# Preserving Turkey Feet/spurs



## Johnboat (Jun 7, 2004)

I saw some at a bud's house with his fan/beard...so I did it myself this year. Put some salt on the tops. Propped up the legs against a wall with a brick over the toes to keep them flat. I let them dry a week till stiff enough to not curl back, then began three coats of clear Krylon. My friend said to not let dry too long without the clear coat or they will turn white. Used a leather strip I had. Pretty easy.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Next time you can cut the pad open n pull some leaders out thru bottom of foot, you will have to cut loose from each toe and take some hemostats and pull, will be a cpl on each. We used to do m this way and inject with some perservitive, if I remember it was alcohol based. This is the way we did all our turkey feet on mounted birds and just feet with tail, when dry we painted a light coat of red then glossed. I made several feet giving the bird and mounted on a small brd, these were popular as I always sold all I had....WW


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## txsnyper (Feb 8, 2007)

Is you old lady gonna let you keep those in tha house?

I am pretty sure mine would sheet and go blind before I could keep "rotting turkey feet" in the house.

Perdy cool if yours will let ya though.

BTW I'm sure you could go to Van ***** taxidermy online and buy something a little more professional to use. However if what you did works, then I say good to go.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

Wonder if you could cure them by soaking in antifreeze like you do with snake skins?


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

Looks like something Marie LaVeau would have hanging around. Do they smell at all? They look cool.


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## Johnboat (Jun 7, 2004)

*Answers:*

No smell at all, but it was a full 3 weeks before I brought it in the house... very little smell before that. There are more professional methods for sure, but there just isn't a lot of muscle or fat to spoil in the feet, mostly bone, scales, tough pads, toenails/spurs, tendons, etc. Its amazing that it stays looking the same and the clear coat really makes it look good.

Not sure what I will do with them. Buy my friend has them as part of his fan/beard display....looks cool. Since these were a personal best on spurs (I have only shot 4 mature toms) I wanted to keep them. Probably just a gun closet decoration. If it went South I could just remove the spurs.


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## EWH (Aug 12, 2005)

I've done the same with some of my good spurs. Usually let the ends soak in borax to dry up the little amount of "flesh" and then cap with 10 gauge brass. Looks cool!


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