Think This'll Work?

[mark hay]

Hey FAN CLUB, I went to the other thread and was looking at your pics. If you don't mind me asking , how do you go about cutting those legs in such a NEAT fashion . seems like everything I've tried ends up ruining the skin .

I don't mean to highjack ,,,,just curious . thanks

[Fan Club]

Mark-
 
I put them in my bench vise and use a hacksaw with a sharp fine tooth blade. The edge of the vise helps keep the blade in alignment for a perpendicular cut.
 
After harvesting a bird, I take the legs off at the knee and put the feet and beard in a ziplock bag and toss 'em in the freezer. When I get time to process them, the skin has dried out to some degree and that helps you get a clean cut vs a fresh leg.
 
One of these days I'll post a photo of my beard board. I glue a one and one half inch long piece of 3/4 in dowel in the empty shotgun shell hull and cut the hull 1 inch down from the brass. I drill a hole through the center right above the brass to thread a cord through. With a spur on each side and the beard glued in the bottom, they display nicely when hung from a peg.
 
Thanks for the use of your thread Jim.

[PAridgebirds]

I'm guessing that when you are following this bird around the mountain that you call to him, then he moves away and keeps gobbling. I agree with the others. 1. roost him 2. strut zones 3. less calling 4. more patience.

[hunterjim]

PAridgebirds,
     That is exactly what I did on Thursday, Friday he was a no show and on Saturday I couldn't hunt the ground because the landowner was there.  Now the season is out, so he had better be ready next season.  Thanks for the input from all.
 
Jim