[Austin11]

Any body have a good way to preserve turkey spurs? I don't plan on putting them with my tail feather mount. I have seen different ways of doing it but I just figured I would ask.

 

[Hunter8319]

I always cut them off on each side of the spur and clean everything off down to the bone and inside the bone.

 

[B B]

cut off spurs above and below, pull or blow out the ligament, put in dry preserve or borax or nothing and let dry

 

[Kip Feroce]

If you let them dry before they start to rot you can preserve the skin. Dry and polyurethane them twice.

 

[PA Bandit]

As far as preservation of the spur follow this link best method I have seen.
http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,19047.0.html
What you do when they are done not sure i have a thin wood post I run the hollow part of the bone on thus creating a stack of spurs. As I don't paint mine as in the tutorial I just use clear nail Polish instead of the linseed oil.

This is by far the cleanest and best tutorial I have seen to guide people

 

[fall gobbler]

I cut mine off the leg by making a cut through the leg bone on each side of the spur. Take a sharp pocket knife and work the scales off starting at the base of the spur. If you have let them lay for a while and they are getting dry, heat a pan of water to boiling, turn it off and throw the spurs in for about five minutes. That will soften the scales and they will come right off. Run a pipe cleaner or similar through the bone to get out the marrow. Once dry you can brush on some peroxide cream and let them get white.

I string mine on a piece of rawhide shoelace, alternating, two spurs, beard, two spurs, beard...etc.

 

[Fairchild #17]

Clean them down to the bone with a utility knife and hit them on a bench grinder with a brass wire wheel.
Shines them right up. Then they sit in a tub of borax to suck the oil out of them.

I just did some spurs the other day that were still on the legs from two years ago. Dry and brittle as can be. They actually cleaned up easier with less mess than a fresh set. That wire wheel is the ticket for me.

Takes about five minutes to complete a set.