bow woods

[archerforlife2]

what kinds of bow woods are their in western Washington only one i know of is vine maples is there any others? if so what are they thanks for any replies

[Weylin]

I'm in Western Oregon so I assume it's pretty much the same. The ones that I know of are vine maple, hazlenut, service berry, ocean spray, and pacific yew. If I missed any I'm sure some knowledgeable NW'er will chime in shortly.

[archerforlife2]

thanks weylin have yet to see a yew in my 14 odd years of meandering around the woods 

[Elktracker]

 weylin named some good ones I would also add Cascara, most fruit trees, Ash, cherry, Elm, oak, scotch broom, and walnut. I reallylike Vine Maple as its easy to come by and makes great bows! All of these woods listed will make a good bow if design is right for the specific wood.

Josh

[Elktracker]

thanks weylin have yet to see a yew in my 14 odd years of meandering around the woods 

Im sure you have seen it I harvest most of my Yew in Western Washington. and I live just out of Tillamook Oregon, it grows everywhere in your area.

Josh

[archerforlife2]

cascara dosent it give you the squirts? i no the park does but the wood itself dosent? and i will have to go to Google and look up yew trees maybe i have seen one and just don't know it

[Elktracker]

Ya dont bite your nails while debarking cascara Im sure you have but until you look for it you really dont notice it

[archerforlife2]

okay i think im gonna try cascara i have some that i already peeled for bark now just to go back and find one suitable for a bow

[Elktracker]

Ya I would get a couple straight staves of as many dif woods as you can and let them start drying and see what you like.

Josh

[M-P]

Don't you folks have some nice crap apple too?   Ron

[M-P]

Dang,  I need to quit relying on spell check.   Ron

[archerforlife2]

haha yeah i dont like spell check and all the crab apple i have found is anything BUT straight i am going to go out collecting staves tommorow what would you recomend for arrows? around western washington of course?

[ErictheViking]

Archer, look for red osier dogwood in ditch lines, it is everywhere also hazel shoots are really straight. as far as bow wood look for all mentioned above are good but also look for black locust and purple plum. The plum can grow pipe straight off of branch that have been trimmed back...good luck..   as far as yew goes-see it once in the forest and there is a silhouette to yew that becomes easy to pick out from the fir it usually grows under.

[archerforlife2]

okay defiantly going to be keeping my eyes open for a crab apple from now    on and went out and got a piece of vine maple today its 5'2 and 2" around at the skinny end is this to small around? i think i can get a bow out of it. i want to get my second shooter now my first one turned out to light 38# and i was going for about fifty o well first one any advice appreciated

[Elktracker]

2" is plenty big around One thing to keep in mind with vine maple is take note of wich side is the tension wood, this will be the back of the bow and will yeald a better bow than the compresions wood. The tension wood you want will be the side that was faceing to the sky when you cut it or if it is growing more straight up and down the side that its leaning away from if thatr makes sense.

Josh