Sorry gang but this is kind of an odd question. I'm just getting into traditional archery this year and went on my first ever grouse hunt the other day. I didn't even have very high hopes of seeing one, let alone taking one, but lo and behold about 30mins into my first ever bow hunt I spot a group of 4 Ruffies and manage to get one before the rest scatter. I saved some tail and wing feathers to stick in my hat band , but there is still some living tissue inside the quills. What is the best way of curing or drying them out so they won't stink or rot? Or can I just stick them in my hat band and not worry about it. Thanks for any advice!
When I do turkey fans I use borax on them to "cure" them.
If only tissue inside the quill... I have put them in the freezer inside a Ziploc bag to kill any possible feather eating bugs then use em... it's worked for 3 years no problem... others will chime in with more experience I'm sure.
Salt and freezer has worked for me...
Thanks for the tips guys. I'll put them in a ziplock bag in the freezer for a few days and see how that works.
Borax is used to keep mites and other critters from eating your feathers as they will in time.
Borax is used to keep mites and other critters from eating your feathers as they will in time.