Goose and Turkey Feathers

Message

MIK · #1 Post by **MIK** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 10:56 pm

howdy doody one and all

i believe the english used goose feathers for their fletchings

as i now have to build a duck pen i thought i would make it a rather large duck pen and get me a goose and a turkey or 2 or 3 or 4 or what ever i can get away with

just wondering if there was any particular types of geese or turkeys for that matter that is best for harvesting feathers

while on the topic does anyone know of any other types of bird feathers that can be used for fletchings

thanks guys and gals

MIK

erron · #2 Post by **erron** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 9:17 am

MIK,

a friend raises Turkeys in Geelong. They are the right sort - all barred feathers, well, mostly, some interesting variations. He would be happy to supply you with young, I'm sure, if you don't already have a supplier.

As far as I can make out Goose have better water-proofing qualities, so are good for wet weather shooting.

cheers,

Erron

MIK · #3 Post by **MIK** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 8:16 pm

thanks erron

i think i have a contact up here that can get their hands on turkeys chicks for me and more than likely goose as well ... just not sure if there are different types of goose and which ones are the best to use

i have heard that the goose feathers are very waterproof thats why i am interested ... beats carrying a can of hair spray in the takle box

MIK

Glenn Newell · #4 Post by **Glenn Newell** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 9:44 pm

Mik, I have used goose feathers for years, they are waterproof but they are a bit softer than turkey feathers but you can't get better for wet weather hunting. I once shot a dingo in a heavy down pour with a shaft fletched with goose feathers and unlike turkey feathers they were still standing up and flew beautifully in the rain.
Just use the wing feathers and I am fairly sure that all goose wing feathers are a dark grey colour...Glenn...

MIK · #5 Post by **MIK** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 10:34 pm

thanks glenn

i think it will have to be a rather large duck house

MIK

LBR · #6 Post by **LBR** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 10:34 am

I prefer turkey feathers myself--tried goose once, just way too soft for me and wore out too quick. When I do my part in matching my arrows to my bow, wet feathers are no problem. I seldom hunt in the rain anyhow--when hunting season is open here, the rain is COLD! I have been known to shoot a tournament in the rain though, and they work just fine.

Pretty much any large, flying bird's primaries can be used for fletchings--goose, turkey, peacock (beautiful, similar to turkey, but hard to come by), etc.--just be sure they are legal to posess.

Chad

MIK · #7 Post by **MIK** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 10:14 pm

thanks LBR

i will have to find out about those peacock feathers

anyone know about the legalities in Australia

might have to put a peacock in the duck pen as well

MIK

Griffo · #8 Post by **Griffo** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 11:55 pm

totally legal as far as I'm aware...in Qld anyways...

LBR · #9 Post by **LBR** » Thu Dec 25, 2003 2:44 pm

When I mentioned the legalities, I was thinking more along the lines of raptors. In the US, we cannot posess any feather from a raptor (hawk, eagle, buzzard), crane, stork, etc.--basically no feathers that are not from a bird that is either pen-raised and/or has a legal season open on it. Even Indian medicine men require a Federal Feather Permit to posess eagle feathers and such used in their religious ceremonies. No matter if you find the feather lying on the ground, you better not get caught with it! A shame too....some great feathers going to waste......

Chad

MIK · #10 Post by **MIK** » Thu Dec 25, 2003 8:15 pm

thats a shame about the not even being able to gather eagle feathers which are laying on the ground

as far as i know here in australia there is no laws of feathers at all

might have to look into it though just to make certain

MIK

Dennis La Varenne · #11 Post by **Dennis La Varenne** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 3:06 am

MIk,
The kind of goose used by the English was the Grey Lag goose which I believe is the common grey goose you see on farms here. Glen is correct. They do have much oilier feathers, but they are less stiff than Turkey feathers. Try all kinds anyway. We know what works, but there may be other potentials which we have not tried and would add to the store of knowledge.

Also, on legalities here in Australia, no-one in any State of Australia is permitted to possess (meaning having physical possession, custody, control or access to either singly or in common with others) to the feathers of any native specie of bird without the requisite permit, and that includes found feathers. It seems to be a general principle applying to all of the several States' wildlife laws.

If anyone knows of any exemptions, I would like to know, because a lot of perfectly good feathers do go to waste.

Exotic species such as peacock do not fall under this definition so long as the feathers are obtained without causing un-necessary or unreasonable pain or suffering to the bird under the provisions of most States' anti-cruelty legislation.

Dennis La Varenne

woody · #12 Post by **woody** » Sun Dec 28, 2003 12:50 am

I have friends who use goose feathers which are good in wet conditions. Another mate uses peacock flights, which are a very good strong feather and I have made my own fletches from turkey feathers with great success. The turkey farmer who I get them from is Darryl Deautcher, Deautchers Turkey farm, Dadswells Bridge, Ph 03 53595220. Its been a couple of years since I made flights from feathers but I'm sure he is still in business.
A little chopper, a staight fletching jig clamp, a sheet of sand paper, a box cutter knife and some Rit fabric dye ( Red or Yellow works best) and you can make barred feathers as good as anything the shops sell, just takes a bit of practice

doninkaliphornistan · #13 Post by **doninkaliphornistan** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 3:17 am

according to a book i read "the medievial archer", the archers of medievial england did indeed use goose feathers and if memory serves correctly, on occaision used swan feathers ...(swan, is/was the royal bird though and closely watched)

i've tried peacock feathers and found them too thin to process correctly ...

we use mostly domestically raised turkey feathers now ... goose feathers, here in the USA at least, are not easy to get and tend to be very expensive ... (even the turkey feathers are becoming more and more expensive but i'll be damned if i'll shoot plastic vanes from a stickbow ...

)