Does anyone know where whole woodduck skins are available. The price of a small packet of flank feathers being what they are seems like it might an idea to pay more and get a lifetime supply.
I don’t think you’ll find that many more on a whole skin. Seriously, I’ve shot and plucked them…the good flank feathers are there but limited.
I got a wood duck skin off of eBay a few years ago for $15. They show up there now and then; mallard skins are a little more common. Like Ducksterman said, you probably won’t get many more feathers off a skin than you would packaged, but there’s lots of other feathers that you can put to work. Hope you find one.
Regards,
ScottP
Since ducks are simply awful to try to skin with all the fat they have, plucking is usually a much simplier and more effective manner to save the feathers. Many duck hunters are also fishermen. Perhaps your local tackle shop could introduce you to a couple of folks that would be interested in a swap. If they don’t fly fish, many spin and baitcaster fishermen love to have custom tied treble hooks to go on their crank baits. Offer them a swap. Just a thought…
Jim Smith
Youn might try Coffin Creek Furs at the following web address. They show drake wood duck in their web pages as ‘out of stock’ but in the past I have found a phone call often produced items that were not in the on-line catalog…
[url=http://www.flytyingfurs.com/Products2.htm:1dabe]http://www.flytyingfurs.com/Products2.htm[/url:1dabe]
A great company to do business with, if they don’t have it currently they might be able to get it in the future.