Not every piece of wood will work well for making a feather stick. The best wood to look for is dry, dead standing trees. These are up off the ground so they have minimal moisture penetration. You want wood that is small enough to baton easily enough with your knife. Look for a straight edge with no knots as they will impact how you shave the wood. The best woods for making feather sticks are willow, pine, and cedar. Resinous wood will catch a flame really well so keep an eye out for any fatwood that you can use.