My unusual source for feathers

Hi guys -
Been away for a long time now, but the past two weeks I have been browsing the Forum and I am renewed and rejuvenated!

I am retired now, but I used to work for the small City where I live. Our largest Park, as you enter town, is the
"jewel of the city" they say. We have a medium-to-large Bird Sanctuary facility here as it is called, but is really more of a zoo, as there are more than just indigenous species here... they actually purchase exotic species and cage them here.
I had a key to this facility, and once I became interested in jig tying, I realized there was a Goldmine of choice feathers to be had here. So - about once a week I would go inside with a big baggie and collect molted feathers off the ground.
It was a treasure-trove of Guinea Fowl, Peacock, Silver Pheasant, Golden Pheasant, Wood Duck, Mallard, Bobwhite
and Kentucky Red Quail, Chuckar and others. For a while, we even had two Double-Yellow-head Parrots, waiting for a home.

I am really going to miss that Natural and FREE source for materials!

Welcome to the site and look forward to seeing some of your work!

Boy you got feathers we only can dream of. Of course as long as the feathers you get or got were legal to have your good to go. I have seen some exotic birds we never see here that some have access to. Did you have an Jungle Cock's there?

You have been lucky for sure!

well skip that deftly make sure mouth water but I truly would like to have some jungle cocks feathers and of course all the other exotic feathers that he collected I'm sure that you're going to miss going through the yard and picking them up like Skip said that type of stuff that we dream about getting I believe if I was to wander through that yard might even have a slingshot knock a few more feathers out:fish

Seveal years ago I was talking with a work colleague during a break and found out he had several exotic birds. He and a couple of his friends started sending me some really unusual feathers. Also had a lady that had peacocks that were free range birds on her farm so I had plenty of hurl and other nice feathers too. It was fun figuring out how to use some of them.
Don't tie much anymore so I probably have a lifetime supply.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SeaRay

Seveal years ago I was talking with a work colleague during a break and found out he had several exotic birds. He and a couple of his friends started sending me some really unusual feathers. Also had a lady that had peacocks that were free range birds on her farm so I had plenty of hurl and other nice feathers too. It was fun figuring out how to use some of them.
Don't tie much anymore so I probably have a lifetime supply.

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you get tired of those feathers lying around their you can send them to me I'll take good care of them for you.

The thing about wild feathers is, you want to be sure they are clean before you use them.
I was told to do this :
Put them in a zip-loc bag and place in the freezer for two weeks.
Take them out, open the baggie for a couple of days, then back in the freezer for a week.

This is supposed to eliminate any creepy-crawlies that might be living in those feathers.

Yes you have to do that and of your going to include then into your feather storage it's best even after the freezer treatment get some cedar mulch/chips and that should help keep the bugs from getting in there.

Bob I have 3 legal jungle cock capes. I see them for less than I paid wholesale, but they are from Estonia and I am scared they are not considered legal in this country. I see others for sale on there that are higher that are in the US. I paid a good bit for mine and all 3 are grade 1 and 2.

actually 2 of them I bought wholesale and one retail before I found them legal wholesale. I have only seen them the one time there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by skiptomylu

Yes you have to do that and of your going to include then into your feather storage it's best even after the freezer treatment get some cedar mulch/chips and that should help keep the bugs from getting in there.

Bob I have 3 legal jungle cock capes. I see them for less than I paid wholesale, but they are from Estonia and I am scared they are not considered legal in this country. I see others for sale on there that are higher that are in the US. I paid a good bit for mine and all 3 are grade 1 and 2.

actually 2 of them I bought wholesale and one retail before I found them legal wholesale. I have only seen them the one time there.

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I have never seen one skip the jungle cock so maybe what I'm very good show me one I do have a few feather but love them like what you have and I pretty well quit stalking that type of stuff when I quit fly tying years ago I do have a few good quality hackles but not nearly enough to do good quality fly tying I rather tie jigs any day I'm so much more relaxed working with them but I also do enjoy tying flies maybe I will have to get back into it and post a few my favorite was a Royal coachman also mosquito also the queen of water in the king of water were my favorites and I did do quite a few nymphs and I do like to tie streamers they were a good one for panfish the crappie did quite well on them especially with marabou on the top white the belly was yellow underneath the eye of the hook was a piece of red and I believe I had a pinch of red for the tail it was a killer I believe we tied these up on long shanks say six and eight's maybe I can tie one up when I'm there at your place.

I will show you a cape when your here and some other cool Rosters.

Free feathers are the best Afterdark. I don't care where they come from.

Y'all buy feathers like they're imported vintage wine?
You're gon drop em in water and eat from em.
If I ever have mr green jeans ask me what kinda feathers are on my jig, I could possibly die from a heart attack right then and there.

Hmmm . . .
From what I have been reading in this thread, and others, it is illegal with certain species to even
pick-up molted feathers off the ground?
Or pick feathers out of a dead carcass on the road shoulder?
Is this so?

Doesn't make since to me . . .

Neither to I, but true.
Consider me an Outlaw.

Don't know what birds are legal and which are not except for the Eagle, and that one is one to leave alone as it's not near worth all the trouble one can get into on that bird. There are very few people that it's legal to even pick up an Eagle feather. Doubt any one here has that legal right unless maybe a full blood American Indian! Not sure about less than full blood. You will never see me with one of them! I figure it's better to just buy what I want and leave the legal issues to others, it's not worth the trouble. Check out the penalty for having an Eagle Feather, it's not pretty!

Well I guess that I am the only one on here who can have Eagle Feathers legally. I have had them but did not use them for tying. In fact they are sacred to our people. The last ones I had The wife and I gifted to a young Citizen Band Pottawatomie girl that was to become of age.She used them in the ritual of that tribe. Most of us native people will gift them to some one who needs them for healing or ceremonial purpose. As for as all the other feathers I got just about all I will ever need to tie with. I Tie mostly Turkey and Duck feathers anymore anyway. What I dis like is having to buy the dyed mallard flank feathers. I find that I can only use about half of what I buy of them. Most will tie down to # 8 hook after that I can't tie with them any more.

Redman