1.
How
do I know which bird to save for mounting, what makes a good
trophy mount?
2.
How
long can a bird sit in an ice chest or refrigerator, before I
get it to the taxidermist?
3.
How
do I ship David Luke Taxidermy my bird trophy for mounting?
4.
How do I import birds from Mexico or Argentina that
I would like to have mounted?
5.
Man, I’d love to make a hunt in Africa or
Argentina, how do I make that happen?
6.
I live out of town, but, I visit New Orleans upon
occasion, I’d love to see Dave’s studio, when can I come by
and view all of the mounts?
7.
I’ve always wanted to learn taxidermy, how can I
schedule a seminar with Dave?
Q. How
do I know which bird to save for mounting, what makes a good
trophy mount?
Unless the
bird you have collected is very rare, the best birds for
taxidermy are generally your more mature, late season birds.
All birds grow new plumage for the winter, not only to
have good warmth, but, primarily, the males and females become
more beautiful to find mates for spring.
The later in the winter season, the better the
possibility that the bird you have collected is in mint
condition. Also,
the winter season has a lot to do with new feather growth, so,
the colder the climate, the earlier, and better, the birds come
into plume. When
saving a bird to mount, remember this rule, “The better the
bird in the hand, the better the trophy on the wall!”.
Simply put; take the best possible care in handling your
trophy to be mounted. Keep
the freshly killed bird clean, and tidy. As soon as possible, freeze the bird, with the head folded
neatly around the back of the bird, or under a closed wing, in
plastic. Don’t
forget to label, or tag, the bird.
This is important, as you must have a tagged bird for
transport and shipping! (Tagging is easy, simply put your name, address, type of bird,
and the date on a small piece of paper, and place this tag in
the bag with the bird. That’s
it!) In the case of rare or difficult to obtain species of birds
that you have collected, simply do the best you can, to keep the
bird in good condition.
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Q. How
long can a bird sit in an ice chest or refrigerator, before I
get it to the taxidermist?
It is best to freeze
all bird trophies as soon as possible.
Two days in a refrigerator or ice chest is O.K., but get
the birds frozen quickly. Frozen
birds can stay in your freezer for a year, however, keep in
mind, rule number one, the better the bird to the taxidermist,
the better the mount on the wall.
Some of the birds that stay frozen a year, or more, may
lose beauty due to freezer burn or dryness.
An example of this is it is very difficult for the
taxidermist to revive a woodduck’s crest, or a goldeneye’s
head shape, or a hooded merganser’s hood, after a year or two
in a freezer. Freezer
burn is the number one factor in destroyed, or not presentable
taxidermy work. Get
your trophy to the taxidermist as soon as you can; this will
result in the best possible mount.
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Q. How
do I ship David Luke Taxidermy my bird trophy for mounting?
Always
send birds frozen, overnight or two-day shipping, to insure
the trophy doesn’t thaw out and rot.
Wrap the frozen, tagged bird in several layers of
newspaper, and place in a box.
More newspaper can be packed into the box, or Styrofoam
peanuts can be placed around the trophy.
Send the package Fed-Ex Overnight, or UPS second day
delivery to:
David Luke
Taxidermy
1892 East Bridge Street
Breaux Bridge, La. 70517
Call
Dave to let him know the trophy is being sent, at 337-332-0770, and discuss the style and positioning of the
trophy. Dave can fax or mail contracts to clients.
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Q.
How do I import birds
from Mexico or Argentina that I would like to have mounted?
This
is a very easy process. What makes this process a
nightmare, generally, is lack of planning before the
trip. To import birds from foreign countries to David
Luke taxidermy, you need to merely contact Dave before your
trip, and Dave will have all of your paper work completed
before you leave. David Luke Taxidermy is an Approve
Facility for Agriculture, within Louisiana, allowing Dave’s
studio to import birds, WORLDWIDE, for discerning clients. For over fifteen years, Dave has imported thousands of birds
for fellow hunters, taxidermist’s, clients and museums. Contact Dave for more information on importing your
wingshooting trophies.
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Q.
Man,
I’d love to make a hunt in Africa or Argentina, how do I
make that happen?
It’s
easy, with David Luke Wingshooting Adventures!
Dave joins most of his hunters and groups for these
“out-of-country” hunts, guaranteeing his years of travel
expertise and knowledge, and his friendship with the
outfitters and guides. Dave
has personal contact with the owners of lodges the guides and
outfitters. Every trip Dave sends his friends and clients on, Dave has
been on, or goes with the group.
From Argentina to Africa, North Europe to New Zealand,
Dave has taken dozens of hunters to enjoy the wingshooting
these wonderful, far away places offer.
Take with Dave about a wingshooting adventure, Dave has
dozens of guides and outfitters that are friends, not just
clients. This is
the magnificent difference in hunting with Dave Luke!
And, when you travel with Dave, all of your customs and
import papers are completed and handled by Dave, making the
import business the simplest it can be.
When hunting with Dave, all aspects of your
wingshooting adventure are taken care of, from rules and
regulations, to gun entry, to export permits for your valuable
trophies, to handling customs and Agriculture upon return,
Dave is there, with you, to help with these needs.
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Q.
I live out of town, but, I visit New Orleans
upon occasion, I’d love to see Dave’s studio, when can I
come by and view all of the mounts?
Visit
David Luke Taxidermy any time, simply call the taxidermy studio,
at 337-332-0770 and make an appointment, Dave enjoys meeting new
clients and chatting about wingshooting adventures!
Located in Mandeville, Louisiana, about thirty miles due
North of New Orleans, a mere thirty minute drive from downtown
New Orleans or the French Quarter, Dave’s studio has easy
access to the city.
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Q.
I’ve
always wanted to learn taxidermy, how can I schedule a seminar
with Dave?
David Luke’s well known, one-on-one
intensive study programs are available to anyone interested in
the art of taxidermy. Be
it that you have never skinned a bird, to well known
taxidermist’s that want to speed-up production, or win the
next World Competition, David Luke Taxidermy can help you with
the knowledge you need to excel.
All seminars are one-on-one, in Dave’s studio.
All tools and supplies are included in the seminar, you
may want to bring your own birds, however, Dave has penraised
quail, pheasant, chukar, woodducks and mallards available.
Dave offers two and a half-day, to five-day seminars,
focused on the art of taxidermy.
Learn gamelaws and federal rules and regulations.
Learn how to advertise and gain a good, firm client
base. Learn
taxidermy’s skills, from skinning and fleshing, to anatomy
and engineering. Learn
body building, casting and re-creation of body parts.
Handle washing and tumbling, and drying of bird skins
for mounting. And,
learn positioning of the trophies with proper attitude, shape,
and design. (Positioning
of your trophy is the most fun of taxidermy, and this is made
easy by Dave with his collection of over five hundred bird
mounts in the main showroom!)
Learn airbrushing, and finish work, along with habitat
design and base work. All mounts completed by students, are owned by students, and
taken home with the student!
Give Dave a call, for schedules of classes and seminars
on the fascinating world of taxidermy art!
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