My boy has been getting a lot of geese here in VT. I have save the wing tip feathers for fletching. Anyone know how to dye them? They are black, need them white or red.
Why? You can get (can't find them now) the wraps of feathers that goes between the nock & the fletching to help you see the arrow in flight. PatB has them on one of his arrows in the thread 2 feather fletching.
I fletch a lot of goose feathers but don't dye them. Jerry Brumm of Great Nothern had a bunch at kzoo a couple of years back at a seminar that he had ground and dyed. Red dye turned out to be maroon and so on. They don't dye very well because of the oil in the feather. He did try to beach some too to make them white and they would just disintegrate. Gotta like them the way they are. dean
They're too dark to begin with to take a good color. Tell your boy to lay some some snow geese on the ground when they start moving thru! I've never seen a snow goose up close so I'm not sure how much black are on there primaries?
I have piles of snow goose feathers that a goose hunter gave me last fall. They are much smaller than grey goose and black in color. Won't dye at all. dino
I agree with the above. Even the domestic white geese have such a tight web and oily feather that they don't dye well.
To get a good match and more visibilty if that is what you want - try to find some domestic whites and use them as cock or hen as you choose for contrast.
In general, I love the performance of goose feather. The only thing better is Peacock wing - and they are even harder to get.
Domestic turkey is the standard due to supply and demand - but they are not the 'top of the line'
Also as was said, I would be inclined to use a bright crown dip if visibilty in flight was the issue.
I am an old bugger and set in my ways so I don't like wraps worth a hoot! Same reason I don't use die cuts - only full length burned.
All good advice from above, the best thing about goose feathers is their water resistance, dying will break that down. A rabbit fur tracer will help you see arrow flight if that is a problem.
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