getting bowstaves from live trees

[luke the drifter]

i have read two or three articles on the web about how certain native american tribes would obtain their bowstaves.   one way that interested me was that they would knotch out the bottom of a chosen tree about a couple of inches into the tree , let it cure that way for about a year or so,  come back make a removal notch and remove the bowstave.  i do not know if they removed the bark during the process.   has anyone used this method?  their rational for doing it this way was they held in reverence the tree and their thinking was this would not kill the tree like cutting it down would.  i am kind of looking into trying this method.  it is the last of july where i am at and am wondering about the bark removal.

[JW_Halverson]

I remember seeing this in regards to some of the far Western tribes, mostly with California tribes, but I can't remember where I read the article.

[Justin Snyder]

I cut a bow out of a juniper a couple of years ago using ABO tools. I still haven't finished the bow though.

[El Destructo]

it is the last of july where i am at and am wondering about the bark removal.

It's the Last of July where we are all at.....

Luke....I just could not resist it...the urge was too strong...........

Now on a serious note...if this is done right...the Tree will survive...and the Bow wood would probably get a Fungus and rot...unless it is Juniper....Osage....or maybe Yew

I could see carving out a Stave from the Trunk of the Tree...and letting it dry...but not leaving it hooked to the Tree to cure...too many possible problems ...JMO