A drake bufflehead is the smallest diving duck in North America and one of the most popular small mounts we build. The oversized white head patch, the iridescent purple and green crown, and the crisp black-and-white body make a bufflehead mount look sharp on a shelf or desk, and its size means it fits where a mallard will not. Stehling’s Taxidermy has mounted buffleheads since 1978, at our Jefferson, Wisconsin studio under Aaron and Austin Stehling. Any bufflehead pose is $575.
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Bufflehead Mount Poses
Standing Bufflehead on Driftwood
The classic. A drake standing on a small piece of driftwood shows the head patch and the compact body, and it fits on a bookshelf. Our most requested bufflehead pose.
Swimming Bufflehead
Buffleheads sit high and bob on the water. A drake on a clear sculpted water base, sometimes with a hen alongside, is a favorite desk piece.
Flying Bufflehead
Small, fast, and low: a flying bufflehead on a wall bracket looks the way they come into the decoys. Works well as a pair.
Bufflehead Pairs and Diver Groups
A drake and hen bufflehead together, or a bufflehead with a goldeneye and a ringneck in a diver scene. Multi-bird scenes are quoted per project.
Bufflehead Mount Pricing
$575 for any bufflehead pose. Simple driftwood base $65 extra or standard habitat scene $150 extra (one or the other); water scenes and custom displays quoted. Pay in full, 50/50, three installments, or monthly through our Easy 8 Payment Plan. Standard delivery 12 to 14 months; rush at 180, 90, or 30 days. Full price list.
Field Care for a Bufflehead Mount
- Pick up by the feet. A bufflehead’s head feathers are what make the mount; do not grab the neck.
- Wipe blood right away and put a bit of paper towel in the bill.
- Keep it dry and out of the pile. Set it on its back in the boat.
- Don’t gut it. Tuck the bird’s head under its wing, place it in one or two Ziploc bags or garbage bags, and freeze it.
- Late-season drakes look best. Full plumage comes in by mid-November on most birds.
Bufflehead Mount FAQ
How much does a bufflehead mount cost?
$575 for any pose at Stehling’s Taxidermy, plus the base you choose.
Can you fix shot damage on a bufflehead’s head?
Usually. The white head patch can be repaired or replaced from a donor bird. Send us a photo.
Do you mount goldeneyes, ringnecks, and other divers?
Yes. All divers are $575. See our standing duck mounts and sea duck mounts.
