what if you put feather powder on before you shoot them?

it works for me

oops scrath that i see it hasnt worked for u

Another trick similar to ziplocks is baby bottle liners. Your local grocery store should have them. Put them over fletch and snap arrow on string when ready just un nock and pull off bag and re nock.

Forgot to mention above, serious gun hunters avoid wood stocks in Alaska for a reason. Moisture in wood is not good and equals bad accuracy. My thoughts are same and therefor I would suggest you consider carbon arras. Try some 160gr STOS on a 125gr steel insert on the south end of a Beeman MFX you'll be surprised how they fly. A $5.00 file and a few simple strokes and these babies are razor sharp. When I hunt moose in wet climate I switch to Silver Flames sharpest stainless (and best)head available. This way I don't worry about rust or oxidation and having to sharpen heads every day or two.

why not just make a leather elevated rest and shoot vanes, have one on my 3 piece longbow and it will shoot any type fletch no problem and you can make it sit off shelf however high you want..

p.m. me if you would like a pic

i havent shot a recurve for very long, but with my carbon shafts and plunger flipper rest, i can shoot broadheads with wet droopy feathers just fine.

is the wet feather problem common when shooting off the shelf? reason i ask is i'm thinking about trying to shoot without my sight and possibly shooting off the shelf.

thanks and good luck  

"I can tell you've never hunted in Juneau, AK"

I have and I now know how to waterproof fletching to make them "Tongass Proof".  Hint, treat them like you do your shafts.  Call for clarification.  LOL.

P.S.  WW won't make less wind planning; Ribbies do not plane.  I am assuming you spin test?

I thought maybe "Killer" Hohensee might have something to add to this subject.  Steve, doesn't treating the feathers the same as the shaft make them hard?  Or not enough to matter?
I know the times we hunted POW we just brought lots of extra arrows, LOL!

I have had pretty good luck using plastic vanes off the shelf.

Fletch the plastic vanes with your cock vane up,and mount your broadheads horizontal,my nock point is 5/8th inch above level.

You could also try 4-fletch vanes,(4-90 like an X)with your broadheads mounted horizontal (-)

If you shoot cockfeather in, you could use two vanes and one feather off the shelf also.

Ursus:
The problem with todays feathers is they have all been washed to make them look pretty. Get some from wild birds. Turkeys, Swans, Goose, the natural oils will still be present and your problem will stop. A friend of mine hunted the Northern B.C. a couple of years ago in his back quiver were arrows with both processed and non-processed feathers, it rained for two weeks, his non-processed fletching's were not effected, the others looked like your's
Bob

I second the baby bottle liners.

Remember, you heard it HERE first on TradGang (TM)!

To make wood arrow shafts impervious, truely waterproof, you need to use a finish that has a high oil content such as Helmsman Spar Uretane or a Spar Varnish.  Fact-period. (But someone already taught you that and you already do so)

So, extend that to fletching.  No, don't dip your fletch!

SPRAY the completed and fletched arrow with a few light coats of Helmsman Spar Urethane.  Don't cover to thick or you'll esentially have a rigid plastic flecth.

Do this and your problem is no more!

One of trad archery's most notable bowhunters/icons was Paul Schaefer. He shot his own bow of course but  he did a lot of testing to determine what set up would be the most accurate for him in all conditions. His conclusions were aluminum arrows (pre-carbon), an elevated rest and plastic vanes. As far as I know it was all he shot and those who know anything about him know how good he was at hunting and how accurate he was with his setup.I have used goose feathers on a caribou hunt in Labrador with good success. Haven't had the pleasure of hunting in really wet places like Alaska or the US Northwest. If your set up is not working for you then you need to change something, it would seem. The solution seems simple to me (an elevated rest, plastic or goose fletching and a carbon or aluminum arrow shaft) unless you are a die hard wood and feathers kind of guy. If that is the case then your situation, it seems to me, will be froth with the frustrations you are dealing with. Fred Asbell did a column a number of years ago about using the baby bottle liners. I have never tried it in the field but the liners did not affect my shooting once I got used to the noise at the shot in practice sessions.

If you want some Canada goose feathers, pm me a shipping address and I'll send you a bunch both left and right wing.  These are still whole feathers, the rest is up to you.
Derek

I don't know of anyone that would tell you that you can get a broadhead flying well without good feathers on the back end.

A field point, sure.  A broadhead, absolutely not.

i bare shaft tuned razorcaps and stos, i got perfect flight. i live in cordova so i feel this problem but my carbons fly great weather or not they are soaked or not.

Sleep in when it rains.

Anybody tried commorant feathers? Them things outa have enough fish oil an grease in em to survive a Tsunami!

Shawn has the answer you are looking for. It works and you dont have to spend $ and time changing your set up.