Raptor feathers for fletchings

[Briar Friar]

Several questions:
1) Is it lawful for personal use for fletchings?
2) Are they better or comparable to turkey?
3) Are owl primary wing feathers durable enough for shooting and running through prey?

I have a barred owl in my woods. I’ve seen it several times and it has about a 3 to 4 foot wingspan… A very handsome critter. I get a mating pair regularly and their mating communications are a hoot plus alot more freakyness. Well, he and/or she keeps dropping feathers and I’ve collected about 10 of them. Most seem secondary wing feathers but Ive a couple primary.

Over the weekend a buddy mentioned that owl feathers make good fletching‘s somewhat because they are a little more forgiving than turkey feathers off the shelf. He shoots a selfbow.

Im curious to Yalls input before I seek game warden guidance prior to processing for fletching.

[Walker]

Pretty sure it's illegal to use or even have owl feathers.

[2B4Him]

I don't believe you can be in possession of any raptor feathers (unless you have some Native American exception applicable).

[Bisch]

Bisch

[Briar Friar]

Good info.
I identify as Indigenous and native american.
Ill make sure to tell all the other hombres and vaqueros in South Texas, West Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, etc with hawk, eagle, and buzzard feathers in their sombreros….it aint right.

i just realized what I thought was an owl, identifies as a turkey. My bad.

Turkey feathers is all I got.

[DRT]

Seen an episode of Lone Star law where that was addressed.

[Trumpkin]

Seems a pretty silly law to me.. but also seems like a real pain in the butt to find enough feathers to fletch a dozen arrows anyways. I haven't had issues with turkey fletch.

[wytex]

Pretty sure a Fed Game warden is the one who would have issues with them if they found out, since you posted on this forum maybe?
Is the juice worth the squeeze?
The feathers are pretty different and would be easy to tell for a someone that knows their birds, owls fly quietly for a reason, turkeys not so much.

I bet they would fly nice out of a trad bow though and be quiet.

[donpablo]

Maybe in the near future you could use barred owl feathers. I just posted in ATC about an article stating that USFW is planning to open up some owl hunting. I wonder if you'd have to keep some sort of document as proof they were harvested legally.

[Draco]

WhT you shoul be looking at is goose feathers. Naturally water proof.