 
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i got worried when i read the post about the red eyed hooded merganser -- couldn't remember if the mounts i just picked up and put at the cabin had red or yellow eyes -- to my relief they were done correctly -- shot bothe of these as the came in -- one of the few doubles these old eyes and slow reflexes got last season but the best double by far

and i finally figured this picture thing out! till i forget again -- lol
 
Cool mounts, all of them.
We are only allowed one hooded a day.
One of my fav. memories is taking crossing shots at big common mergs in the frozen ice and wind of our late season with my SxS 10 ga. They bomb the decoys and are a cool bird as well.
 
Well seeing I mount my animals by myself (it helps to have an uncle and grandpa who have been professional taxidermists for almost 25 years) I am going to mount all of my waterfowl (just the firsts of each species). Unfortunately before I thought of this I didn't mount my hen common merganser. Anyways, here are my 2 mallards and my flying canada goose. I know the head on the drake doesn't look great do to some missing feathers. Stupid bird put his head out into the shot too much!

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few questions, who did your mounts, how much did they cost and how many species are you missing for the complete set? haha

eddie
 
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