primary vs. secondary feathers

[Pack]

A guy gave me a bag full of wild turkey feathers.  Is there an easy way to tell the difference between the primary and secondary feathers?  Can you use the secondary feathers for fletching?

[hillbilly61]

The primary feathers are stiffer with a more pronounced bared look. The secondary's are a little wider and softer. Secondaries make good fletches. They are a little noisier (I can;t tell the diff. I'm half deaf) I do use them for the 3D shoots and the primaries for hunting. I wish this thing had a spell check. Pain killers and typing don't go together  

[Don Stokes]

The quill has barbels on both sides. The ones with one very short side are the primaries. Secondaries are wider on the short side. Secondaries can be used for fletching, but they are not as stiff and likely to be noisy in flight. Jake primaries are also likely to be noisy.

[highPlains]

Secondary feathers would be quite a bit noisier and would work just fine at stabilizing the arrow. They are not as stiff though, so noise and stabilization are both a littler worse than the primary feathers.

 

[Lucas K]

Great picture Tommy!

[tradhunter]

Use the primary feathers for target/hunting,use the secondary feathers for flu-flu arrows...now go have some fun!