So you got yourself a big tom down this spring and you want it mounted. What steps do you need to take to help insure you keep the bird in good condition?
1. Try to get to your bird as soon as possible after you shoot it. Try to prevent it from flopping around too much and damaging feathers.
2. Wipe any visible blood from the bird and stuff a piece of cloth, paper towel, or other absorbant material into the mouth to prevent any blood seepage. If the head area is extremely bloody, you may want to put the head into a ziplok bag and secure to the neck with a rubber band. This will prevent fouling the birds feathers.
3. Fold the wings close to the body and tuck the head under one wing, Slide the whole turkey into a large garbage bag and you are all set!
4. If you cannot get to a taxidermist within the day, freeze the bird until you can make arrangement to get him delivered.
***Note---do not attempt to gut or field dress the bird, if you do so it may be impossible to later have a good mount. Also when handling, try to keep the bird on it's belly, not it's back