Feathers Only Taxidermy

05/11/2026

Wanted to thank everyone for another wonderful turkey season, and for putting your trust in me to help you preserve a lasting memory. I truly appreciate you all.

Now it’s on to another time involved large diamond feather frame! After this I’ll be back to doing more lifesize turkeys and some ducks I need to get done! Stay tuned!! 😃 ♦️ 🦃

05/05/2026

Interesting info here. Looks like our poult to hen ratio has been in the red since 1998 though ☹️

Missouri Wild Turkey Numbers Week 2, Week 1 and Poult to Hen Ratio for Missouri, Permits Sold, Percentage Tags filled, % of One bird, % of Two bird, Number of Non Resident.

Numbers are Plus or Minus

2026 – Week 2 – 11,550 – First NR only 1 Bird.
2025 – Week 2 - 13,539
2024 – Week 2 - 11,625 – First All Day Season Private Land.
2023 – Week 2 - 12,063
2022 – Week 2 – 9,924
2021 – Week 2 – 12,108 – Worst Overall total Season in 24 Years of 3 week season.

Numbers are Plus or Minus
2026 – Week 1 – 27,409 – First NR Only 1 Bird.
2025 – Week 1 - 25,632
2024 – Week 1 - 23,594 – First All Day Season Private Land
2023 – Week 1 - 21,973
2022 – Week 1 - 17,408
2021 – Week 1 – 15,567 – Worst Overall total Season in 24 Years of 3 week season.

Poult to Hen Ratio / Year = Per Leading Wild Turkey Biologist Across the County.

To maintain a balance approximately 2.5 poults per hen must be produced.
When this ratio drops below 2.5 a population decline is indicated and when it goes above 2.5 an increase occurs.

1.03 2025
1.2 2024
1.4 2023
1 2022
1 2021
1 2020
0.9 2019
0.9 2018
0.8 2017
0.8 2016
1.5 2015
1.7 2014
1.3 2013
1.7 2012
1.7 2011
1.1 2010
1.2 2009
1.1 2008
1 2007
1.6 2006
1.2 2005
1.6 2004
1.6 2003
1.7 2002
2.1 2001
2.3 2000
2.3 1999
2.6 1998
3.8 1977
1.9 1973

Permits Sold
124,808 to 161,540

% of Hunters that fill 1 tag numbers are rounded.
22% to 26%

% of Hunters that fill 2 tags numbers are rounded.
4% to 5%

Non-Resident Hunters numbers are rounded.
7,000 to 9,000

Estimated Highest Turkey Population per MDC Biologist.
2004 - 600,000 to 800,000

Today Estimated Turkey Population per MDC Biologist.
250,000 to 350,000

Good Luck to the hunters still grinding it out.

05/03/2026

Got a unique one in today and it’s a dandy! Multi colored Missouri stud! Double 10 5/8” and 8 3/4” beards. 1 1/2” white spurs and white claws on his feet. Weighing it at a heavy 25 pounds.
10 minutes later another Missouri monster came through the door with 12” beard, 1 1/2” spurs and weighed in at an insane 27 pounds.
Today was definitely the day for the big boys! Thank you and congrats to all.

05/02/2026

Feather frames are very time consuming when done correctly. It needs to be clean, attractive, and have strait rows. Although beautiful, they can be expensive. Mostly due to the time, labor, and skill involved. But, you can still have a beautiful, professional, feather frame in your home without spending a lot. This is the smallest frame I offer and these can be done for $250. They measure 14”x20” to the outside of the frame. I also offer a mid size and a large frame. As always, it’s best to bring me the whole turkey for all feather frames, that way I can keep the patterns in order as I lay them out.

04/28/2026

This stud Missouri bird made it to his forever home in Indiana. Thanks Jesse for trusting me with preserving your memories!

04/23/2026

Flash back to 2024 when we did this incredible trophy for Mr. Seth Petersen. This once in a lifetime stud had 1 13/16” spurs and weighed in as a heavyweight, at an official 30.0 pounds on certified scales! 🤯
I’ve seen a lot of turkeys in the last 26 years and I have never seen another one even touch 30 pounds.
As a salute to the 2026 turkey season, I couldn’t help but share this again with everyone.

04/19/2026

Hey folks!
I get asked often, “what do I do if I shoot a turkey I want to mount while I’m on a trip”?
If you’re local, best thing is just keep it cool and dry, and get ahold of me.

*Do not breast it out!!*

First, always remember, the nicer condition I get the turkey in, the nicer your mount will be. Avoid carrying him out in a turkey vest. Don’t stomp his head or ring his neck.
Just take great care of him because feathers can be very delicate.
In this video I will be covering three things.

1. Field care using the paper towels, baggie and rubber bands.

2. Removing the tail for a lifesize mount to give yourself more room in the freezer or cooler. Including how to bag ice separately from bagging your turkey and why.

3. Skinning your turkey out for a lifesize mount so you won’t have to pay another taxidermist to do it when on a trip away from home.

I have another video on YouTube but I tried to include even more info here, as well as try to make it as short as possible.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.
Good luck to everyone this year but above all, stay safe!

04/19/2026

Got a unique one today that you don’t see everyday. 5 bearded Rio with turquoise feathers?? 😮 Well kinda. While they may not be turquoise, they sure have an awesome color to them. Such an awesome emerald green at one angle and then turn a type of blue/purple at another angle. He literally seems to glow like a neon sign. Most Rio’s I see are green/orange like the frame pics I shared recently. The greens in this guy are insanely cool! Not to mention, I don’t believe I’ve ever personally had a multi bearded turkey in my possession that wasn’t an eastern. Definitely never a 5 bearded Rio! By the way, these pics were not altered whatsoever. Not even camera flash. The pics inside my shop even had poor lighting.

04/16/2026

I had the pleasure of mounting this turkey last summer and have known these results for a few weeks now before they were posted. It was tough to keep it to myself but I didn’t want to take anything away from Josh or Mike and his team. Congratulations Josh Flynn on an absolute unicorn of a turkey! Let the haters hate. They can say it’s domestic if it makes them feel better but in the end, they couldn’t be more wrong! Not sure how many more are this rare in the country but I know one thing. Yours is one in a million and I’m proud you chose me to mount it so you could display him in your home. Harvested in a rowed wheat field. Pics of the mount in the comments.