Canadian source for rawhide/sinew/wild turkey feathers?

[bubbles]

Thanks for the replies guys.  Lots of good info on where I can get materials on here.   This is my first posting on this site, so thanks for making a newbie feel welcome.

For my current arrows I'm using Canadian tire 5/16" dowel  with fletchings i bought from 3 rivers (full length black and white feathers - i get 2 fletchings per feather). I've also got feathers from Archer's Nook in London,ON.
   I'm now making my own shoot shafts from various woods, and am looking for a source wild turkey feathers to fletch them and real sinew instead of artificial to tie on those fletchings.  Just so they look a bit more "authentic", but I guess Canada good feathers would be just as good.
   The rawhide I wanted to use to make bowstrings.  I think goat rawhide would be good for bowstrings as it's a bit thinner than deer rawhide and cow rawhide?  There is a butcher near my house that has whole goats skin still on hanging in the window sometimes - I should talk to them.
   I threw in some pics of what I'm using right now.  The bow is the first one I made - after about 5 "peak and tweak" sessions.   It's elm, 62" ntn, 45#@27.   Linen string (pyrosupplies) with artificial sinew serving and a little dogbane "wind indicator".   I backed it with cotton canvas that I painted black that an artist friend of mine gave me.   In retrospect, I don't think it needed the backing, elm is tough stuff, and I love it, but I wanted to be safe as I went through a couple ash and hophornbeam staves before this guy.  This was the first live tree I cut down and seasoned indoors.  The other stave (which all broke) were found cut down already or I seasoned them outside.
  This guy started out 68" ntn with giant nocks and horrible tiller.  It kicked like a horse, was 30# @27 and had 3" of string follow. After I made a few more bows from the rest of that elm tree and read all of the other TBB's. I revisited it and turned it into what is now my favorite bow.  All thanks to Marc St. Louis for his article on Heat treating, it saved my bow! 

The arrows on the right are just canadian tire dowels.  The left are my newest batch of chokecherry shoot shafts. Gonna fletch those up right after this. 

[lostarrow]

Nothing wrong with that! I hear that Squirrel hide make a good bow string. Might want to check into that. I thought you wanted the rawhide for bow backs. You'd really have to stretch those little buggers to cover a limb , I would think. Definitely check into to butcher with the goat hides.

[bubbles]

I agree on the squirrel hide, just haven't gotten any of 'em yet.  Had one hopping down my fence this morning, although my neighbors in Toronto might have a problem we my popping my backyard squirrels. 
 
Haven't had the urge to back a bow with rawhide yet, but once I find a good source I'd consider it.  I've just never worked with the stuff before.   Think it would make a good primitive string serving? Linen string with rawhide serving?

Also - has anybody used rawhide as backing with the hair left on before?  Could you make a bow with a furry back?

[rillake]

i live in the niagara region.  piles of turkey--and hunters.  i used to hunt em but lately too busy with the kids.

 lots of guys at the range go turkey hunting with shotguns, so i just told them, bring me some wings, i buy the beer.

just remember to keep the left wing feathers separate from the right.

beer makes the world go round.

good luck.

[HighEagle]

Hi Bubs I too was just looking for a Canadian source. I like 3-rivers but customs and shipping cost kills ya .
 Try this site "Get'er done archery" in AB.. crg

[bubbles]

Thanks HighEagle.   I actually ended up getting 2 free goat hides from my local butcher, just had to put up with a lot of weird looks and questions.  I guess that's par for the course in traditional archery.  Still looking for sinew, but talked to the owner of the local sports shop and I am working on a line on some turkey feathers. 

[paul craig]

Hi Bubs I too was just looking for a Canadian source. I like 3-rivers but customs and shipping cost kills ya .
 Try this site "Get'er done archery" in AB.. crg

Twice I have attempted to get info from 'Get'er done', once to buy a bow, another for broadheads, feathers, and strings. No replies. Maybe out of business?