Cane

[crooketarrow]

  I think what he means is the closer to center shot the bow the less archers pardocks comes into play. SO THAT BOW WILL SHOOT A LOT WIDER ARROW SPLINE.

[Fred Arnold]

  Not trying to be contradictory but 854 posts (in 4 months) would generally lead me to believe that a member was an experienced old timer especially if I were a newbie to PA. This is not the case!
Opinions are a dime a dozen. Some that state their opinions are well read with very little actual experience. I prefer street smarts to book learning when it comes to advice on my questions. Just my .02.

[Pat B]

With the pronounced nodes I'd say it was river cane if it is a native cane. Does it grow tall(12'-15')?

[osage outlaw]

Not trying to be contradictory but 854 posts (in 4 months) would generally lead me to believe that a member was an experienced old timer especially if I were a newbie to PA. This is not the case!
Opinions are a dime a dozen. Some that state their opinions are well read with very little actual experience. I prefer street smarts to book learning when it comes to advice on my questions. Just my .02.

The problem with advice on the internet is that its hard to know when its coming from an inexperienced 14 year old. 

[ncpat]

My main bow is a Ben Pearson Cougar recurve, center shot, 47 lbs at 28". My draw is 26" so my actual pull is around 43 lbs, figuring about 2 lbs per inch, as I saw a formula listed on 1 site or another. My wife has a 35 lb Bearcat recurve takedown. Importance of spine with center shot has long been a question of mine that I had not yet posted. It would seem less important with wrap around/deflection not being an issue, but arrow should still be sturdy enough to hold up to the thrust. My daughter's bow, OTOH, is not center shot & is much lighter, about 20 lbs. Anything too stiff will flop off to the left and be very hard to aim. At that weight, I would think very few arrows would be too light. Most storebought arrows were too heavy and flopped left. I made 1 arrow from a 1/4" dowel that shot fairly straight & fast. She lost it same day though. I made 3 others from dowels that she has not had a chance to try yet. 

[ncpat]

With the pronounced nodes I'd say it was river cane if it is a native cane. Does it grow tall(12'-15')?

Yes, I have seen a few of them 15', maybe a little higher. Largest are about an inch to 1 1/4 at the base. I see cane or boo on some roadsides about 5 or 6' high, less than an inch thick. Haven't had a chance to scavage any of that yet. It is on stretches of freeway with narrow shoulders. Hard to stop in heavy traffic. I need to go early AM and cut a few.

[Thesquirrelslinger]

With the pronounced nodes I'd say it was river cane if it is a native cane. Does it grow tall(12'-15')?

Yes, I have seen a few of them 15', maybe a little higher. Largest are about an inch to 1 1/4 at the base. I see cane or boo on some roadsides about 5 or 6' high, less than an inch thick. Haven't had a chance to scavage any of that yet. It is on stretches of freeway with narrow shoulders. Hard to stop in heavy traffic. I need to go early AM and cut a few.

That sounds like cane, most of the stuff I have seen is from 10' to 20'

In general, native bamboos are heat and cold tolerant perennials that prefer rich, consistently moist and slightly acidic soils with a pH of 6-6.5. All but Hill Cane are evergreen. River Cane is the largest of the three, reaching heights of River Cane 6-30 feet and spreading as far as is allowed by soil and water conditions. When mature, River Cane can tolerate periods of running or standing water and full sun. Switch Cane grows to heights of approximately 6 feet at maturity when grown in excellent conditions, which includes consistently moist soils (as found at seeps and along streams) and shade generated by large trees such as pines and oaks. Hill Cane grows to approximately 6 feet and prefers to grow in the shade of mature trees on well-drained slopes or swales, especially common around seeps and springs in its native habitat. Switch Cane is the only deciduous native bamboo.

http://showmeoz.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/americas-native-bamboo-identification-culture/

[bhenders]

NcPAT, they should make good arrows if 2yr old  culms (shoots).  Bamboo deposits silicon in it's cell walls over time and first year culms haven't done much of that yet.  Most culms  live two years and then die off.  Cut or pick up the ones that are turning brown.  Sounds like the state or whomever is cutting down a patch to keep it from spreading.

Also, when making arrows, be sure to put the nocks on (or self-nocks) so that the 'flat spots' or leaf nodes face up or down when the arrow is on the string.  That will put the stiff side of the culm against the bow (which is where you want it).