Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: Zuma on January 11, 2014, 02:37:30 pm
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Hi folks,
Has anyone had success using duck feathers for fletching?
Any help gladly accepted.
Thanks Zuma
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Yes.
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There is a Sioux arrow in the Museum of the Fur Trade that is fletched with one unidentified hawk feather, one yellowshafted flicker feather, and one mallard secondary with the gorgeous iridescent blue showing. It is a steel trade point arrow and a functional tool, not a ceremonial representation of an arrow.
Kinda trumps PrimTim, 'specially since he fletches with anything he can get his hands on when he is dumpster diving!
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There is a Sioux arrow in the Museum of the Fur Trade that is fletched with one unidentified hawk feather, one yellowshafted flicker feather, and one mallard secondary with the gorgeous iridescent blue showing. It is a steel trade point arrow and a functional tool, not a ceremonial representation of an arrow.
Kinda trumps PrimTim, 'specially since he fletches with anything he can get his hands on when he is dumpster diving!
See, the sioux understood that you have to fletch with whatever you can get your hands on. All those feathers were probably picked up off the ground. If there's was a beautiful peacock in the dumpster you know you would have done the same thing! >:D
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The fletching on the arrow on the far right are three 4" goose feathers laid back down around the shaft. This makes a great fletch style. With smaller feathers you can do a 4 fletch the same way.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/primitive%20archer/BWandsourwoodarrowsfor2011elkhunt002.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/primitive%20archer/BWandsourwoodarrowsfor2011elkhunt002.jpg.html)
Here is a short pictorial how to...
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/primitive%20archer/tangential3fletch001.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/primitive%20archer/tangential3fletch001.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/primitive%20archer/tangential3fletch004.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/primitive%20archer/tangential3fletch004.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/primitive%20archer/tangential3fletch006.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/primitive%20archer/tangential3fletch006.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/primitive%20archer/tangential3fletch005.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/primitive%20archer/tangential3fletch005.jpg.html)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/primitive%20archer/tangential3fletch007.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/primitive%20archer/tangential3fletch007.jpg.html)
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I used duck feather fletching in this video:
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/ScreenShot2014-01-11at12922PM_zps171f7132.png) (http://s246.photobucket.com/user/jackcrafty/media/ScreenShot2014-01-11at12922PM_zps171f7132.png.html)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45WzlNRP3KI
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If there's was a beautiful peacock in the dumpster you know you would have done the same thing! >:D
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That is a dirty, filthy lie and you know it, Tim! I would have popped him with an air gun long before he ended up in the dumpster! >:D
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The shorter ones make great arrow .markers.
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A special thanks to all you kind folks that share their time and knowledge.
I have used goose feathers and chert points on some cross bow bolts.
I will be saving the duck feathers,
Thanks again Zuma
PS the spell check doesn't recognise the word fletch. lol
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Just keep in mind that they are a migratory species, therefore you cannot buy, sell, trade, or barter them. State laws will vary, and some are very restrictive on collecting even molted feathers. Check local listings, your mileage may vary, offer not valid without 34 enclosed boxtops, small nonsequential bills only.
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lol ,
So you want to see my fletching eh! Well then how much arrow should stick out to suit your eye site.
I can adjust the pull on the bow. lol >:D >:D
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Not all Duck but a Jackpot from a Brother.
Zuma
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If you posses a migratory duck stamp and you shot some legal ducks while hunting, could you use them for arrow fletching? I would think it would be okay..? What if a friend shot some and gave you the feathers....
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Yes you can use duck feathers and give them away. You can't sell them.
Myself I just use turkey and goose feathers.
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Good Gracious.
Who are these people that wright these laws?
Vegans? Flegitarians?
Pipe up!
Why should we pile resources into land fills?
Zuma
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If you posses a migratory duck stamp and you shot some legal ducks while hunting, could you use them for arrow fletching? I would think it would be okay..? What if a friend shot some and gave you the feathers....
You can be given feathers or wings with feathers w/o having a license or federal stamps as long as they were legally taken. I save all of my goose and duck wings and currently it is all that I'm fletching cane arrows with. With ducks, I use just the primaries, outermost feathers of the wing. Goose I use primaries and secondaries along with tail feathers. I've noticed that it doesn't take much fletching to stabilize an arrow to where it shoots great and duck feathers fit the Bill.
Tracy
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Sounds like one of those "laws for honest people", Good intensions but impossible to police. ???
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I use domestic duck feathers for my arrow markers. How could you even prove that I wonder? Prove it copper!
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Do a Google search on "possession of feathers"
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That law was written in the early 1900s to stop the market is feathers used for ladies hats. It has saved lots of birds of all kinds over the years. There are plenty of feathers that are legal to use and generally more appropriate for fletching.
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Is there any reason for not using chicken feathers?
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Zuma, the Migratory Bird Laws were written by Teddy Roosevelt in the early 1900's. At that time the Snowy Egret, White Heron, Sandhill Crane, Whooping Crane and Great Blue Heron were being hunted into extinction by market hunters. Think about all those photos and movies depicting the Gay 90's. All the women were wearing hats with massive amounts of long feathers. The best feathers usually come into play during mating season, so the birds were being killed without being able to reproduce. We are still trying to build the Whooping Crane population back up.
The law is a bit unusual in that they don't have to prove that you personally killed and took the feathers. All the law requires is that you have illegal feathers. The only birds that we are legally allowed to possess are those that you can legally hunt. So Canadian Goose feathers, Duck feathers, Turkey feathers and other game bird feathers are legal. The law doesn't say anything about what you do with legal feathers, buy, sell, trade, whatever. You just can't do ANYTHING with protected species feathers.
I had occasion to look up the law because I picked up a bunch of Pelican and seabird feathers while strolling along a beach in Florida. After I looked up the law I put the feathers in the trash.
I knew a woman that picked up a Blue Jay feather and stuck it in her hat. A Conservation Officer saw it and wrote her a $175 fine.
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Just last week at the Nebraska State Muzzleloaders Convention a fellow had a bag of various game bird feathers. Somebody walked by and asked if he would sell the bag of feathers. Up till then, he was going to use them on projects, but he sensed a quick buck and gave the fellow a price. And immediately was fined for selling migratory bird feathers. As for the turkey feathers and pheasant feathers, no biggie....because they are not migratory birds. However, that point will vary state by state.
Buck67 makes a great point. In a matter of three years the snowy egret population on Florida's nesting colonies was nearly wiped out. What a waste of a beautiful bird, just to ornament some dame's Easter hat that she will promptly put in the back of the closet because she doesn't want to be caught dead wearing last season's style!
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It's a tossup as to whether the Canadian Goose is migratory or not. In Indiana we have both a resident population and a migrant population. I didn't take advantage of their molting season this year, but next year I will be frequenting their popular hangouts during molting season and picking up lots of free fletching.
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Have any of you read "The Witchery of Archery" by Maurice Thompson? He spent a lot of time in the Everglades plume hunting. At one point he talks about hunting the giant and plentiful Ivory Billed Woodpecker but not the giant Pileated Woodpecker because they were so scares. Move forward 100+ years and the Ivory Bill is extinct(except maybe in an Arkansas swamp) and the Pileated woodpecker is plentiful, at least in our area.
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Buck, we have a lot of lesser Canada geese here right and a few snows. I agree we tend to have a large urban population of giant Canada geese throughout most of the year. If you're looking for feathers it's not hard to find someone that hunts the early goose and regular season to save wings in the freezer. Where I hunt there is a gentleman that hangs out at the duck check in and asks for body plumage from various ducks and uses them to make some impressive flies for fishing. Most guys throw away everything but the breasts.
Tracy
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Here's a couple Tonkin arrows in my quiver. The longer fletch is Canada goose primaries and the shorter fletch is mallard primaries. Both are 3 fletch by hand/eye and fly great. I'm liking the lower profile fletch with the goose feather as far as quiet and stabil.
Tracy
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Any feathers over about 4" will make good fletching.
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Keeps ppl from shooting birds just for their feathers to turn a profit.
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What a delightful education you folks provide here.
I am so pleased that I postured the question.
Last day here in LA lower AL
Thanks to ya all I can now make my own pillows also.
Zuma
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I got a new (to me) 20 ga. flintlock smoothbore and the photos of those ducks make my trigger finger itch! Thanks for sharing!
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That's what I'm talking about zuma! Nice stringer of divers. Season has been out since beginning of January higher up the flyway. Buffleheads feathers I have from this season seem a little short for my fletching, but may work on youth arrows.
Tracy
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You all seem like good blind buddies. Thanks for the kudos.
Did no one see the chicken dinner?
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I was surprised how much nutria tasted like chicken, white meat and all :) I was more hypnotized by the drake redheads, don't get many here in season. 30+ years waterfowling! never killed one :(
Tracy
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The local guys almost had a gun fight over the rat meat. I think the weather has helped with the ducks.
I think the smart ones are in the Everglades today.