Rangeball

I see many people state they use white or bright fletch so they can see where the shot impacted the deer or target. Personally, this was never much help as you' re viewing the arrow from the tail end, not the side. If you arrow enters the target/deer straight, such fletch isn' t much help in my experience.

I' ve been considering using either white or red tracer/puff material that you adhere on the shaft between the fletch and nock. I can see where that would have a good chance at showing impact, but I have no experience with such things.

Do they weigh much and potentially mess with FOC? Do they interefere with arrow flight? Do they work as advertised?

Arthur P

I don' t know what kind you' re talking about. I' ve used some that are just split maribou feathers. They don' t weigh hardly any more than the glue you put them on with and they do show up well. They' re very fragile though and don' t last very long at all. Better used as decoration on a exhibition arrow than for real use, IMO.

I' ve also used some that were fake fur strips with peel and stick tape on the base. They work just as well and last far longer, but I haven' t seen any of those for a long, long time.

Really though, a flourescent nock shows does the same job, cheaper and with less work.

Jason N

Do you just turn the page in Cabela' s archery catalog and ask questions about each item? Just kidding!

I don' t have any experience with them, but I would assume they can' t weigh much. I' ve never understood why everyone is so concerned about the blood on the arrow from up in a tree.....blood is red from 20' up and 20 yards out! I have tried to inspect the arrow from above but to no avail. The only way to judge the hit based on blood on the shaft is to visually inspect it up close and to smell it....at least that' s my opinion. If you' re concerned with the shot plaement WAIT. Climb down later and inspect the arrow.

Rangeball

Art, these are the ones I was talking about-

http://www.archerywarehouse.com/furfletch.htm

And here' s some text from a story about their " inventor" Bill Sweetland-

" To complete his archery products Sweetland is continually working on new ideas. Not too long ago he came out with Fur Fletch, a rabbit fur dyed different brilliant colors and backed with an adhesive which can give the indoor archer and instant arrow material. This Fur Fletch works fine indoors and prevents breaking and damaging fletchings. It has enough stability to hold the shaft from target bows in good flight and is great for the shorter ranges and other rough treatment. To replace, all you have to do is pull off the adhesive material, clean the shaft and replace with another strip of Fur Fletch. Bow hunters, as well as target archers, are using this increasingly as a tracer behind regular feathers, by winding a single wrap of the fur strip just forward of the nock. The visibility of this after the arrow strikes is amazing."

I wonder if they cause any rest clearance issues on a shoot through...

Jason, You caught me

Actually, I was thinking about these for my brother-in-law. He' s notorious for not remembering where his arrow hit, buck fever I guess. I thought maybe these might help him a bit. For me, I' m thinking the 1.5" hole that the rocket' s open up will leave a nice red circle for me to tell where I hit

And I agree, I can tell blood by inspecting the arrow and the shot area, no matter the fletch color, but I' m talking about getting a visual on impact location of a pass through...

Arthur P

Rangeball that' s the mairbou feather type I was talking about. Reading the fine print on these ' fur' tracers you see this, " Track you arrows in flight, or find it after the shot.Made of fine Feathers"

They are not fur.

Rangeball

Art, when you say they are very fragile and don' t last long, are you talking about when they are used like in the link above? Fall off after a few shots at a target or what?

If they hold well while target shooting and one use on a shot at deer, I would think they would do the intended job...

Arthur P

They' ll last for about a month of hard target shooting. If you just use them to practice a week or so before hunting to make double sure they don' t change the arrows' point of impact (practically impossible, but anything that can happen will) and then reserve them for only hunting shots, I imagine they' d last through a season.

Rangeball

Do you see anyway they can cause rest interference to the point of affecting arrow flight with a shoot through rest?

Crap, just thought of something. My BIL uses a whisker biscuit. They probably aren' t much of a match with that...

Jason N

Sorry for the rant....I' ve been that alot lately....must be getting anxious for the season to open!

Have you considered a solid white wrap? That might help...at least stand up to the Whisker Biscuit? Although a new fletching job would also result if you went that route.

Rangeball

Jason, that' s just it, as I indicated above I don' t see how a wrap viewed from behind offers any benefit for showing shot placement. The fur/feather tracer would though, so I thought I' d find out about them...