northern p.a. arrow ?

[rocker]

i live in northen p.a. and i want to start making my  own arrows from weeds or shoots,ive read about golden rod arrows on here and i thought i would  try that since we have lots of it here,but what other kinds of shoots or weeds can i find in my area to work with?also any info on making shoot or weed arows would be wonderful,i thought goldenrod would be good because i seen on here where someone split a goldenrod shaft and put in a turkey tail feather for a 2 fletch arrow that would use up the 2 gobbler fans i got layin around.anyone got any advice?

                                                                                                         yf
                                                                                                      rocker

[wolfsire]

I have some advice, but it is more general.  Do an internet search to find one or a few links about plants in your area.  I live in Las Vegas, and I have found a few for it and areas near by.  Being from Vegas, I'd be willing to bet, that there is a site or two for your area.  (Just joking, not about the availablility of sites, rather I don't really gamble).  Such sites will serve you well in the long run as you try new things.  Also, I would try anything and every thing that looks like I could be bend straight.  I tried my trimmings from my Mexican Birds of Paradise.  They are no good.  Can not be bent straight, too brittle.  Good luck.

[Hillbilly]

You should have silky/red osier dogwood, viburnum, multiflora and swamp roses, hazelnut, maple, and many other shoots that can be used for arrows. Roadsides and powerline cuts are good places to look for shoots sprouting from stumps. You can make arrows from goldenrod, horseweed, and other herbaceous plant stems, but they're a bit too flimsy to suit me.

[richpierce]

Those horseweed and goldenrod ones will not hold up like shoots and neither will phragmites.  Cane is the best but you won't find it locally very easily, if at all.  I have had good luck with phragmites with foreshafts and nock inserts but if you step on them or glance them off a tree, etc they will break for sure.  They are super light.

[rocker]

thanks for the replies.i have multi flora on my property ill have to try that too,i know we have some maple on my property and ash and cherry,will those shoots work too?
                       
                                                                                                       thanks
                                                                                                       rocker

[richpierce]

If it's pretty straight and at least 3/8" thick on the skinny end, it should work.

[wolfsire]

Watch out for bark.  I was shocked at how thick the bark on arrowweed is, between 1/16 and 1/8 and inch.  On two sides, especially after shrinkage from drying, that can make your shoots a lot smaller that you thought.

[Hillbilly]

The multiflora makes good arrows. Try to cut shoots that are at least a year old or they'll have a really thick spongy pith in the center. The pith is smaller on older shoots. Ash, maple, and cherry shoots make pretty good arrows, too. Same thing-try to get them at least a year old or more and like wolfsire said, cut them a little bigger to allow for shrinkage and bark removal. If they're too big, you can plane them down to whatever diameter you want.

[huntertrapper]

what part of northern pa are you in? anywhere near potter?

[rocker]

thanks for everything ,guess ive got some experimenting to do,and huntertrapper i am from potter,harrison valley..

[huntertrapper]

cool.. we have a camp we stay at a lot on bean hill above germania station ever hear of it.

[rocker]

yup i know where germania is,its probably about 45 minutes from me.its real nice area over there.my cousin wants me to go over that way and fish kettle creek with him here sometime.

[huntertrapper]

yep i know where kettle is a nice area good huntin and trappin.