Coppicing arrow shoots

[Deo]

Coppicing is a ancient practice of cutting certain young species of trees really close to the ground during the winter time. What this does is make the plant send up straight long shoots. It has been used for basket making, ship building and so on. the tree does not die and one can continually get shoots this way, the plant actually lives longer. Check out primitive ways coppicing.

What I am getting at is, I have seen this first hand. There is a patch of red osier by some buildings in my town. the county had mowed them down. Next thing you know it grows back with long straight shoots. Now my mind is working If I control thoes shoots so that they grow good and tall enough for arrow shoots I could have some knot free arrow and many good straight ones. A potential to have many arrows and not having to search the whole forest for some straight shoots. It works for oaks, beeches, hazel, osier, willows, and probably any plant you can think of. It could also work for bow staves.

My question is has any one tried this technique? If some one does try this technique let me know how well it works. It will probably take 2-4 years to have shafts but well worth the wait

[JustinNC]

I'd venture to say that 95% of what shoots are collected on the side of the road (thinking Pat B and his sourwoods, some Ive collected too and a lot of people on here as well) are coppice growth from root stock that gets mowed every 3 or 4 years.

[George Tsoukalas]

You can find straight shoots (tiny trees) almost anywhere. They'll make good arrows. Also, wild rose sjppts will make a nice arrows. There's info on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/archer.html

[jonathan creason]

You can find straight shoots (tiny trees) almost anywhere. They'll make good arrows. Also, wild rose sjppts will make a nice arrows. There's info on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/archer.html

Yep, wild rose will give you good arrow, and arms that look like you tried to feed a school of 2' blacktips by hand.     I like them a lot, but dang why do all the suitable shafts have to be right smack in the middle of the thicket?

[Pat B]

Deo, I let the NCDOT do my coppicing for me but they aren't as reliable as I would be. Two years ago the DOT came  a year before they were supposed to and cut down my supply of coppiced sourwood shoots from along the roadside. It is about time for me to cut more as soon as the leaves finish falling.
   With shoot material for arrows you want to be sure to cut only 2 year old shoots or older. Newer shoots will work but are somewhat flimsy and hard to keep straight.   
  When a shoot grows it has leaves along it's stem the first year. The second year small branches grow from some of the leaf scars from the previous year. After this second growing season is when you want to cut shoots for arrows. Try to keep them about 3/8" ar the base when cutting. Carrying a 3/8" open end wrench is a good sizing tool.
  With sourwood I can strip the bark when I cut them. This allows them to dry sooner. Other shoot materials will check(drying cracks) if stripped too soon.  I think if you strip the bark from all but 1" or 2" of each end, other shoot material will dry without checking but you should do a test to be sure before you do this to all your shoots.
  I prefer sourwood but have used maple, viburnum and a few other shoots with pretty good results. One thing I have noticed with some other shoot materials is the diameter has to be bigger to get adiquate spine.
  Now is a very good time to collect shoots for arrow making.

[Hillbilly]

Areas that have been clear-cut logged are good places to cut shoots, too.

[Sparrow]

I cut wild rose in places where they are growing up thru river willow.They grow long and straight to get up to the sunlight and are excellent. Cut them long,tie in tight bundles and let dry till next summer.Now is the time to cut them or whenever the leaves have fallen off in your area.The things renew themselves from the root,so every year,you can go to the same spot and get good shafts forever.( Or until someone builds condo's on your piece of river bank)  '  Frank

[JW_Halverson]

When beavers colonize prairie creeks, they clearcut eventually and do the coppicing.  When mature chokecherry gets mowed beaver-style the shoots coming up are like hair on a dog and all perfectly straight.  I find the ones I like best when they are around a 1/4 inch thick at the base and strip all the leaves off for the first 3 feet and then let them grow another couple months.  That way they kind of grow over the leaf scars and make a smoother shaft.

[Deo]

Thanks for the replies guys. I plan on going over to a hazel patch in January and experimenting, Then go back in late spring or early summer and knock off the leaves and branches and hopefully in 2-3 yrs I'll have some primo shafting.