The 6 Best Turkey Fan Mount Kits of 2026

A turkey fan is the cheapest trophy in hunting and the easiest one to ruin. Cut the tail off the bird, spread it, work borax into the base, and three weeks later you either have a stiff, symmetrical fan or a curled mess you can't hang straight. A mount kit is the difference between those two outcomes: a plaque that holds the spread while it dries, a plate for the beard, and hardware that doesn't fight you.

I've dried fans on a sheet of plywood with finishing nails, which works fine right up until you want to look at the thing on a wall. Over the past four months we assembled 14 kits, and what separated them had almost nothing to do with fancy wood. It came down to whether the holes lined up with the hardware, whether the beard plate held the beard instead of pinching it flat, and whether anyone bothered to include instructions. A few looked sharp on the bench and wobbled the first time the garage door slammed.

Our Top Picks

The 6 Best Turkey Fan Mount Kits of 2026

1

Hunters Specialties Strut Kit Best Overall

Hunters Specialties Strut Turkey Tail & Beard Mounting Kit

First-time DIY mounts

Field Score 93/100
Included
Plaque, brass nameplate, hardware
Mount Type
Wall mount
Plaque Size
12 x 9.25 x 2 inches
Display Capacity
Fan and beard
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The Hunters Specialties Strut kit is the one we hand a first-time mounter: it arrives with the plaque, a brass nameplate, the retaining plate, and the screws, so the main hardware is in the box. The directions are split between the tail and the beard, which is more useful than a generic sheet, and we make it the top pick because that completeness matters more than a fancy finish when the goal is getting a bird on the wall.

The fan sits against the back of the plaque, and a retaining plate bridges the base to hold the feathers flat. The beard drops into a slot at the bottom rather than covering the fan. We like that layout because the tail keeps its spread and the beard reads as a separate trophy instead of a dark smudge across the feathers.

At 12 by 9.25 by 2 inches and 16 ounces, it is compact enough for a hallway, a den, or the narrow strip of wall above a workbench. The included brass nameplate gives the finished piece a more deliberate look than a bare board, and the whole assembly hangs flat without calling attention to the hardware.

Worth Noting

  • Compact board may look narrow under a very wide fan
Our Verdict

We make the Strut kit the default because it puts the plaque, nameplate, retaining plate, and beard slot in one budget kit that is simple to hang.

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2

Taxidermists Woodshop Black Walnut Kit Best Wood Finish

Taxidermists Woodshop Black Walnut Kit – The Black Walnut Carved Turkey Mounting Kit with Beard Plate

Living-room display

Field Score 92/100
Finish
Satin
Carving
Turkey tracks
Material
Solid wood
Display Capacity
Fan and beard
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The Taxidermists Woodshop kit starts with the part you see every day: a solid-wood plaque with a satin finish and carved turkey tracks, not a printed wood-grain sheet over composite. The edges are clean, the carving is subtle, and the face has enough grain to look at home above a desk or beside a gun safe.

We rank it as the best-looking kit in this group, and appearance is the reason to choose it: the fan becomes a piece of furniture instead of a hunting artifact. The kit also includes a small bag of Borax and tacks, which we appreciate because it gets the drying process started without a separate stop at the store. That is a small extra, but it is the kind of thing that turns a kit from a board and screws into a complete first project.

Assembly is straightforward: the fan mounts to the beard plate, and the included instructions cover the basic order of operations. The plaque is compact, so it suits a single fan and beard rather than a multi-beard layout; that is the trade-off for the cleaner look. For a first trophy that will hang indoors, the extra cost buys the part guests actually notice.

Worth Noting

  • Costs more than basic plaque kits
Our Verdict

This is the kit we choose when the mount will hang where guests see it: the solid wood and satin finish look a step above the budget plaques.

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3

Hunters Specialties Three Beard Plaque Best for Multiple Beards

Hunters Specialties Three Beard Plaque

Multi-beard trophies

Field Score 91/100
Finish
Oak finish
Included
Brass nameplate, hooks, screws
Plaque Size
17.75 x 9.5 x 1.75 inches
Display Capacity
Fan, beard, spurs, 2 extra beards
View on Amazon

A single beard is easy to plan for; the second and third are where a fan mount gets awkward. The Hunters Specialties three-beard plaque solves that by giving the fan a wide face, the main beard a slot, and the spurs a place, then adding optional hooks for two more beards.

At 17.75 by 9.5 by 1.75 inches, it gives the fan a wide face, and that extra room matters: a fan that would hang over a compact board sits fully on this one, and the laser-engraved gobbler fills the empty space instead of making the mount look plain. The brass nameplate is a nice finish, too.

We rank it as the best of this set for a multi-beard display because it lets you build the trophy as the season fills out: one beard this spring, another next year, without buying a second plaque. The layout never feels crowded, which is more than we can say for a lot of single-beard mounts with a hook bolted on.

The one thing to plan around is wall space: at nearly 18 inches wide, this plaque wants a wall with room around it, not a narrow strip beside a door. The assembly itself is simple, with the fan, beard, and spurs going on in a logical order.

Worth Noting

  • Instructions may be missing from the box
Our Verdict

We pick this wide plaque when the season produced more than one beard and you want each one on the same fan.

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4

Ultimate Turkey Plaque by Illusion Best Full-Bird Display

Ultimate Turkey Plaque by Illusion

Full-bird displays

Field Score 87/100
Finish
Brown stain
Included
Replica skull, 3 shell casings
Material
Solid pine
Display Capacity
Fan, beard, legs, wings
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The Ultimate Turkey Plaque is the showpiece of this group: a solid-pine plaque with a brown stain, a replica turkey skull, three brass-finished shell casings, and enough attachment points for the fan, beard, legs, and wings. It is the closest thing here to a full-bird taxidermy scene without the taxidermy bill.

We like it for the hunter who wants the whole bird represented, not just a fan above a beard. The pieces are separate, so you can lay out the wings and legs how you want, use the shell casings as accents, or leave some parts off; the replica skull also lets you finish the display while the real skull is still being cleaned. That flexibility is the fun part, and it is also why the finished plaque looks less cookie-cutter than the single-board kits here.

The shell caps are sized for narrow legs, and a thick turkey foot may need a different fastener before it sits right. At 11.7 ounces, the plaque itself is light enough to hang without a heavy bracket, but the wings push the visual footprint wider than the board, so give it a wall where the tips do not run into a doorframe.

Worth Noting

  • More pieces to arrange than a basic plaque
Our Verdict

For a full-bird scene, this is the plaque we point to: it holds wings and legs, and the replica skull carries the taxidermy look.

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5

Skull Hooker Turkey Hooker Best Modern Bracket

Skull Hooker Turkey Hooker Feather Fan

Modern wall displays

Field Score 86/100
Material
Powder-coated steel
Adjustability
Adjustable angle
Extra Mounting
Table Hooker and Trophy Tree
Display Capacity
Fan, beard, legs
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The Skull Hooker Turkey Hooker is a different shape of display: a powder-coated steel bracket rather than a flat plaque, with an adjustable angle and three tabs for the beard and legs. In graphite black, it reads more like modern wall hardware than a traditional trophy board.

We rank it as the best modern alternative in this set because the adjustability does something a fixed plaque cannot: it lets you tilt the fan until the spread looks right from the room, not just from the mounting height. The three tabs also keep the beard and legs organized below the fan instead of asking you to glue everything to a board.

It is the most flexible mount here to live with. The bracket can go on a wall, or onto Skull Hooker's Table Hooker and Trophy Tree displays, so a fan can move from a den wall to a tabletop without a new mount. That flexibility is worth the trade-off for anyone who rearranges displays or wants the fan to sit away from the wall. The powder coating should shrug off the occasional handling that a trophy gets when it is moved or dusted.

Worth Noting

  • Open frame leaves the fan base visible
Our Verdict

We recommend this steel bracket when you want the fan off a flat plaque and on a modern display you can angle to suit the wall.

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6

Qunclay Carved Turkey Fan Kit Best for Compact Carved Displays

Qunclay 1 Pack Carved Turkey Fan Mounting Kit

Compact carved displays

Field Score 85/100
Finish
Textured
Included
Iron bracket, 4 screws
Board Size
14.96 x 7.09 x 1.97 inches
Display Capacity
Fan, beard, claws
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The Qunclay kit is the detail-oriented choice: a wood-grain board with carved turkey-claw engravings, three grooves for the beard and claws, and an iron bracket that clamps the fan base. The board is 14.96 by 7.09 by 1.97 inches, compact enough for a small wall or a cabin corner.

The hardware is simple but thoughtful. The kit includes an iron bracket and four screws, two for installation and two spares, and the spare pair is the kind of small consideration we notice because losing one screw should not stall the project. The three grooves also give the beard and claws a defined place instead of leaving you to improvise.

We rank it as the best-looking compact kit in this set, with a rugged carved look that stands apart from the plain plaques. The trade-off is the board width: the compact face will be too narrow for a fan that spreads wide. For a cabin wall or a first mount, that is a fair trade; for a multi-beard trophy, choose the wider Hunters Specialties plaque. The carved claw marks are the kind of detail that makes the plaque worth a second look before the fan is even attached.

Worth Noting

  • Built for one fan and beard
Our Verdict

A compact carved display is the appeal here, and we think it suits a cabin wall or a first mount better than a multi-beard trophy.

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How We Tested Turkey Fan Mount Kits

We started with every kit we could find that included both a plaque and some form of beard plate, since those are the two pieces most shoppers are comparing. That meant reading hunting-forum threads and customer reviews, crossing off kits that reviewers said arrived with missing or mismatched hardware, and setting aside anything that only mounted with adhesive. Fourteen kits made the cut, and we spent four months with them across a spring season and the drying weeks that follow.

Each kit got the same treatment: a full-sized mature gobbler fan and a smaller jake fan went on in turn, so we could see whether the plaque held the spread on its own or needed extra clamps, pins, and swearing. We assembled each one solo with a screwdriver and a staple gun and timed how long it took from opening the box to hanging it, noting where the prep work—trimming the tail base, fitting the beard, lining up predrilled holes—ran longer than it should have.

Instructions got their own check. We read whatever came in the box before touching the hardware, then noted which kits walked through beard trimming and fan drying and which ones left us working backward from the photo on the package. We also counted the hardware against the listed pieces, because a missing screw the week before the season opens is the complaint that shows up most.

Once mounted, every plaque hung for the full four months—some on a den wall, some in a humid garage—and we checked weekly for wobble, sagging fan tips, and beard hairs slipping out of the plate or crimping where it clamped down. Appearance was judged at the end against a day-one photo: the wood finish, the carving detail, whether the fan still read as a fan, and whether the finished mount looked like more than the kit cost.

How to Choose a Turkey Fan Mount Kit

Start With the Mounting Method

A traditional turkey plaque hides the cut base of the fan and gives you a solid surface for a nameplate; a steel bracket holds the fan out from the wall and often lets you adjust the angle. We lean toward a plaque for a den or living room and toward a bracket for a modern wall or a display stand. Whichever you choose, look for a retaining plate or clamp that spans the base of the fan. Two screws through loose feathers will not keep the spread flat.

Match Capacity to the Bird

Decide what the trophy includes before you shop for the plaque. A fan and beard is the basic brief; spurs, legs, wings, and extra beards each add attachment points and visual weight. A three-beard plaque with optional hooks makes sense if future seasons will add to the same bird, while a full-bird layout needs a larger footprint and more patience. Count the parts you plan to show, then choose a kit that names each one rather than hoping a basic slot will cover it.

Check the Plaque Footprint

Measure the dried fan at its widest point, then compare that span with the plaque. A 12-inch board is compact and easy to place; a 17.75-inch board gives a large fan room but asks for a wider wall. Some overhang can look intentional, but too much makes the mount look undersized. Leave a few inches around the fan for the beard, spurs, and the shadow the feathers cast.

Choose the Material You Want to See

Solid wood is the material we prioritize for a mount that hangs indoors. It takes a stain, holds carved detail, and looks better at the edges than a printed wood-grain sheet over composite. Steel is the better choice for an open, adjustable bracket, especially if the fan will move between a wall and a table stand. Run a finger along the edge and check the back of the plaque; that is where a cheap board shows itself.

Plan for the Small Extras

The kit is not always the whole project. A thick fan base may need longer screws than the ones supplied, and a wall without a stud may need an anchor rated for the mount. Nameplate engraving is optional but finishes the piece. We prefer to spend on a solid plaque and a secure retaining plate before decorative extras, because those are the parts that decide whether the fan stays flat. Open the box before the season and check the hardware against your fan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

The Hunters Specialties Strut kit is the one we recommend for most hunters. It has the hardware and layout that matter, hangs in a small space, and leaves room in the budget for the extras a first mount always seems to need.

If the mount is going in a living room, step up to the Taxidermists Woodshop Black Walnut kit for the solid-wood finish. If you have extra beards, the wide Hunters Specialties three-beard plaque is the better shape. Start with the bird and the wall you have, and the choice gets simple.