Goose Feathers: how I splice page 6

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Bill Tell:
Oh my gosh.  This is like manna from the heavens.  

really great fletching for free - how cool is that?

There are so many geese around here it is crazy.  I am going "shed" hunting in June.

yup, the moult is time for gray gold huntin'

Is the quill as thick as a turkey feather?

on the primaries of an adult canada, it's thick and bulky.  i use both primary and secondary feathers, they all make for perfect fletches.

Do the choppers get dull?

no, silly goose!  :D  

....

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Bill,

Sometime around June, hit the local parks along the Fox -- Fabyan, Wheeler, or any of the other park district properties in St. Charles, Geneva or Batavia. I used to pick up goose primaries while I was out fly fishing, but ended up giving away a few hundred of them years ago. I don't like arrow fletching that I can't see in flight.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Jason R. Wesbrock:
... I don't like arrow fletching that I can't see in flight.

that bothered me a bunch, too - but bright white or hot pink fur tracers fixed that pronto.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

I never much cared for those tracers. Aside from the fact that they don't get along with my high anchor point (it's hard to shoot with a blob in my line of sight), they didn't work so well when they got wet.

I notice that you have bright yellow feathers in your avatar. I use those and bright orange. They work very well.

If anyone wants any free goose primaries, I'll pick them up this summer and save them. I can usually find a few hundred in a day without much problem.

[Rob DiStefano]

yes, for sure - with yer eye to the shaft those fuzzies are totally in the way, too bad.  

yellow and orange are good, but i think hot pink is best and that's what i'm using now.  better yet if i used a bright white cap but i don't like wraps or paint.  

geez - unnaturally funky hot pink fletches versus the organic beauty of barred grey or dull grey canada, what heresy.  :D

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:


geez - unnaturally funky hot pink fletches versus the organic beauty of barred grey or dull grey canada, what heresy.   :D  

As long as I can see them in flight and they fall out the other side wet and red, I'm good to go.
 

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Jason R. Wesbrock:
 

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:


geez - unnaturally funky hot pink fletches versus the organic beauty of barred grey or dull grey canada, what heresy.    :D  

As long as I can see them in flight and they fall out the other side wet and red, I'm good to go.
   [/b]

yep, dat's why i'm going with hot pink 'n' tracers.  

[Bill Tell]

Originally posted by Jason R. Wesbrock:
Bill,

Sometime around June, hit the local parks along the Fox -- Fabyan, Wheeler, or any of the other park district properties in St. Charles, Geneva or Batavia. I used to pick up goose primaries while I was out fly fishing, but ended up giving away a few hundred of them years ago. I don't like arrow fletching that I can't see in flight.

I will do so.  If I get a whole bunch I will post up free feathers later on.

I worked in a fly shop once and I know that the only way to be legal is to give them away.

[snag]

Randy, you can buy them cut and chopped from Raven Arrows in Idaho. They do a great job of making fletchings.

[JC]

I sure do love my dyed hot pink feathers....but hate how they soak up rain no matter what they are treated with. I'm gonna have to find and chop some goose feathers for a rainy day, literally.

[snag]

I have treated some turkey feather fletchings with a flyfishing fly dressing (kind of a gel that melts in your fingers) that works pretty good.

[Chris Shelton]

Originally posted by snag:
Randy, you can buy them cut and chopped from Raven Arrows in Idaho. They do a great job of making fletchings.

How can they do that???  It is illegal to sell part of a canadian goose????  Is is a domestic type feather or something?

[Chris Shelton]

Originally posted by JC:
I sure do love my dyed hot pink feathers....but hate how they soak up rain no matter what they are treated with. I'm gonna have to find and chop some goose feathers for a rainy day, literally.

I love me some pink fletchin too   , shows up good on film.  I treat mine using that powder stuff and it works to an extent . . .

[JC]

From what I've heard from Rob D. and others, nothing compares to the water resistance of natural goose feathers.  I've not had good luck with any of the feather treatments so I should just bite the bullet and fletch up some goose and find out for myself.

[kbetts]

Just cut some snow geese.  Not impressed with the length of the white feathers.  Might work for 4 fletch guys but they seem thin.  
I think I'm going to get a "pet" swan.

[Bill Tell]

Originally posted by Chris Shelton:
 

Originally posted by snag:
Randy, you can buy them cut and chopped from Raven Arrows in Idaho. They do a great job of making fletchings.

How can they do that???  It is illegal to sell part of a canadian goose????  Is is a domestic type feather or something? [/b]

They can do it if they have a license for sale and they buy the feathers from a retailer that is raising the geese domestically for consumption.

Some native american are able to sell things too so they may be part of a nation.

[wingnut]

I used to get canadian goose feathers when we hunted them in Washington.  They make great fletching that are waterproof.  Not as durable as Turkey but very quiet.

Mike

[frank bullitt]

So, if you don't like dark fletch, and the tracers are out, why not splice the tail end with a bright fletch? Or if you 4-fletch, 2 goose and 2 bright fletch! It's all good.

I have 2 bottles of Duck oil, that works pretty good!

[FerretWYO]

Originally posted by frank bullitt:
So, if you don't like dark fletch, and the tracers are out, why not splice the tail end with a bright fletch?

I think you gave me another project Frank. I like that idea.

[FerretWYO]

Thanks snag I will check them out.