Wild Turkey Fletchings - DIY

[Mad Bear]

Good to finally post. Very long time lurker here on this great site.

Just want to introduce myself. Mad bear is my username, mad because my wife thinks I am a mad scientist with arrows. Bear as it is the traditional clan animal of my family, and a nod to the great Fred Bear.

I hunt up in Canada with a traditional hybrid longbow. My current bow is a beauty. A bearpaw mohawk hunter hybrid longbow. 13” riser. I grew up a meat hunter and continue that today.

Always have looked up to modern bowhunters like Fred Asbell, Ron LeClair, Fred Eichler, and of course myself. And the greats who all came before me. It is an honour to call myself a bowmen. I grew up reading articles in trad bowhunter and trad world, prim archery. So many great men and women before me who paved the way.

The reason for my post is I would like to share with everyone a quick guide on how I process wild turkey feathers for fletchings using only hand tools. With spring around the corner I thought it would be a good time to show people how to make some unique trophies.

I know I am preaching to the choir here, you guys probably have a lot more experience than I. I just enjoy bowhunting and sharing knowledge, and helping others build great arrows. I will continue making traditional bow hunting content just for the love of it. I appreciate everyones time for reading this and if you happen to view the video, thank you kindly. Means a lot.



Take care, and good luck on all your upcoming hunts. Looking forward to finally posting around here. Thanks everyone.

[Ray Lyon]

Welcome and nice job with video. 👍👍

[Mad Bear]

Welcome and nice job with video. 👍👍

Thanks for the kind words. I’m all about making all or most of my gear if I can. Looks like you know your way around the turkey woods from your display picture. I can’t wait to get out and turkey hunt with the stick. My favourite animal to eat and to hunt and I can use just about every part of the bird.

[Roy from Pa]

Welcome to trad gang and nice video.

[Mad Bear]

Welcome to trad gang and nice video.

Feels like I’m home hahaha. Thanks that means a lot. I enjoy sharing knowledge and making videos that get right down to the information with no filler. Recently got some beautiful doug fir shafts from the good guys at surewood shafts. Will be doing a bare bones wood arrow build for the average bowmen.

Thanks everyone!

[Ray Lyon]

I’ve bagged a few turkeys over the years and really enjoy hunting them.  Love hunting whitetail deer more, but every spring the turkey woods is magical. 

[Mad Bear]

I’ve bagged a few turkeys over the years and really enjoy hunting them.  Love hunting whitetail deer more, but every spring the turkey woods is magical.

I hear ya brother. That first gobble of the season makes my hair stand up. For me having the interaction with the animal before you harvest it is why I enjoy the hunt. The nice weather in may also helps

[Gordon Jabben]

Excellent video.   
I do have a band saw and a disk sander that I use to speed things up a little.  When I'm doing a lot of feathers at one time I use the band saw to split them.  I have carpal tunnel problems and splitting them with a knife aggravates it.  Again good video.   

[Mad Bear]

Excellent video.   
I do have a band saw and a disk sander that I use to speed things up a little.  When I'm doing a lot of feathers at one time I use the band saw to split them.  I have carpal tunnel problems and splitting them with a knife aggravates it.  Again good video.

Thanks brother. Appreciate the feedback.

It is definitely labour intensive. Its a good set up to have when you get serious into making fletchings. I use a belt sander also when I have a large batch to do but sometimes the wife doesn’t like waking up to power tools at 2am, can you imagine?
Thanks again.

[Roy from Pa]

[Mad Bear]

Woooo thats what I like to see. Use every good feather. I even did some primitive arrows with a Seneca 2-feather fletch out of some tail feathers, they weren’t bad I will say that. The bowyers bible vol 2 (i believe) has a great section on eastern woodlands bows and arrows and I got the idea there.

After about the 3rd feather on my chopper I usually hear “whats that banging??!”

[Roy from Pa]

What's that banging, LOL

I made the mistake of burning some feathers in the basement once. " Once LOL "

I got a little more than what's that banging.

LOL

[oz]

Welcome to Trad Gang.
Great job on the video

I do the job very similar, with two modifications: not to say they are better, just different minor differences

1)   When cropping the full length feather to desired length, I use a small pair of wire cutters, I find that easier.

2)  I use a rubber mallet for my hammer

I am not an often poster on here more of a reader, so I hope I do not offend you with the differences, I know better to just read and move on, but I must be in a look at me mood today.

oz

[Roy from Pa]

OZ, I do the same thing as you..

[Mad Bear]

Welcome to Trad Gang.
Great job on the video

I do the job very similar, with two modifications: not to say they are better, just different minor differences

1)   When cropping the full length feather to desired length, I use a small pair of wire cutters, I find that easier.

2)  I use a rubber mallet for my hammer

I am not an often poster on here more of a reader, so I hope I do not offend you with the differences, I know better to just read and move on, but I must be in a look at me mood today.

oz

Yes those tools work great. I had an old pair of dog toe nail clippers that were great, but my sister ended up needed them for her lil guy haha. Just tried to keep it as simple as possible with tools most people have laying around.

[Ray Lyon]

What's that banging, LOL

I made the mistake of burning some feathers in the basement once. " Once LOL "

I got a little more than what's that banging.

LOL

Nope, didn’t even go down that road.  Knew better.  The monopoly card ‘go right to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200’ comes to mind if you’re thinking of burning feathers ANYWHERE inside the walls of your house🤔😳

[YosemiteSam]

My son recently tried to make a feather burner for me in his bedroom.  Won't be doing that again.

Mad Bear - I liked the idea of using the thumb plane.  I had been trying to use a belt sander but didn't like how close the belt got to my feather vise -- didn't want to grind it away.  Will have to try the plane.  Thanks for posting.

[Mad Bear]

Mmm the smell of burning feathers. LOL

Thanks for all the nice feedback. Would like to try dyeing these sometime.

[wood carver 2]

Welcome. I have a bag of feathers and a chopper that I haven’t used yet. I should take advantage of the cold weather and prep a few.
Where in Canada are you?
Dave.

[Jon Stewart]

Interesting video.

There is a guy on another site that will grind your feathers. You keep one wing and he keeps the other. The only cost is postage one way. Works for me because that grinding/sanding dust isn't good for you.

I also chop feather but I also have a metal stick that I got from Jerry Hill. You slide your feather into the groove cut into the stick and you can burn your feathers. Works slick and allows you to shape your feather and pick any length of feather including you can burn them small enough if you want to make feather rests.

I would post photo's of the stick  but this site isn't really easy for me to do that.