Road Kill

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dryflydave

dryflydave
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Feb 17, 2010
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Wolverhampton,West Mid's
I have been so impressed with the pictures of flies that some of you guys have tied, that I was moved to have a go myself. I have, therefore, got some bits of kit together and purchased some basic materials.

Whilst out walking today, I came upon a dead Mallard drake, could have only been a few hours dead, but I was at a loss as to what feathers to remove /collect.

Could I have some advice as to how to deal with this sort of thing , should I chance upon another dead bird, and how you treat it so as to ensure it is clean and there is no chance of any cross infection of purchased feather stock.

This, no doubt sounds simple to you experienced tiers, but I would really like your advice.

regards, David.
 
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outside

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Road kill is a really satisfying source of stuff! Some options
Take some Secateurs and lop the wings off, salt the ends and put them to dry. A dose of the freezer will kill all bugs

Freeze the whole carcass, pluck as you need it

Pull out just the feathers you need, blue wing feathers and bronze flank. Then go from the top of its tail up an inch to the oil gland (pimple) and pull out the 20 or so cdc feathers. Stick the feathers in the freezer and the rest in the wheelie bin, double bagged of course!
 
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stig

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Always carry a knife.....

Always carry a knife.....

in the car. Useful for when you happen upon an unfortunate squirrel. Needless to say don't de-tail a squirrel in front of your kids/other half-doesn't tend to go down too well. Good idea to salt the ends as Outside recommends.
Waste not want not is the name of the game:D
 
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outside

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If you can get some, borax is better than salt. Apparently some Boots stores have it?!? YOu could use borax to cure a whole skin if you were keen enough to skin it, but I would just take the feathers!
 
Mr Fishin

Mr Fishin

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Have to agree with everyone............... Roadkill is brill. :D
I've got loads of it in my desk. I've got a pheasant rump hanging out on the washing line at the moment drying. Great feathers for the Irish shrimp patterns.:cool: I also have a full skin, loads of squirell tails, a rabbit skin, starling wings,Jay wings and the list goes on :D

I keep threatening to skin the cat when he dies cos he has a lovely long black coat but the wife says she'll skin me if I do :D:D (might just sneak the tail off :rolleyes:)
 
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outside

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I used to have a mole, a rabbit, a french partridge and two pheasants in the freezer...but the wife did a 'big shop' and some of it had to go :(
 
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silverinvicta

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In the old days when "Keepers " hung their kills on a fence line or similar for the boss to see, i have had some cracking stuff.. loads of moles , stoats, squirrels, Jays etc.. aint seen that done for a while now...I'm still using feathers off a Heron i found wrapped up in a wire fence while fishing Ullswater... That was over 50 yrs ago now :eek: Its still in good nick..

Si....
 
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outside

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A 'gibbet' I believe Si, mole catchers still do it occasionally
. A fishing friend of mine had a problem when her husband threw out her family of foxes. A dog, vixen, and two cubs....all in the freezer
 
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silverinvicta

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Yep that's right Outside.. I was stuck for the name :D
I'm lucky, i also get a whole load of stuff off mates who shoot....;)

Si......
 
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dryflydave

dryflydave
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Thank you all for your comments, they will be taken account of, but being squeemish, I shall probably stick at removing feathers or lopping off a tail, and will try Boots for the Borax.

The Grand Inquisitor, she who must be bowed down to, may have other ideas about storing stuff in the freezer, but if slid in at midnight behind the " Not good for you" chips, she may not notice, lets hope so anyway.

It is really good to have a source of information like this forum, I have read lots of the post's and can see that , so long as its not the hot spot for fishing where the Severn is concerned, everyone is willing to give some extremely good and useful advice,

Thanks again.

David.
 
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silverinvicta

Guest
Don't have to "store" stuff in freezer, just for 24 hours or so.., Ordinary salt does well enough, (Borax IS better but not REALLY needed) for drying skins, wings, and tails, put in a plastic bag with plenty of salt, change the salt after a day or so, it may be damp by now, and put dry stuff in....
If you have a lot of stuff in at once, you may have to change the salt again. it can smell because of the juices from the meat...But it ain't too bad. :p
A tail or two wont even be noticed. Leave for a week or three..

Si....
 
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GazBlank

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Any chance of having a 'sticky' step-by-step HOW-TO for curing tails, feathers and furs?
 
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DAZ

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dryflydave said:
, I shall probably stick at removing feathers
Click to expand...
Thats what I do for the most part,Dave.Takes up no room what so ever (Well,hardly any!) in the freezer.

The best way to do it is - While you are pulling off the feathers you require,store them in zip lock bags as you go,Ie; bronze malled in one,flank feathers in another and so on!.........

DAZ
 
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Ribblerod

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I have another freezer with all sorts of dead stuff in for fly tying and dog training- wife was going crackers at me previuosly:eek: Watch out if you have totally protected stuff like Herons though you realy should inform someone before taking it home Natural England ? i think? here but obviously somewere else it will be different or even non applicable. I had the chance of a dead Heron recently but desided not to risk it as i wasn't sure who to tell and how. Still use the giblet on occasions myself, some landowners like to know you are being effective at reducing things like crows and foxes;) Just taken one lot down today and burnt them- leaving them till they drop in bits does nothing for anyone:rolleyes:
 
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dryflydave

dryflydave
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By strange coincidence, when I was out on the walk yesterday, it occured to me that no one now hangs their kill on the fence wires as they did many years ago, funny that should be raised.

I am impressed with the response, and will most certainly be taking an assortment of bags with me when I am out again plus a small pair of cutters.

If it is as simple a removing a wing and storing in a salt filled ( how much salt ? ) bag , then I 'm up for that.

I do think Gazblank made a good suggestion in respect of a SBS record, nice one.
 
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silverinvicta

Guest
amount of salt

amount of salt

If your salting tails, wings, I doubt you'll bother with skins, ( i don't now).
You have to use enough to well cover the stump end of a tail or wing,, You don't have to completely cover the thing.. The salt draws the blood and other fluids out and helps the flesh, which on a tail or wing is very little, to dry...
A whole skin is different...The bare side has to be scraped clean of grease etc and then covered in salt/Borax,, laid flat and dried that way.again changing the salt when needed.
Air drying is ok but takes longer..And can be smelly...

http://www.snowdoniasupplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/products.pl?ref=38

There are professional cleaning and drying agents but Salt does for my needs..

Si...
 
redfox

redfox

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Was a bit of a road kill fan myself in the past, I say was, got most of the things I am ever likely to need, I dont give the victims of low flying, jay walking etc a 2nd look these days, unless there is something in particular I want, then I just snip it off, pull it out or whatever, I always carry a few of them freezer bags with the seal up tops in the car, or in my pocket if walking anywhere just incase.

As for curing, animal or bird, when I do them, I do basically the same as SI, I stretch out and pin, get rid of as much flesh and fat as I can, lay a lump or two of newspaper on for an hour or so (helps absorb some moisture) then remove and douse with Alum (Aluminium Sulphate) and leave in a well aired place to cure, Cant fault the use of Salt & Borax, but prefer to use the Alum.

Redfox
 
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outside

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Ribblerod, its funny the stuff I had in my freezer was dual use, dog training and fly tying!

If you want a whole skin, say for partridge backs, it is a lot easier to keep it in the freezer than to cure the skin.
 
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