Many on here say this is why they shoot feathers. (No plastic bird wings.)

How many trees are made of carbon and fiberglass?

Do you have a string made of sinew or dacron?

Any aluminum or steel on your bow?

How do you glue your feathers on your arrows? Man-made epoxy? (with a steel, aluminum or plastic jig)

Then again, how about your nocks, are they plastic like my vanes?

Just thinking out-loud, nothing personal towards anyone.

If you ride a mule to your favorite hunting sight, wearing buckskin clothing, shooting an all wood bow with no epoxy, and all natural arrows, with no man made materials whatsoever on anything you own, then please ignore this message.

I get your drift. I do think some birds might like plastic feathers on a rainy day. Perhaps a little plastic poncho. Heck, they could make them out of a sandwich bag.[8D]

Me thinks you are opening up a can of worms with this type of post. The issue of "where to draw the line" with technology is always a controversial one.

Oh, I hear ya man. I'm not trying to start trouble, but why do they make such a big deal about staying natural with feathers but not about any other part of their arrows or bow?

The answer to that is "because that is where they choose to draw the line". Ultimately each of us has to make that type of decision...assuming it is within the legal limits. I did not read the thread you are making reference to but I can imagine what is in there.

You hear the "birds don't have plastic feathers" line because the fletchings on an arrow are there to help it "fly" straight to the target. That's the only reason feathers exist... for flight.

A bird wouldn't fly too well with plastic feathers.


As far as the other things go, none of them occur naturally in nature like feathers do. And none of them transfer directly from the natural state to the "arrow" state like a feather does.

I have several bows that are made from all natural materials, mainehunt. Don't have a sinew string but I do have a couple of strings I've twisted from fibers I stripped from yucca leaves. I've fletched arrows without any glue at all, using feathers I stripped directly from the quill vs bought in a bag. The shafts for those arrows were made from switches cut from dogwood and salt cedar (tamarisk). I made the broadheads for those arrows from bone, fixed into slots in the shafts with pine resin and wrapped in with nettle fibers.

I can make everything I need to go hunting with a bow and arrows using only things I can gather in the woods. I don't shoot that kind of equipment all the time, but I take great satisfaction in having the ability make it. At least I know how to get bows and arrows without having to use a credit card or checkbook.

By the way, I could ride a mule to go hunting, but a pickup has an air conditioner and rides a lot smoother.

I think evolution is changing! I seen this Gobbler this spring and couldn't believe it! I knew when he flew down that it sounded a little different.

LOL Boy do I find that turkey funny.

ArthurP,

I commend you on your ability. I too have worked with natural materials for arrows. I teach ancient history for a living and did a demonstration for my students last fall. I went back further in time than the bow and arrow though. I built an atlatl to throw a dart (Spear) for my kids to observe. I built the dart out of rock maple for the shaft, with crow feathers for the vanes. I lashed them on fore and aft, with no goatuff glue

BTW- I have to agree, the a/c in my F-150 feels better than a mule also