Finally found some

[osage outlaw]

RIVER CANE!!! 

After looking all summer, I noticed some growing in someones back yard about 3 miles from my house.  I saw the guy working in his yard on the way home the other day.  I dropped off the wife and grabbed my latest bow and went to talk to him.  I introduced myself and explained why I had stopped.  I showed him by bow and he was really interested.  He was an older gentleman and was super nice.  He took me to the patch of cane and told me to cut what I wanted.  Now, what I wanted was to cut about 200 pieces since I have had a hard time finding it.  So, I cut around 2 dozen and grabbed a few dry pieces that he had trimmed back.  He invited me back and offered to help me dig up some shoots in the spring so I can try to get some started on my property.  I plan on stopping back in and showing him the finished product.

Now, I have read the chapters on making arrows in the TBB's and Bows and Arrows of the Native Americans, and I haven't found much information.  I stripped all of the leaves and small limbs off of them.  But now what?

How long should I let them dry?
What Diameter should the nock and tip end be?

[cracker]

Bundle them together with rubber bands or string keep in a dry place for six or eight weeks to dry heat and straighten then measure spine weight sort out and you got arrow material. Lots of info on this sight. Ron

[Pat B]

Nice find. Most folks will allow you to cut cane in their yards if you ask nicely.
It looks to me that you cut mostly immature culms. Some of the ones on the right look more like the mature ones especially the ones that the paper sheath has come off. You will be ably to tell for sure as they dry. If immature they will wrinkle lengthwise. They will still make arrows but will be light in physical weight and in spine.
  I would be leery of the ones he cut that were laying on the ground. Fungi may have already set in. It doesn't take long. 

[osage outlaw]

So I should cut some of the bigger more mature pieces?  I didn't want to thin out his patch so I was trying to cut some smaller ones that I thought would be big enough to make arrows.  And you were right about the ones that were already cut.  I tried to straighten them with the heat gun and they folded.  They seemed to have very thin walls, and there were small white worms inside.  I could hear them clicking.

[LEGIONNAIRE]

Hey there osage outlaw, just to point you in the right direction, you dont wanna thin cane because its thin and because the strenght like in bamboo lies in the outer wall. the thicker side I make about 3/8 of an inch sometimes a little larger. If there was worms then they wont work, they ate most of the inside, I hope its only on the dry ones. Good luck OO

[osage outlaw]

The only ones that I found worms in were the dry ones that were cut and laying on the ground.  Thanks everyone for the advice.  Next time, I will cut some bigger ones.

[jp gray]

bundle them up in about ,at the ends and middle ,and put them in a car ,and in a week or two they will be dry.

[Pat B]

Each culm(cane) has a 3 year life cycle. The first year the culm grows to it's ultimate height but is too immature to use for arrows. The second year it matures over the growing season and after the 3rd growing season it begins to die. What you want for arrows is culms after the second growing season and before they die on their own the third season. Generally a good indication the culms are mature is when the paper sheaths have completely deteriorated or are in the process of deteriorating. Another indicator is in the color. Immature culms are usually bright green and that color turns yellowish green as they mature. By the time they become tan it is too late. Culm size it not an indication of maturity!   
  If you harvest only mature culms you will not advescely impact the cane patch at all. Cane shafting is a renewal resource if managed properly.
  Check around each node also. Those worms enter the culm at a node and a small diameter hole will be present and a bit of discoloration around that hole.

[osage outlaw]

I wish I had known that a week ago.  I tried to cut smaller pieces.  I did find some small worm holes on the dead pieces that I brought home.  Thanks for the info Pat.

[NorthernArcher]

When it comes time to make arrows out of the cane, check out Paleoaleo's two-part tutorial on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFxZ8D3Mya0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIg_ehEZQyM

Jason

[Deo]

I was in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, mostly Louisiana. We did a lot of driving and I saw lots of cane here and there along the road sides. One question. How tall does some of the cane get, I thought I saw some cane that was about 12 ft tall and how do you tell the difference from cane and imported bamboo? and what type of cane gets 12 ft tall? thanks.

[sulphur]

osage  i know the main idea is gathering your own natural materials, but i do know of a good source for cane.  Lowe's and Home depot both sell cane for tomato stake material.  at HD you can get 6 shaft per bag for about $3 and they will be 5' long.  at Lowes you can get a bag of 25 for about $10 they will be dipped in dark green paint and 4' long, but after you take the paint off (i use a course rasp or sandpaper) they are really nice shaft material.    Not all will work for shafting but the majority work quite nicely.   I took a nice 8 pts buck a couple weeks ago with a bamboo shaft from lowes.  I also have found that the weight is usually on the light side but i take the head off a 8 or 10 penny nail and place it in the end  before i taper it and it brings the weight up and gives good FOC.  I guy on youtube has several good vids on making bamboo arrows this way.