Avoiding pests

[dubthethorax]

So I got a text from a fellow board member last night saying he had 3 ducks and asked if I wanted some feathers. I walked away with a bunch of beautiful teal flank/wing feathers that are still a little "meaty". (thanks again RH!)

Is there an easy way to dry this out (borax, salt, etc) or should I just pluck it? If I pluck, should I nuke it or freeze it to kill any insect life? I don't want it contaminating my other stuff. I currently have it in a ziplock bag in the garage.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

Get it out of those bags immediately! They need air to dry out. Dust them with borax and let them dry in your garage. The borax will keep all the pests away, and the time will dry them out. I would let them sit for at least 4-6 weeks before you bag them and add them to your material collection.


Its nice to keep the whole wing so you can use the covert feathers for soft hackles. If you pluck these its just inconvenient to work with them all loose.
From Field to Fly is a great book, Highly recommend it. I dont hunt but many people i know do. So I usually always have some materials curing.

Happy curing
Johnny Utah

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

I pluck them while there warm. And then freeze them.

 

[sandfly]

I posted this before but you have to split the wing open in the meaty part near the base and work borax in or it will still rot..[[very important to do]] !!!

 

[dubthethorax]

Borax it is. Thanks.

 

[Shuu]

I strongly second JohnyUtah's comments about the Book "From Field to Fly." It's available from Amazon for $9.95. But I got my copy from Barnes and Noble about 8 years ago. It really opened my eyes to how much quality fly tying materials could be collected with a hunting/furtaker license a .22 and my 12 & 20 gauges. The author shows you simple but effective ways to care for and prepare all sorts of legally obtained materials for your fly tying. In addition to feathers, I learned how to easily tan small animal skins and now make my own zonker strips. I obtain a lot of satisfaction out of catching a trout, or any fish, on a fly when I can remember how I harvested the materials in the woods one chilly autumn morning. The frying pan or oven gets the non fly tying parts (fried squirrels are yummy). Since learning the skills taught in this book I feel like a much more accomplished outdoorsman.Shuu