Fresh Canada Goose feathers

[man at arms]

The neighbors shot a goose this morning.  They gave me the wings. This is the first time I've tried to remove feathers from the wing of a bird, so bear with me and don't be too harsh with the noob.

I couldn't pull them off without damaging the feathers. So, I went to plan b. I got out my cleaning patch scissors and cut them off as close to the wing as I could. I've got about a good inch of bare quill on the long ones (at the wing tips) and 1/2" on the shorter ones (past the joint). I just read the thread about contracting pneumonia from Turkey feathers, so I'll be giving these a Dawn bath.

I've been researching this for a bit. Some people think it best to "strip" the feathers from the quill. Others say to cut the quill and leave a bit attached as a base. While the latter is harder and more time-consuming, it seems to me that it would provide a better gluing surface. I'm interested to hear other members' thoughts on this, as well as any helpful tips, tricks, dos, and don'ts.

Helical or straight? Does it really matter?

The only arrows I've fletched were made from home-depot dowels, self-nocked, fitted with broadheads made from an old truck fender, and fletched with gorilla tape.  They worked surprisingly well BTW. Anyway, working with feathers is new to me.

[osage outlaw]

I put any feathers I get in the deep freeze for a few days to make sure any mites or other tiny critters are dead.  I keep them in a plastic tub with borax powder.  I prefer to cut and sand my feathers leaving a thin strip of quill as a gluing surface.  I mostly use turkey feathers.

[Buck67]

I have never had the opportunity to mess with Goose feathers, however I was recently gifted with the wings from 6 turkeys.  Some were already cut off, some were plucked out and 4 wings were frozen and delivered that way.  I also bought 4 whole wings that turned out to be infested with carpet beetles.  My method of dealing with feathers on the wing is to cut them off with side cuts.  I'm not going to use the first inch of feather so I don't try to get too close to the meat.  The best part of the feather is the middle anyway.

After you get the feathers sorted left and right, bag them in a large ziplock bag with a few mothballs.  I usually leave the feathers in until I use them but you should leave them in the bag about 3 months so that the current batch of bugs all die and the eggs and larvae when they hatch, they all die.  You don't want mites or carpet beetles in the house, Mama ain't gonna be happy.

I like to take a feather that is going to be used for fletching, lay it on an anvil and hit the spine with a small hammer the full length.  I currently use a rawhide hammer but I used to use the flat end of a small ball-peen hammer.  That will shatter the spine and make it easy to cut with scissors.  I made a clamp from 2 pieces of 1/4" plywood and a leather hinge.  I put the feather in the clamp, spine out and fasten with two large Binder clamps.

Once the feather is fastened in, you can trim it with an Exacto knife to get it down close to the feathers.  Then turn the clamp over with the feather still inside of it and rub it on 150 grit sandpaper.  I glued a sheet of sandpaper to a piece of plywood so it stays straight.

You will wind up with a usable feather with a section of spine that may be thicker than you can buy commercially, but it will be one that you made.  Sometimes, if the conditions are right and the feather is big enough you can get two usable fletches from one feather.

[DC]

There are a few Youtubes showing how to strip feathers. There is a knack to it that I haven't gotten yet   If you decide to try it be prepared to waste a few(maybe lots) feathers. It ain't as easy as the vid make it look.

[JW_Halverson]

If the feather is fresh, stripping is at it's easiest. 

Canada goose feathers are dang fine feathers, in my book!  The Osage Outlaw pointed out that freezing the feathers first will help prevent feather mites glawing them up somewhere down the road. He speaks the truth. 

[Buck67]

I tried soaking feathers for about 10 minutes to make it easier to peel.  It did peel easier but drying the feathers and getting them to look good was difficult.

[TRACY]

You can use the primaries in a jig to fletch, but I prefer the secondaries and a two fletch on cane. I don't do anything special after I harvest the bird other than clip the feathers off the wing and bag them as lefts or rights. I personally don't use cleaners or detergents on them but the borax would work and not compromise the feather quality. Great resource for fletching!

[man at arms]

I have them in the freezer right now. I shoot ELBs, so 3 Fletcher is proper. Heavy war arrows get 6" or longer fletching. Hunting/target arrows get 4".

[JackCrafty]

Lots of ELB shooters put their fletchings on straight and wrap them with a spiral wrap of strong thread, especially those interested in Medieval history.

If you leave a lot of the quill intact, the natural curve of the feather will make laying them on straight a bit more difficult than peeled feathers but both types will work.

[Tree_Ninja]

I've shored a bunch of goose feathers.  It's not fun. 

  I have a belt sander with a shop-vac close by, and the dust still  ends up everywhere.  Never seen, or had problems with mites/bugs, but I leave mine in the garage, and it's been 4 months + freezing /dry weather last week. 

   Cut in half with a razor and sand em down.  Sometimes you can just cut the quill off perfectly sometimes the knife will jump and ruin the feather.

   You can buy turkey feathers cheap on-line.  Since they are so light, shipping cost is minimal.

Good luck. 

[Prarie Bowyer]

I put any feathers I get in the deep freeze for a few days to make sure any mites or other tiny critters are dead.  I keep them in a plastic tub with borax powder.  I prefer to cut and sand my feathers leaving a thin strip of quill as a gluing surface.  I mostly use turkey feathers.

A small sharp hand plane works wonders and keeps the dust manageable.  The japaneese Fletcher's use a hot iron.  Metal from afore hot.

[E. Jensen]

FYI freezing temps won't kill mites