Can you use other feathers on a turkey for fletching?

[Tradtical Commando]

Can you use tail feathers, secondary wing feathers, or anything else on a turkey for fletching. You can tail none are as rigid as the primary wing feathers, but am curious as to whether they would work properly none the less.

[Charlie Lamb]

Most any will work if big enough. There may be noise and longevity issues.

Secondaries make great flu flus.

[Cory Mattson]

I have used Goose - Swans - ducks for kids arrows
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[macbow]

Even the tail feather can be used for the eastern Indian two fletch.

[KenH]

Any feather from any bird can be used.  For thousands of years the Chinese preferred pheasant feathers.

You just need tiny arrrows if you're going to fletch with hummingbird promaries!

[Tradtical Commando]

Do y'all think they would shoot well as a regular 5" 3 feather set up?

I know they are big enough, but I am not sure about the actual feather itself being thick/rigid/sturdy enough. It seems that the feather part of these other feathers is substantially more flexible.

[Dave Worden]

Like Charlie said, any feather will work.  Some work better and last longer than others.  That's why turkey primaries seem to be preferred.  I also have used goose and swan feathers.  Haven't tried hummingbird yet.  Seems like it'd take a lot of birds to make three 5" fletches!  Goose feathers are even more water resistant than turkey feathers (if you don't wash the oils out).

[KenH]

Tradtical -- Since plastic, duct tape and paper fletchings work just fine, there's no reason to doubt that non-professionally trimmed feathers from non-traditional birds would not work as well as store bought.

[Pat B]

Any feathers 4" or longer will make fletching or arrows. There are a few Native America styles that use 3 or 4 feathers laid around the shaft for fletching. I believe it is called tangential fletching. I've made a few arrows this way and they work just fine.

[Beanbag]

I heard you have to use the whole Humming bird1

[Pat B]

The arrow on the right has a 3 feather tangential fletching using goose feathers...
 

[halfseminole]

Turkey tail feathers make ideal fletching if they're no higher than 3/8" tall in my opinion.  Quieter than wings by a long shot.

[BRONZ]

I used to chop goose feathers for my arrows. I liked them except the black was hard to see and find.

[snag]

A friend's brother shot a black bird. Made fletchings for his arrows. He also knapped broadheads out of the bottom of glass beer bottles!
Then took these arrows and went out and killed an elk with them last year! How's that for recycling?! haha

[Pat B]

You have to be very careful of what feathers you pick up. Only feathers from game birds or exotics are allowed by law. Most others are federally protected, song birds et al. This federal law has been in existence since the late 1800s to eliminate plume hunters and protect most native birds here in the US.

[Tradtical Commando]

Ok, thanks everyone. I am gonna start taking apart some of the turkey fans that I have laying around and try them out. Thanks for all the good info!

[Orion]

Of course, most any feather will work.  The bare shaft testers have shown that you may not even need any feathers at all.

But why use anything but the highest quality you can find for your arrows.  After all, the arrow is the most important part of the combination.  I may skimp, improvise, etc., on my other hunting, archery equipment, but never on any of the arrow components.
But to each his own. Whatever floats your boat. Good luck.

[Lucas K]

Anyone try Sandhill crane?

[Tradtical Commando]

Well, the tail fan felt too soft for my tastes, but I used the secondary wing feathers and they work great.

[Gary Rieck]

Sandhill crane X2 ?