identifying shagbark hickory

[youngbowyer33]

I was up at my cottage this weekend, and i saw some trees with shaggy bark that i did not recognize. I immediately thought they were shag bark, or even shell bark hickory, so i wanted to make a bow from one. I have never seen either of these trees before so i do not know if they actually are hickories. They did not have any leaves yet, and all the branches were at the top so i could not really see the buds. They were mixed in with oaks, ashes, elms(i think) and maples. It was up in Quebec, by the village of Wakefield on the western shore of the Gatineau River. So do you think these trees were shagbark hickory?Do you have any ways of easily identifying them?the next time i can get a pic of the trees is probably in 2 weeks. thanks for your help

[vtclimber]

If you can grab a pic next time, I can tell ya. I have a few staves of it drying now....they are pretty distinctive just based on the bark..

[RidgeRunner]

I don't think hickorys grow very far into Canada.
Type Shagbark into google and see it the photos look like what you saw.

[KenH]

Here's a species range map for Shagbark Hickory.  It does get into southern Ontario and southern Quebec in a very limited area

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_2/carya/ovata.htm


Shellbark Hickory barely makes it as far north as southern New York, PA or northern Ohio; and is much more common in swampy fringe and bottom lands south of the Mason-Dixon line.

[youngbowyer33]

from reading online, I'm fairly sure it is shagbark, but next time I'm up i will try my best to get a pic. thanks for the help

[DanaM]

I'd be surprised if its Shagbark or any hickory, I'm in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and no hickories grow here and I'm well south of Quebec.
Although shagbark does grow about 75 miles south of me.

[sailordad]

im in central minnesota
the only hickory we have is what people brought and planted
none is native in my part of the state.southern mn has a little though

[PatM]

I've lived in the Ottawa area  and Shagbark and Bitternut are both extremely plentiful  in areas, regardless of what books may tell you.