What color feathers give the best visibility of arrow flight when hunting. Setting up some new arrows for elk hunting , want to make sure I can see them in flight all the way to there target.
White, yellow, chartreuse.
While the ones mentioned by Charlie are no doubt the most visible to us, they are all equally visible to game. I prefer orange, which is very visible to me, and from what I understand, less visible to game.
Any shade of yellow can be difficult to see if you are hunting near Aspen trees in the fall. I prefer pink. I have used white feathers on a pink wrap, but I think I'll try pink wrap with spliced white and pink feathers. It's very easy to see in almost any condition. Good luck on your elk hunt.
I think some of the most visible are white, flo pink, flo orange, blue, and chartreuse. For me chartreuse is the easiest to see and seems to almost glow in low light condition.
I like plain old yellow myself as it is a bit more subtle, but when it comes dusk I like a chartreuse or white fletched arrow.
I always feel exposed with white in my bow mounted quiver. Since whitetails use a white flag to communicate with each other I try to avoid using it. My greatest challenge with traditional gear is drawing a bow undetected at extremely close range. A moving white object in such close quarters seems like a bad idea. Could change to a quiver that conceals arrows, but still have the movement to full draw. Not sure the same assumptions can be made for elk, which may not be as keyed into the color white. I personally fletch 2 - 5" barred blaze orange feathers and one solid blaze orange with a reflective cap wrap.
I like pink,yellow. I have used white in the past and while I did take game with those arrows,more than a few pegged me up the tree. The best color I ever tried as far as invisible to deer were red barred.
I prefer yellow myself, but I made these for a guy and think they'd look mighty sweet in a quiver.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/treekiller/bows%20and%20arrows/2017%202_zpsumuqtmfa.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/treekiller/media/bows%20and%20arrows/2017%202_zpsumuqtmfa.jpg.html)
I like florescent pink, florescent green, or white.
I carry bright yellow and white. I can see white in low light better then the yellow and see yellow in bright sunlight better then white.
I believe deer see colors better then people think and they sure can see you when you MOVE. Everyone has their own idea so shoot what like/works for you.
(http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae302/bruinbow/IMG_20170221_112400464_zps5dtsndzn.jpg) (http://s982.photobucket.com/user/bruinbow/media/IMG_20170221_112400464_zps5dtsndzn.jpg.html)
I find that these in low light look like a tracer round .
White, white and white!
Nothing I can think of is Pink in the woods and I really like shooting them in low light conditions.
I'm firmly in the white camp! I can't see any colors even florescent as well as white, plus they just look sharp!
White works well but if your hunting where there are other hunters be carful. In low lite you may well be mistaken for a deers rear end. Some years ago tests where done involving what colors show up the best. This was done for safety tests. Yellow was seen as white at a distance and in low light. Hence the blaze Orange was picked and is still used today for safety reasons. But from a "what shows up best" we can use the results as well. I used flo Orange wraps and flo Orange feathers on my PA. arrows.
For target use I use whatever. But like Gateway flo yellow on flo yellow wraps. I know pink works real well but havenot brought myself to using pink yet. I am experimenting with lite blue. Blue is not a color in nature here in the desert.
I like yellow...white alerts animals too much imo and looks like a whitetail on crowded public lands which I hunt.
Pink is really good too but not as much in low light
chartruse for me.
Great thread. What do you guys think is the best compromise on fletching color to get good visibikity for us with limited visibility to game? Pink and orange sound like good choices.
Being that I am color deficient, I'm more concerned that I remember to put all 3 feathers on when fletching.
Chartreuse under all lighting conditions....
I don't do white because there's too many whitetails that get shot at God knows any day of the year.... I don't take white Into the Woods that very reason
I'm also more concerned about seeing the arrow impact the animal with a very high contrast Fletching color versus trying to find the arrow after the fact ....that's a bonus and actually worrying about finding their remains means,you are worried that you may miss which is not in my thought process.
Because if you hit the animal your feathers should be bloodied they won't be the color you think they'll be... hello?
So I must ask you if you're shooting a pink or a blue or whatever color feather so that you can find it after you shoot are you betting that you are going to miss? Is that your justification for a reward finding your missed Arrow?
White, Fl. Pink and Sky Blue show up great for me..Chartreuse also.As Terry said more concerned about seeing arrow enter the animal.
And don't forget, if you are shooting a white animal, white fletch wont show up well to see where you hit. Of course most of us aren't chasing dall sheep on a regular basis! But if you hunt in snow then white fletching will be harder to find unless its stained red from a pass through. It would blend in well when hunting in the snow though!
White is my favorite with Fl. Yellow next. I'm partially color blind so this is just what sticks out best to me. Can't say how others see it.
I listed my three most all time used colors earlier. Florescent pink, Florescent green (chartreuse) and white. I liked white for target practice in the past, but find the two florescent colors posted above still better. I really do agree that florescent green (chartreuse) does make it easier for my eye and mind to catch. However florescent pink is also easy for me to track the flight. Honestly though, florescent green (chartreuse) has proved the best for seeing the arrows flight in the prehriphrial vision no matter the condition.
Nothing shows up really well in low light wether it is first light or dusk. I went to lighted nicks last year and will never hunt again without them. It's just to important for me to see where the hit is. I use flo yellow and green with flo yellow wraps when on the 3D range. Helps find them in the grass:)
I personally like and use chartreuse BUT, I'd probably shoot pink as my second choice
I used to use all white feathers, but stalking in the New Jersey Woods I am concerned about other hunters mistaking me for a whitetails butt.
I have been using Yellow for past few years.
I think chartreuse and blaze orange are very easy to see. I have read that deer don't see orange well and red appears brown to them. Yet, people with normal vision seem to see them well. I have never used pink, but I shoot with a lot of guys who do, and their arrows show up quite well. I once read a magazine article with numerous pictures of animals taken with pink fletched arrows. These fletches showed up as prominent pink dots, even from a distance. For all the reasons stated, white is not a choice for my hunting arrows, but for targets, they are high on my list. Actually, most of my hunting arrows through the years have been subdued colors.
I don't know about the best. But I have a bright yellow cock feather with dark royal blue hens. The one lone bright cock feather makes it easy to see the rotational spin of the arrow -- giving me something moving to see very clearly. This was unintended but fortunate. I have to be looking right at the blue & very close to see it so it hides well -- especially in the shade. The yellow matches the wildflowers that bloom in the Spring during the Turkey season. Another unintended but fortunate event. I don't know what's best. But I know I like what I've got.
I know it's not really traditional but I used lighted nocks last season and they were pretty cool. You for sure know if you hit or not with them.
White, pink, light blue
I like pink. Shows up very well for me. Not concerned about finding the arrow though. Just want to see where it goes.
(http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac170/longcruise/Archery/Arrows/IMG_20160221_142959455_zpscpqp2v76_edit_1456109626957_zps04jpsat6.jpg)
The exception is turkey hunting. Probably went too colorful with these.
(http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac170/longcruise/Archery/Arrows/IMG_20160221_142817263_zpsqatukcfh_edit_1456109450662_zpsxo2hb3hf.jpg)
Monterey are those a standard banana cut or are they a custom cut/burn? The peak of the curve seems farther back than the banana's ive seen and fletched before which peaked in the dead center
Ah...they are parananners!!!
Nice
(http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq136/bloodtrailer7/91f1e38e-40b8-4dcf-9292-a5884e3206d8_zps2525aed4.jpg) (http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq136/bloodtrailer7/c01e851c-0684-4eb9-acaa-2ce5f7ae8e38_zpsafe92975.jpg)
Red dyed wild turkey (red barred) cock vane, natural barred hens, with white nock for deer. Darker green dyed wild turkey feather with natural hens with green nock for turkeys.
QuoteOriginally posted by Hoosierarcher88:
Monterey are those a standard banana cut or are they a custom cut/burn? The peak of the curve seems farther back than the banana's ive seen and fletched before which peaked in the dead center
Those are burned on a young burner. Wasn't going for any special shape. Just looked right at the time. :)
Orange and white for me. When looking for a arrow on the ground, the orange shows up very well.
I also use natural turkey feathers a lot and I usually add a white rabbit fur tracer behind the fletching on them.
I have white, brite yellow, chartreuse and pink feathers in my practice quiver. I wondered this very question and decided to do a test. I went out at near dusk and started shooting my visible fletchings from 25 yards. As it got darker I found that the CHARTREUSE showed up marginally better than the others. I have to say though that there wasn't that much of a difference at all, to my eye anyway.
True the chartreuse was a TINY bit better, but that's not saying I wouldn't take any of the others and be worried about not seeing them. I say shoot what you like cause it really doesn't make that much difference anyway.
Oh, the backdrop for my tests is an old, wooden, weathered fence about 8 feet tall. You all know what color those fences get after many years....a dull, dark gray color.
Larry.
I use white, but in snowy weather fluorescent lime.
Yellow, green and orange.
Hot pink if your man enough to tote'm, and sometimes I'll even commit the supposed non-traditional sacrilege of putting in a lighted nock if I think I need it for visibility. Knowing is better than guessing or hoping.
Ill second the hot pink for the woods, I really like yellow but the areas I hunt are full of ground level cactus with yellow flowers. I have found that if you pick two primary colors say yellow and blue (makes green) it makes a very visible fluttering green so does red and blue makes a nice fluttering purple. Certain color combos like I mentioned are very good for observing arrow flight in the back yard. Some combos give an illusion of bad flight. But that's just the way I see em.
White is hard to beat under all light conditions..
I remember reading about NOT using the colors red white or blue while turkey hunting, those colors are on a turkey's head/ neck. I thought it was good advice.
I like white, but I'm on my last batch of white fletching ( for 3d ). I'm heeding the "red white and blue" advice, plus my concern of looking like a whitetail flag.
Hot pink is my new fletch color.
Add a real world factor that dirty fletching are harder to see as they get older. The once vivid white feathers are now dingy dirt colored.
I guess that is a testament for the durable fletching glue (Saunders NPV or Fletch-tite platinum>>high lot number = "good stuff").
"Hot dingy dirty pink" is the accurate color description I guess.
Quote
I remember reading about NOT using the colors red white or blue while turkey hunting, those colors are on a turkey's head/ neck. I thought it was good advice.
That's a good idea.
As far as what an animal sees, a rule of thumb is "if the male or female of a species is brightly colored then that animal sees colors"
Turkeys and pretty much all other birds fall under the rule. I'm very careful of color of anything used in hunting turkeys and ducks.
Don't do all white!, almost got shot that way :laughing: plastic vanes do hiss as they pass by - like all chartreuse these days or pink - lol
Yes Nala....chartrues shows brilliance more when the lighting diminishes...its the Florescent that does it.
I've always liked chartreuse fletching for my arrows, although instead of getting dingy like a previous poster mentioned with white fletch, I've had some that have faded to a pale yellow. I guess I'm not shooting and loosing/breaking enough arrows before they need replaced!!
When you open the Trad Gang app and see that first group pic..... which arrows do you see ?
Four fletched, with alternating flo pink and flo chartreuse... Stands out like a laser on the shot, easy to track in flight (regardless of light conditions) and get a good handle on probable shot placement.
A side benefit is that most of the guys I shoot with refuse to use strong contrasting colors like that, and being different isn't a bad thing.
The chartreuse color in road workers vests Is that color because it's unique and not found in nature. That alone should make it easy for us to see in flight.
I'm going to be switching to four Fletch on my future arrow builds. Maybe two chartreuse and two pink? :)
Fluorescent pink with Lumenoks.
QuoteOriginally posted by ChuckC:
When you open the Trad Gang app and see that first group pic..... which arrows do you see ?
Wow! That does pop.
I use two chartreuse and one pink.
White or even a color that is fluorescent can be a give away to your position as seen by game. Believe me, the deer I hunt in Illinois do look up in trees. I use a blue fletching, which is less bright than most colors, but can be seen on the ground after the shot. It just contrasts better with the fall leaves.
If being seen by game due to your fletching color, simply use a fletch cover. I use one that I made with a thin fleece that I sprayed with camp dry so it also keeps any minor rain storms or wet conditions from ruining my fletch.
I like bright feathers on most of my set ups and the fletch cover is the answer for me.
Back to the original question - Chartreuse or AMG's Fluorescent Lime show up the best for me. I still use mostly traditional yellow as it shows up really well against the brown of a deer when in flight towards the animal and it's bright enough.
All the feathers become harder to find when coated in blood after a pass through!!!!!! :readit:
I use yellow fletch and white nocks. The feathers are sometimes two yellow and one green, or two yellow and one red, or all three yellow -- but the nock is always white. I also use wraps. I always photograph the bow quiver in black and white, and study the photo, to see if the feather/wrap/nock combination results in something that camouflages itself to the limited color vision of a deer.
This works well for me.
Trick I learned from the Clum's at rmsgear was one arrow with all white to shoot in low light conditions and then whatever your choice for other times. My normal colors these days are chartreuse and white with either blaze orange or blaze pink wraps. Gaudy as heck but a blind man can watch them fly!
No blue for me! I'm convinced that it glows in the UV receptors of deer and elk. There's scientific evidence on both sides of that view but don't bother me with it... I'm a believer! :goldtooth:
If you spend much time on this website...one thing you learn quickly is that there are amazing deer and other trophy animals successfully taken with just about every feather combination you can imagine.
Personally, I believe it's a personal preference and I like to see my arrows in flight. Having said that, I've fletched plenty of feather combinations in my days that weren't highly visible but they just looked cool. LOL
QuoteOriginally posted by Charlie Lamb:
White, yellow, chartreuse.
Agree 100%
I like white! Thats what I can see the best in flight.
I use Fletch cover... I don't have a problem with being seen because of my feathers ...
I have an arrow rack full of arrows that I've kill game with. I'll try to post a picture of that soon.... if chartreuse feathers didn't work I never would have killed anything...
www.tradgang.com/tg (http://www.tradgang.com/tg)
Over 95% of these arrows are chartreuse ....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/ARROWRACK2016b.jpg)
Terry, I love that collection of arrows!
I like chartreuse or pink fletch with a chartreuse wrap. The tradgang wraps werenmy favorite!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v75/varmint101/5CB49B64-39B4-4246-95F4-97DAB055ED36_zps8uaml4hb.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v75/varmint101/wrapped2117.jpg)
Terry...that's not enough evidence. :notworthy:
I used to get feather tracers from Kustom King and put them on behind the fletching. The fluorescent maribou feather really pops when the arrow comes to a stop, almost like a colored flash bulb.
chartreuse for me.
(http://i.imgur.com/1glifij.jpg)
The blue thing cracks me up! I've killed so many animals wearing blue jeans, and I had a beautiful set of Doug fir arrows made in blue and white. They didn't last long because the animals didn't mind what color they were at all, they looked really good red white and blue!
(http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac248/TmPotter47/tipi%20picks/190pt2.jpg) (http://s904.photobucket.com/user/TmPotter47/media/tipi%20picks/190pt2.jpg.html)
(http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac248/TmPotter47/tipi%20picks/newarrows4.jpg) (http://s904.photobucket.com/user/TmPotter47/media/tipi%20picks/newarrows4.jpg.html)
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I shoot arrows that I can see and like and really don't care what the animals think of my arrows.
Tracy
It really gets me when someone attacks one of my favorite superstitions. :biglaugh:
I love white for target practice, when comes to hunting, I give it a khaki crown, two pink hen and purple cock feather. I have had deer within 5 yards ground hunting and they never seen it. I use a fletch cover when go after turkeys.
Tracy and Terry are the same...just not enough evidence to back up their claims! LOL
:bigsmyl:
Just made these up for my Toelke SS curve. 550 grains...
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n559/jeffbschulz/20170620_070338_zpsvc4omehq.jpg) (http://s1139.photobucket.com/user/jeffbschulz/media/20170620_070338_zpsvc4omehq.jpg.html)