I was at Cabalas’ the other day and I noticed that they had some do it yourself duck mounting kits for sale my question is has anybody ever tried this or know anyone that has? If so what were the results and how hard would it be for a first timer? I have a hooded merganser that I want to mount that has been in the freezer since last season and I need to get it done but don’t have the spare cash to send it off and I need to get it done before it gets freezer burned. I figured this could be fun and affordable but I don’t want to bother with it if I will end up with something that I wouldn’t want to put on display. Also I noticed that the kit comes in two sizes (large and small) I cant figure out which I should get hooded mergansers aren’t the as large as a mallard or gadawall but they sure aren’t as small as a teal or wood duck. This one was good size for a merganser but I still aint sure. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for the advice
Frankie

It could be fun or it could be hell, it depends

First let me say that a merganser is not the best choice for your first bird. There is a lot of fat to remove and the skin tears easily. Be prepared for a complete loss. That being said, the body size is closer to the wood duck than the mallard. A little too small is better than a little too big. You are about to find out why many taxidermists choose not to do birds! Good luck and post a picture.