wiggly osage harvest

[osage outlaw]

You can't kill a homelite.  That saw is 11 years old I think.  Its cut a lot of osage and other trees.  Its cut some big ones too.  My homelite weedeater is just as old and just as mean.


Matt, my saw won't start when its that cold.  Well, I don't know that for sure but I'm just going to assume it won't    Thats to cold to be cutting wood.

[The Gopher]

I hear the bows from female Osage are very curvaceous, guys can't keep there hands of them but they can be finicky and break your heart. Bows from male trees trend to be boring  sticks with little personality, but can definitely put meat on the table 

[JW_Halverson]

Oddly enough it is the female trees that have the balls hanging from them.

[Danzn Bar]

Thanks................not quite the replys I was expecitng.  But I should have known from you guys 

[JW_Halverson]

I seem to remember waaaay back there was discussion in buck vs doe osage and that no one really felt there was much difference.  That's odd, because if there is half a chance where two or more (and in some cases just one) bowyer is discussing something there will be a wide variety of opinions. 

To make any real informed decision, you would have to make very large numbers of bows from each. You'd have to track each bow over it's life to really have a good picture of it's usefullness.  And even then a lot of your variability will come from execution of design and the sheer variability of one tree to the next.  One osage tree will make great bows and the tree standing next to it is just good for firewood.  Well, it's best purpose is firewood if I'm the bowyer hacking away at it like a rabid meth-lab-crazed beaver.

[Danzn Bar]

JW.......Good point.....well taken.
Thanks
DB

[JW_Halverson]

Best of all, neither has shown a tendency to fail easily!  Guess that's why some folks call osage THE KING!!!!!

[Cloudfeather]

Blackhawk - I'm up in northeast Ohio. There are acres and acres of woods that connect to my property. I'm sure if I spend a day searching, I could come up with something.

[stringstretcher]

Another great haul Clint.  Awesome looking wood there buddy.

[Pappy]

Nice haul Clint,some good looking wood in that bunch.
   Pappy

[TRACY]

Thanks................not quite the replys I was expecitng.  But I should have known from you guys 

They are dioecious like persimmon and ginkgo. I've cut both knowingly and can't tell any difference. I would prefer smaller diameter trees 10-12" over male/female.

 Clint, looks like a good days work. Those small sapling/ limbs will make some good bows.

[blackhawk]

Sled...there's def osage up your way...I cut a lot of mine in east central Ohio just south of you(about 20 mins south of boardman/Youngstown area) I live in pa but only a couple miles from the border. You may not find it in forests,but along field edges,and old pastures where a fence line would've run..but sometimes I've seen hedge rows in thrid growth forest where the woods grew back up..they were mainly planted for fenceline and will more than likely be in a row tight against one another in a droopy tangled mess...good luck.....or ya could always take a drive n visit me...I got seasoned hedge growing everywhere on my property

[JonW]

Dang Clint. I might have to see if I can get to the Classic and OJAM this year!

[spyder1958]

Nice haul clint, I have a homie as well. Its great and lite. I can't wait to get back to Tenn and cut some more osage and bring back what I cut last year. But for now I need to get a first osage bow out of what I have here and stop putting it off.

[toomanyknots]

Osage outlaw, I bet you are a legend among osage trees. I bet they speak of you like some kind of evil tree murdering monster, that comes out every blue moon, and just to speak your name sends shivers down the bark of every osage tree...   

DB...I've cut a few males and made bows from them and as far as I'm concerned...osage is osage..

I know with regards to people, alot of times guys are tougher than girls, but I know alot of girls that will beat you and me down just like a man.  So I kinda think osage trees might be the same way, and I personally would put more stock into the growing conditions than male or female.