What do you do with all of your turkey tails?

[trackerbucky]

I've seen many different methods for displaying beards and spurs, but what do you all do with your turkey tails? Seems like some of the guys here take 5 or 6 or more birds a year.  After a while I would think that you would run out of wall space to display them.

[strutnrut]

I just discard of them unless someone ask for one. Wife did a christmas tree with tail feathers once dang cat almost run us crazy.

[Gooserbat]

I pitch them unless someone wants them.

[wisconsinteacher]

I am putting one in my office this year.  (I share it with two women!!!!)

[darn2ten]

 I was just talking to my wife about this the other day. Every time I kill one I still cut the fan off, kind of wrap it in plastic bag and throw it in the freezer. I've probably got at least 30 in 3 different freezers. I use to do quite a few fan displays. Gave some away and have keep certain ones, I mean there's only so many you can do, right?  Guess I'm going to start throwing them away because I don't have any more room for them and don't really know what I'm going to do with them anyway.

[stinkpickle]

I already have a bunch on the wall and a big stack still sandwiched between cardboard and borax sitting the garage.  I started pitching them this year.

[turkey_slayer]

I toss em unless they are unique or off a big bird but not big enough to mount

[THattaway]

If I don't use them in a mount or multi-fan mount I just clip the good feathers off at the base and store them in plastic bags, usually after freezing them for several months. Plenty of fly tyers out there that love to get free quality turkey tail feathers. At $3 to $4 for a couple feathers it's a nice gift for them to get a nice package of them for free. Turkey tail is good for wings on caddis flies and grasshoppers. Makes great stonefly nymphs. I also save the feathers from the base of the tail as they make excellent pheasant tail style nymphs. Primary wing feather biots make great knotted legs for nymphs and hoppers, wings for small caddis flies and midges. Secondary wing feather also makes good nymph bodies, wing cases and wings on caddis flies etc. Natural marabou makes great wooly buggers. Have used mottled feathers off the leg area for wet fly hackle. The covert feathers make great iridescent wing cases on nymphs too.

The point is, IMO it's a shame to throw away such a beautiful work of art. Someone somewhere can surely use the material and would be glad to get it. I've sent free packages of turkey feathers to fly tyers from Florida to Niagra Falls NY.

[WyoHunter]

I toss em unless they are unique or off a big bird but not big enough to mount

[Huntaholic]

 I generally trash em. I do however, save some of the different subspecies and give them to a buddy of mine that does feather art.

[TauntoHawk]

I have my fans off the first three longbeards I killed on display in my dads man cave that we killed when I was younger, I have the first three my wife killed and will mount them on a Triple fan mount right now they are in the basement. After 3 I throw them unless I ever kill another sub spieces than I will keep one of those.

Beard and spurs are always kept

[troutfisher13111]

Unless I plan on doing another fan mount I just throw them away. I keep every beard and spurs over one inch.

[Spring Creek Calls]

Your local or favorite taxidermist may be able to use most or all the parts that you don't use.

[2eagles]

Along the same lines.  I have been giving my wings to an area police chief.   He is a primitive bow hunter and makes his own fletching.  Always nice to have a cop who likes you.

[tomstopper]

I pitch them unless someone wants them.

^^^This