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I took a few picture that were closer than the others on my Cree Skin so thought I would show you the close up pics. This is a beautiful bird for sure.
Skip
The cape and notice the shades of colors...
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1.../DSC05098B.jpg
Saddle...
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1.../DSC05099B.jpg
Another part of the Saddle...
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1.../DSC05100B.jpg
looks nice skip!they'd make some nice flies n jigs
Purrrrrrty! Those things are expensive, eh? Where'd they come from?
They'd be more decorative than anything, right?
I rescued the corpse of a barn owl that has some wonderfulness it still wants to contribute to the world for years to come.
and my nephew is SUPPOSED to be alerting me of a rooster slaughter. I wish I liked buck and squirrel more..with all the hunting around the way.
How is turkey used?
Adam
Be careful about birds of prey. Skip can probably tell you more than me.
Like Skeet said you got to be very careful with birds of prey. I don't know about Owls, but you can't even pick up a Bald Eagle feather without breaking the federal laws and they will put you under the jail.Quote:
Originally Posted by Micropterus salmoides
Turkey tail feathers are use for lots of flies and they use the barbules off the big feathers as body of a fly or the tail. Lots of good things.
Most any bird can be used for jigs or flies, but the feathers you see in this thread are for flies primarily and especially dry flies. However I plan on tying some small jig with some for big blue gills too. These are really to costly for jig use to sell for sure. I have a lot of feathers for jigs and several ways of using them, but the same ones can be used on flies in some ways, but when quality counts this kind of feather is what you want. These birds have not had any out side blood entered into them for over 40 years and they are special in more ways that just pretty. Even the stems on this hackle is oval and not round to help it not rotate when tying.
Decorative is not what these are bread for, however even people now are buying nice capes and saddles for tying ear rings. These are not going for that unless I make some for my wife. These are some of the finest fly tying hackle that can be bought and this color is more rare too.
Usually I just will buy a cape or saddle, but every once in a while I will buy a whole skin. They skin them out and treat them with borax I suppose, tack them to a board to dry. Below I will put one whole skin picture for you to see. Oh and these high end hackle came from Conranch Hackle farms.
Skip
This picture doesn't really show the shades and colors right like the close up pictures above, but is the same bird.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1.../DSC05089C.jpg
Thanks for showing those Skip, they are so purty I may make one of those my new wallpaper on my computer. LOL The coloration is unreal to be natural and undyed. I don't think I would let the dog play with that! LOL It's amazing how they can breed roosters to have the colors and quality feathers like that. I bet the genetics are guarded closer than the Col. Sander's Secret recipe.
Scott
LOL if you really decide to do that let me know and I will send one that has not been re-sized yet and is a lot bigger so better pic for that size. I am told that the fish really like the Cree colors. You should read about Cree on FAOL as Denny wrote a nice article about it. I am told that 6 years ago this skin would have cost me $1000 if you could find one, but through research and all he has found a way to get more than people use to think. It was said that a Cree only came around one in every 250,000 birds, but he's doing better than that now.
That is one beauty of a bird huh?
Skip
That is one beautiful bird for sure! Thanks for showing us.
Skip: now that is a nice skin. I have a neck that color thats one I bought it 15 years or more ago when I was tying alot of trout flies. Now I am getting concerned about some of the rare material I have. BTW since I am native american ( First Nation ) we can pick up Eagle feathers. I have and they are always gifted to one of the tribal elders or to some who has done good for the tribe or the people. My wife who is Chreokee was gifted one and she gifted it to a young girl who won her first dance contest at a Pow Wow that we attended. That is the wheel of life.
Redman
Yes Redman I knew Native Americans could pick up and use the Eagle Feathers, but other than you guys hardly anyone can and still not have a big problem. I don't know who, but there are some that have permission to pick them up other than Native Americans, but I am sure it's people that have some kind of reason to do so.
We get to see them around here a good bit, what a majestic bird they are. I know every time I hear someone killed one I hope they put them in jail and throw away the key.
Skip
Yes Skip I agree kill a Eagle go to jail do not go pass Go do not collect $200. There are alot of turkey feathers that have been bleached to mimic Eagle feathers. That is what most are useing to decorate there clothes and accesories. In the Native culture the Eagle is powerfull medicine and with it being the national bird it adds to that power. That is why it is such a speical gift when given and received. There are other bird feathers that are held in high reguard and use in ceremoinies (owl, hawk and turkey). BTW I am a member of the hawk clan of my tribe.
Redman
Really cool! Eagles are so majestic as are some hawks at least to me. I mean just look at the Duck Hawk/Peregrine Falcon and what they can do. I find the birds of prey just awesome. I always am looking for a glancing site of a Bald Eagle and just glad they visit here. As a kid I know about the Peregrine Falcons and how fast they are on their trip down to kill their target.
Turkey Feathers are very nice for use in tying flies for sure and I bet would make a nice jig tail using just the barbules off their tail feathers. Turkeys while not really in the league with an Eagle are still great birds. Heck a turkey skin will cost you a bunch, maybe not as much at a rooster skin like the one I have pictured here, still over $150 for one. My problem with that is they are so big it's easier to just have some tail feathers. Never got to try any of their other feathers so don't know first hand about that.
It's a shame these birds, the birds of prey number have been hurt by pesticides as well as man him self. I love just watching them because they are so awesome!
Skip
they are awesome skip they definitely make my mouth water every time you post a picture.Quote:
Originally Posted by skiptomylu
Sweet skin, Denny's stuff is excellent.
Skip sadly it isn't the pesticides that has taken the toll on birds of prey but the incrocment on there habitat. The good news more land is being put back in nature. You and I are lucky that we live out in the deep East Texas woods and are able to see these creatures in there natural state.By the way because of getting rid of DDT is one of the reasons that the life expectance in Africa is so low and that we have a Bed Bug infestation in the city of New York. Us that live in the Swanp of the South stock up on quinine as malaria is on the rise and yellow fever will not be far behind.
Redman
We are lucky indeed. Wildlife is abundant or use to be what I would call abundant, but it's becoming less and less all the time. I hope they put enough land aside for the animals. I have always been an animal nut sort of. I had like 10 horses before I was 11, but lived over half that on a farm. Started duck hunting at 5 when my dad took me the first time. Been fishing my whole life and I respect every fish, duck, deer, etc. that I have taken or even caught and returned. Can't imagine life without these things (hunting & fishing) and animals. I could just watch birds and other animals all day long and get really good enjoyment from that. Have sat in a deer stand before and counted at least 39 deer and never took a shot. The birds and all the deer/venison, cats, etc. are just so majestic how can one not enjoy just seeing them. We do have a few big cats around here too and every once in a while someone will see them. I love living near and next to National Forrest because of all the woods and what they bring.
I have noticed how some types of illness have come back when we had beat it to a point you never heard anyone even mention them, but they are still here.
Skip
Skip I live right next to a National wildlife reserve(8,832 acres) and there are a few big cats that have been observed I saw one there about two years ago. They claim that we have bears that live there I have not seen one. Sometime I get to taking this beauty for granted as it is right out my back door. I have to stop and say slow down enjoy this. Skip you and I are lucky as we have a lake on one side of our house and the forest on the other. We really must have done something right or maybe we have been chosen to be stewards of the animals and fish?
Redman
I know that Big Thicket has a bunch of animals and I wouldn't be surprised at all if a bear or two live there. I know some have even been seen just over In Louisiana, but that was a few years back. That Thicket is really big and as it's name says thick with lots of plant life and animals we don't see much. I was reading some things about it the other day and it's just amazing how many trees and ferns and other plants including a bunch of flowering plants.
My house is a few blocks from woods, but only a few. I know this is not a big subdivision I live in and on the other side some have shot deer right there. Heck deer all over here and even a few wolves. I have only seen a couple in the last 10 years here, but know of a few that have been shot.
The last time I had a lease to hunt on I saw the big cat tracks in mud near my blind, right at a cross road and we are talking about dirt roads here that are just on the property. Of course big cats like that have a roaming radius of like 50 miles so they cover a lot of land. When you think about that it's amazing. I mean Lufkin is about 65 miles from me and since one or more are running around here and if their area was like mid way they would still cover all that distance and more.
I also like that every once in a while Wood Ducks will roost in the trees were I can see them out my back deck at the edge of my property, looking kind of in the direction of the lake. Is there a more beautiful bird than a Wood Duck? I just don't know that there is even though I have some more favorites that look pretty awesome too.
Check this out...
The Big Thicket region is home to an impressive array of approximately 1,300 species of tress, shrubs, vines, and grasses. By virtue of its diverse habitats, which range from sand hills to swamps, Big Thicket hosts a wide array of wildlife. About 60 mammal species are found in the park, in addition to almost 90 reptile amphibian species, more than 1,800 invertebrate species, almost 100 fish species, and 175 bird species.
Another description form another site...
Major North American biological influences bump up against each other here: southeastern swamps, Appalachians, eastern forests, central plains, and southwest deserts. Bogs sit near arid sandhills. Eastern bluebirds nest near roadrunners. There are 85 tree species, more than 60 shrubs, and nearly 1,000 other flowering plants, including 26 ferns and allies, 20 orchids and four of North America's five type of insect-eating plants. Nearly 300 kinds of birds live here or migrate through. Fifty reptile species include a small, rarely seen population of alligators. Amphibious frogs and toads abound.
How about that?
Skip