Getting Your Bird To Us
Shipping & Drop-Off Guidelines
Follow these guidelines carefully — proper care from the moment of harvest all the way to our door makes a huge difference in the quality of your finished piece.
Ducks · Geese · Pheasants
Waterfowl & Upland Bird Shipping
These guidelines apply to all waterfowl and upland birds submitted for taxidermy or feather art. The single most important thing you can do is get your bird frozen quickly and keep it frozen solid all the way to our door. What we receive is what we have to work with — a well-cared-for bird makes a beautiful finished piece.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Inspect Your Bird in the Field
Before you commit to sending a bird in, give it a close look. Check for broken wings, missing feathers, or significant shot damage. The best candidate is a clean, intact bird. If you're unsure, reach out — we're happy to help you decide.
Let It Cool — Then Bag & Freeze Immediately
Never wrap a warm bird. Let it cool down completely first. Once cooled, wrap head, bill & feet with wet paper towels. Then lay head on back of bird, and gently slide bird into plastic bags — use 2 to 3 zip-lock bags or layered trash bags, squeezing out as much air as possible before sealing. This prevents freezer burn and protects the feathers. Get it into the freezer as fast as you can and keep it frozen solid until shipping day.
Tag Each Bird Individually
Every bird in your shipment needs its own ID tag placed inside the bag before it leaves your hands. This is a federal legal requirement for all waterfowl (ducks and geese) and good practice for upland birds as well. See the tag requirements below.
Contact Us Before You Ship
Give us a heads-up before you drop anything in the mail so we can confirm we're ready to receive your bird, log it into our system, and watch for your tracking number. Never ship without reaching out first.
Pack Your Shipment
Take the bird straight from the freezer — do not let it thaw. Place it in a styrofoam cooler with a couple of frozen ice packs. Fit the cooler inside a sturdy cardboard box, pack crumpled newspaper around it for insulation, and tape everything shut. Label the outside of the box with the contents — species and number of birds. For multiple birds, use a larger cooler.
Ship Monday Only — UPS or FedEx
Always ship on a Monday to avoid your bird sitting in a carrier warehouse over a weekend. Use UPS or FedEx only — never the US Postal Service. Choose 2-Day shipping in cooler months and Next Day Air when temperatures are warm. Send us your tracking number once it's on the way.
⚠ Federal Migratory Bird Tag — Required for All Waterfowl
Ducks and geese are federally protected migratory birds. US Fish & Wildlife regulations require a completed possession tag on every waterfowl before it is transported or shipped across state lines. This is the law — not optional. Pheasants and other upland birds do not require this tag.
Fill out one tag per bird, place it inside the bag with the bird before freezing.
Street Address: __________________________
City, State, Zip: _________________________
Phone Number: __________________________
Date Harvested: _________________________
Location Harvested (State/County): ________
Species: ________________________________
Sex: ____________________________________
Signature: ______________________________
One completed tag per bird, placed inside the individual bag.
Shipping Details
Ship To
TRUEWILD Featherworks
1050 County Road 157
Fremont, Ohio 43420
(419) 341-9619
info@truewildfeatherworks.com
Carrier & Timing
UPS or FedEx only — no USPS.
Ship on Mondays only to prevent weekend delays.
Warm months → Next Day Air
Cool months → 2-Day is fine
Prefer to Drop Off?
Local hunters are welcome to drop their bird off directly at our location in Fremont. Just reach out first so we know you're coming.
Contact us to arrange →
Important: Birds received thawed, leaking, or without proper tags may not be accepted or may result in reduced quality. We can only work with what we receive — proper field care and packaging protects your investment.
Turkey Feather Art
Shipping Your Turkey
Turkey feather art requires the bird to be skinned before shipping — not sent whole. This is a critical difference from waterfowl. Skinning the bird in the field or at camp preserves the feathers better, removes the bulk that causes spoilage, and gets the skin to us in the best possible condition. Follow these steps closely — the time you put in here directly affects the quality of your finished piece.
Turkeys are not migratory birds and do not require a federal tag. No special permits are needed to ship your turkey skin to us.
What You'll Need
Field Handling — Before You Skin
Handle With Care From the Start
Carry your bird out — don't drag it. Keep the feathers as clean and dry as possible and avoid pushing against the tips of the tail feathers when loading it into a vehicle. If the bird is bloody in any area, try to keep that isolated from the rest of the feathers.
Let It Hang & Cool First
Before you start skinning, let the bird hang for around an hour to cool down and stiffen up slightly — this makes skinning much easier and cleaner. Don't leave it too long, especially on warm spring days. Pull the wings out while it hangs so it will lay flat on a surface when you're ready to work.
Dry & Groom the Feathers If Needed
If the bird got wet in rain or a damp field, hang it up and point a fan on it until it's completely dry before you skin it. Once dry, gently groom the feathers back in the direction they naturally lay — including squeezing the tail together. A clean, dry bird going into the skinning process is a clean, dry skin coming out of it.
Skinning the Turkey — Step by Step
Beard & spurs: Want them on the finished frame? Toss them in the box — we'll add them at no extra charge. Totally optional.
Cut Off the Beard & Remove the Legs
Remove both legs by cutting through the tendon just above the joint and twisting them free. If you'd like the beard and spurs included on your finished frame, set them aside and toss them in the box — we'll add them at no extra charge. If not, no worries. You don't need to be particular about the leg feathers — we don't use those.
Make Your Initial Cut
Using a thin filet-style knife, cut around the wattles at the base of the neck, then follow the center line of the breast all the way down — up over the tip of the breast and down through the legs. Paper towels will be your best friend here as blood starts to run. Keep a fresh one handy throughout this whole process.
Skin the Neck Area First
Work the neck skin out a few inches. Wrap paper toweling around any bloody areas on the neck and let it absorb while you work. The iridescent feathers along the neck and in front of the legs are some of the most important feathers in the finished art — handle this area with care.
Peel the Breast — Don't Cut
The breast sponge (the large layer of fat on a spring gobbler) is full of blood and grease. The key is to peel the skin away from it rather than cut through it — use the heel of your hand to push and peel the skin back so the breast sponge stays on the carcass. Once one side is peeled back, lay a piece of paper toweling over it before doing the other side. This keeps everything cleaner.
Remove the Crop
Once the breast skin is peeled away, remove the crop. This is an important step — leaving it in causes spoilage and makes a mess during shipping.
Work Down the Back & Around the Tail
Skin down the back toward the vent. Cut around the vent and remove it — this keeps things clean and contained. Find the vertebrae that attaches the tail to the body, cut through it, and work around both sides using a combination of peeling and cutting. Leave the tail attached to the skin for now — it gives you something to hold onto in the next steps.
Free the Wings
Push down on the tip of the breast to expose the main wing joint on each side. Cut through the tendon at that joint to separate the wing from the carcass. Work along the neck edge to skin it out, cutting off anything bloody that's still attached to the skin side.
Peel the Whole Skin Free
Grab both drumsticks in one hand. With your other hand, push down on the skin and peel the whole thing apart in one motion — the carcass comes away in one hand, the skin in the other. Lay the skin down flesh-side up on a clean surface.
Clean the Flesh Side
With the skin flesh-side up, remove as much of the remaining breast sponge, fat, and bloody tissue as you can. Layer paper toweling across the flesh side and let it absorb — replace as needed. You can do this for up to 2 to 3 days. Drying it out is the goal — you don't need to rush it into the freezer once the bulk of the flesh is removed.
Separate the Tail from the Skin for Shipping
When you're ready to bag it up, cut the tail free from the rest of the skin. Make sure to include the primary and secondary feathers and at least the first row of back feathers — we use all of these in the finished piece. Set the tail aside to bag separately.
Bagging & Freezing
Bag the Skin
Fold the skin over with the feathers all going in one natural direction — don't force anything against its natural lay. Slip it into a large zip-lock bag neck-first. Everything should be going the same direction — tail, wings, body feathers. Squeeze out the air and seal. You don't need to seal it perfectly, but make sure any twist-tie or closure sits at least 2 to 4 inches above the feather tips so nothing gets crimped.
Bag the Tail Separately
Wrap the base of the tail in paper toweling first, then bag it in its own zip-lock. Keep it separate from the skin so the fan feathers don't get compressed or bent during freezing.
Freeze First — Then Give Us a Heads Up Before You Ship
Place both bags in your freezer and let the bird freeze solid for a few days before shipping — don't rush it straight to the box. Once fully frozen, reach out and let us know it's on the way so we can watch for it. Then pack it up and ship on a Monday via UPS or FedEx.
Include a Harvest Info Sheet
Place a completed harvest info sheet inside your shipment — this helps us keep everything organized in the shop and makes sure your bird gets matched to the right order from the moment it arrives.
🦃 TRUEWILD Turkey Harvest Info — Print & Include With Shipment
Fill this out and place it inside the box with your bird.
Phone Number: __________________________
Email: __________________________________
State Harvested: ________________________
Harvest Tag / License Number: ____________
Date Harvested: _________________________
County / Location: _______________________
Species (Eastern, Osceola, Merriam's, etc.): ______________________
Piece(s) Interested In: ___________________
Any Special Requests: ____________________
Shipping Details
Ship To
TRUEWILD Featherworks
1050 County Road 157
Fremont, Ohio 43420
(419) 341-9619
info@truewildfeatherworks.com
Carrier & Timing
UPS or FedEx only — no USPS.
Ship on Mondays only to prevent weekend delays.
Warm months → Next Day Air
Cool months → 2-Day is fine
Prefer to Drop Off?
Local hunters are welcome to drop off directly at our location in Fremont. Reach out first so we know you're coming.
Contact us to arrange →
Important: Turkey skins received partially thawed, improperly cleaned, or packaged with feathers bent against their natural grain may result in reduced feather quality in the finished piece. Take your time with the skinning and drying process — it's worth it.
Ready to Get Started?
Questions Before You Ship?
We're happy to walk you through anything before you send your bird. Reach out and we'll make sure you're set up for the best possible result.