Where to find Osage

[akbowman]

I live in Alaska but just took a new job in southern Illinois/Indiana. I have been dying to try a bow out of osage but its so expensive to get it to alaska. I figured i could get some while i was down here. I hope its the same thing as hedge, from the explanation im getting from the locals it is. Does anyone know, and is there anyone from around these parts that could point me in the right direction so i can get me some.

Thanks

[Hillbilly]

Hedge, hedgeapple, horseapple, bois d'arc, bodark, osage-all the same. Don't know anything about any specific sources in Illinois, but I bet someone on here or one of the locals you work with does.

[El Destructo]

You look up David W when you get a chance.....here on this Board....He lives in Illinois....I bet He can help you out....or knows someone that can.....

[Eric Garza]

Hey there,

Where in southern Illinios/Indiana are you moving to?  I used to live in Bloomington, IN and yes there is definitely a lot of osage down there.  I'd get in touch with the nearest State Forester or the office of Hoosier National Forest.  It's really easy to get a permit to cit a few trees from state land, and the folks who work at the State and National Forests know the public lands like the back of their hands and can probably point you to a harvestable stand of osage in short order.

Alternatively you can just drive around amongst the farms and when you see a tree you want, go offer the farmer some $$ to let you cut it down and take the trunk-section of the log.  I did that with a black locust when I was there, although I hadn't thought to try it with osage.

Another thing you might do is post an ad on the trading post to see if anyone who already has some osage cut is willing to meet up with you while you're down there.  Maybe treat them to a nice dinner or something in return for a stave or two, (or three, or four...).

Best of luck!

-Eric

[Hrothgar]

I don't know if there are many Amish in Illinois, here in Missouri there are. Usually someone in their community will have osage corner posts which for about $20-25 they will part with. The posts can be pretty good size and will yield 4-6 staves. There is no way of knowing if there are borers in the wood and you will need to ask how old the wood is, but all in all, its a good chance you will get a couple good staves from a good post.
Hrothgar

[akbowman]

Thanks a million for the advice guys. There are some Amish communities around here, im told. Ill look into that. I am staying in Mt. Carmel Ill. I will definately look up the state forestry people.

Maybe i can find a tree or two that got shook down from the earthquake here yesterday:-))

Thanks again, i really appriciate the advice.

[lowell]

I would think you could find some farmers down there that would not mind parting with a tree or 2.  I'm up here in northern Il. and farmers planted them on fence rows to grow a supply of fence posts for use later.  I know one farmer that lets me cut a tree know and then.... must be 500 trees on the one farm !!!

  Good luck down there!!

[jcougar]

I live in Illinois, and there is osage everywhere.  Most farmers have a hedge row somewhere on their property.

[TRACY]

AK, I live in the Bloomington Indiana area and there is osage to be had. If you can't find a source then get in touch with me and I'll see what I can do. So how was the quake at the epicenter?

thanks Tracy

[snedeker]

Find the local Bargain Sheet type trading newspaper in your area where people sell their old stuff.  Put an ad in it Osage Wanted.  Old timers will get in tough wtih you.

Dave

[david w.]

i live in SW Illinois and i have a couple ties to osage   i am getting quite a pile now. I might be able to hook to up like El Destructo said

[akbowman]

Thanks for the help guys, I have a couple of days of solid work to do and then im going to go on an osage mission. My boss thinks i have lost my mind cause im non stop looking at trees trying to identify the osage, havnt seen one yet that i know of. All im looking for are the thorns, thats about all i know to look for.

The Epicenter was 1 mile from where im staying and it rock and rolled pretty good. Knocked all the pictures off the walls, sent the sattelite dish into the fish pond, and cracked some concrete and sheetrock. Living in Alaska ive been through countless earthquakes, but have never felt one that shook so violently. I woke up and thought for sure that a train was driving right through the house.

Thanks again for the help.

[tom sawyer]

You might look for a hedgerow, usually a line of trees between fields.  A sure sign is if there are some stumps in there where posts have been cut.  Osage trees grow really gnarly and twisty, with a very round shape overall.  The thorns are only on juvenile wood and not terribly pronounced (unless you rake your head on one, then you'll pronounce a lot).

If you find a row, try and get suckers, that is, new trees that came up off of a cut stump.  Those tend to be fast-growing, and grow taller/straighter because they are competing for light with the surrounding trees.

Also check sale barns, a lot of times guys will sell hedge posts there on weekends when there's a livestock sale.  I just got a phone number for a cutter from his pile, nothing in the pile looked good enough but if you tell them what you want they might come up with something.  The price for a hedge post is minimal, usually a good endpost (10" diameter, 9' long) runs maybe $25.

I live in Hannibal, a few hours away from you.  If you are hard up for wood you might make it up here and we can find something.  But I'm sure you'll find stuff close to where you are.   My friend and I have cut five big trees and two smaller ones in the last month, I'm getting close to having everything processed (debarked, sapwood removed) and stored.