09/17/2026
Fellow taxidermists, please feel free to share!
In preparation of Minnesota duck opener, I wanted to share some key items to look for when deciding if a Woodduck is appropriate for a mount.
Early season Woodducks can appear to have excellent colors and assumed to be wall worthy with the naked eye. However, most birds harvested in the early parts of season will be riddled with pinfeathers that will ultimately fall out and lead to tears in the skin during the taxidermy process leading to a poorer quality mount. There are some exceptions to the rule for the early season, as Woodducks take on their full plumage earlier than many species of ducks.
Included are features to consider when deciding if a Woodduck is a mature and fully plumaged specimen that is worthy to be preserved.
*(Photo 2)Tertial feathers - large stubby flight feather group closest to the birds body should be of same length, feather closest to the white tipped speculum feathers should also show a fully developed white tip. (Common to see these not present, or at staggered lengths with a large blue quill when still developing from summer plumage)
*(Photo 3)Rump Feathers - Mature birds will carry fire orange tassles towards their tail on both sides of the body. Tail feathers will also be of same length with minimal/no blue quills shown.
*(Photo 4)Large Crest - mature birds will have a notable hood length starting behind the eye with non choppy white lines trimming the green crest. Crest will appear to flow down the neck to the back of a mature bird.
*(Photo 5) Flank Bars - black/white bars near the shoulder are commonly pin feathered indicating other feather group issues. Fully developed bird will show definitive black/white bar in front of the pocket with non choppy lines
*(Photo 6)Pocket feathers - look for the Gold side pocket feathers to be lacking blue feather quills. Fully developed pockets are arguably the most important part of a Woodduck to ensure a quality mount. Black/white tipped group should consist of 7+ individual feathers that are non choppy and are of non differing lengths. Many specimens that appear of good quality from an initial inspection lack the fully developed feather grouping.
*(Photo 7)Neck Feathers - many early season birds will show non developed neck feathers that can appear as small blue quills or balding areas. A nice specimen will show fully developed feathers with a notable transition line between black/slate colored scruff of the neck and the maroon throat feathers
As always, feel free to check in with us to inspect any bird you may have questions on!
Good luck in the 2026 season!
-Zack and Kelli
