State turkey tail plaque

Abstract

A reduced cost, space saving display for visually displaying a harvested turkey. The turkey display can be use to visually display a tail fan, beard and/or spurs of the harvested turkey. The turkey trophy plaque can include a display portion and a support portion. The display portion can include a perimeter surface formed to identify a geographic location such as, for example, a state or county, where the displayed turkey was harvested while the support portion is generally L-shaped and extends from a rear surface of the display portion. The tail fan is displayed by inserting the tail fan into a retaining space defined between the display portion and the rear portion. The beard and/or spurs can be displayed by attaching the beard to one or more apertures in the support portion. The display portion can also include visual features to display information regarding the harvested turkey.

1 . A turkey trophy plaque comprising: 
 a plaque portion comprising a body member having a front display surface and a rear surface wherein said body member defines a recognizable perimeter shape; and    a support portion extending from said rear second surface;    wherein a retaining space is defined between said rear surface and said support portion, said retaining space adapted to receive a tail fan of a turkey.    
   
   
       2 . The turkey trophy plaque of  claim 1 , wherein said support portion comprises an L-shaped structure having a substantially horizontal member and a substantially vertical member.  
   
   
       3 . The turkey trophy plaque of  claim 2 , wherein said substantially horizontal member comprises at least one aperture adapted to receive said turkey's beard and/or spurs.  
   
   
       4 . The turkey trophy plaque of  claim 2  wherein said vertical section is adapted to be affixed to a surface.  
   
   
       5 . The turkey trophy plaque of  claim 1  wherein said recognizable perimeter shape is selected so as to provide visual information related to the harvesting of said tail fan.  
   
   
       6 . The turkey trophy plaque of  claim 5  wherein said recognizable perimeter shape resembles a geographic boundary indicating a geographical origin of said tail fan.  
   
   
       7 . The turkey trophy plaque of  claim 6  wherein said geographic boundary is selected from the group consisting of: a state, a province, a country, a county, a hunting preserve, a game farm, a hunt club, a state park and a federal park.  
   
   
       8 . The turkey trophy plaque of  claim 1  wherein said plaque portion comprises at least one visible feature selected from the group consisting of: a hunter's name, a date associated with harvesting said tail fan, a geographical origin of said tail fan, said turkey's statistics, a drawing, a graphic of a turkey, a photograph, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       9 . The turkey trophy plaque of  claim 8  wherein said feature is memorialized on said plaque portion by a method selected from the group consisting of embossing, engraving, additive printing, etching, labeling, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The turkey trophy plaque of  claim 1  wherein said plaque portion is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of: wood, wood-based materials, metal, foam, plastic and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       11 . A method of displaying a turkey comprising: 
 a) mounting a harvested turkey by placing a tail fan within a retaining space of a turkey trophy plaque, said turkey trophy plaque having a plaque portion and a support portion, said plaque portion including a front display surface and a rear surface wherein said plaque portion defines a recognizable perimeter shape and said support portion extends from said rear surface of said plaque portion such that said retaining space is defined between said rear surface and said support portion and is adapted to slidingly receive a tail fan of a turkey; and    b) affixing said support portion to a surface.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said support portion comprises an L-shaped member having a substantially horizontal section and a substantially vertical section wherein said horizontal section includes at least one aperture adapted to receive a turkey beard.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 mounting a beard of said harvested turkey through said at least one aperture in said substantially horizontal section.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 mounting spurs of said harvested turkey through said at least one aperture in said substantially horizontal section.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 draping spurs of said harvested turkey across said substantially horizontal section or said substantially vertical section.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 indicating a geographical origin of said harvested turkey by forming said recognizable perimeter shape into a geographic boundary.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said geographic boundary is selected from the group consisting of: a state, a province, a country, a county, a hunting preserve, a game farm, a hunt club, a state park and a federal park.  
   
   
       18 . A system for displaying a turkey comprising: 
 a harvested turkey having a tail fan, a beard, and spurs; and    a turkey trophy plaque comprising a plaque portion and a support portion, said plaque portion having a first display surface and a rear surface wherein said plaque portion defines a recognizable perimeter shape, said support portion extending from said rear surface of said plaque portion, wherein a retaining space is defined between said rear surface and said support portion, said retaining space adapted to receive said tail fan of said harvested turkey.    
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein said support portion comprises a substantially horizontal section and a substantially vertical section, the substantially horizontal section including at least one aperture adapted to receive said beard and spurs, and said substantially vertical section adapted to be affixed to a display surface.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein said recognizable perimeter shape depicts a geographic boundary indicating a geographical origin of said harvested turkey, said geographic boundary selected from the group consisting of: a state, a province, a country, a county, a hunting preserve, a game farm, a hunt club, a state park and a federal park.