You're probably thinking this is another post about me asking about the orientation of feathers on an arrow for my shooting, i.e. if I should shoot with Right wing or left wing feathers being that I am a RH shooter...
NAH!
This is a question about finding turkey feathers and how to determine if they came from a right wing or left wing. I found a turkey feather, beautiful specimen, and I am not certain what wing it came from. I'm sure there's a trick to it, but I am not familiar with feathers and I am interested in building my own arrow shafts from trees around the property (pine and poplar) and using natural turkey feathers I find in the woods to fletch them.
The feather, with the point end facing me and on top of the feather (faded side below) has the small feathers on the right and the majority of the feather on the left. It curves down and turns to the left. I am guessing this is a left wing feather, but I've read different theories.
Here's a picture to help...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/Number01hunter/Redstag5728/6c2279af-958a-41d4-9585-92fd17399cef_zps0999de82.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/Number01hunter/Redstag5728/7de37e50-3f56-4223-8156-a48d0e9a81c7_zps9889b8de.jpg)
Left wing
Thanks for the reply. I guess no matter what the small feathers always on top and it depends on the curvature of the wing.
So a right wing when held with the small feathers on top would curve to the left, like ) :dunno:
With the fat quill end away from you if the feather lays inside the natural cup/curve of the left hand it is a Left wing. Opposite for right wing.
Here's the way I teach kids at our demos:
take the feather curve up (http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq136/bloodtrailer7/th_001_zpscffc87fa.jpg) (http://s441.photobucket.com/albums/qq136/bloodtrailer7/?action=view¤t=001_zpscffc87fa.jpg) and point/end(the part that attaches to the wing) to your bell button, (http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq136/bloodtrailer7/th_006_zpscbe01dff.jpg) (http://s441.photobucket.com/albums/qq136/bloodtrailer7/?action=view¤t=006_zpscbe01dff.jpg) now fat side of the feather to your back/skinny to the frount(FAT TO THE BACK)moving it to that side of your body and that's the side the feather came from. works with all feathers, but from the tail.This is a right wing feather
Looks like right to me. Depending on what side of the turkey i was standing on...lol