harvesting red osier for arrows

[sailordad]

 well ive been giving this primitvive bow making a try and like it so now i thought i would also trying making arrows.
after seeing some post of red osier arrows (and might i say beautiful). i googeld what red osier looks like and low and behold i know where there are thousands of these shrubs growing.
so now i was wondering when would be the best time to harvest shoots for shafts and how to care for and cure them.
any input is appreciated.
thanks.

                                                                                          PEACE,
                                                                                               Tim

[DanaM]

Tim I like to cut em before they get growing or after the leaves fall, but only because its easier to see the good shoots.
I've strippedthe bark immediately and have also waited till they were dry, never had a problem either way. If ya strip the bark right off I would keep em some where cool and out of the sun. They straighten with heat pretty good no need to grease them either. Just use your heat gun on a medium setting. Also I like to cut them at least 1/2" at the base and 40" long. Gives ya room to work with it. Use a thumb plane and sandpaper to reduce the diameter to get the right spine. If I remember I will grab the camera at work and take a picture of where I get mine.

[sailordad]

wel i know what i'm doing next saturday then. going to get me about 75 lbs of shafts lol

[stringstretcher]

I sure wished someone would post some up close pictures of this stuff??

[sailordad]

stringstretcher,
i didnt have my camera with me yesterday,it was drizzling out. in another post iasked dana for a pic and he suggested to google it. i did that and found several types
depending on your part of the country,i did find what i was looking for that way and verified my find. so shrubs nearby need to be on alert come saturday. i'll be in the woods with pruner in hand and the need to collect with extreme prejudice.
 
gonna try and get about 75 lbs of shaft,i figure i should be able to make about a dozen arrows that way( i'm new and figure if its like making bows i'll wreck more than i'll make lol )

[DanaM]

No pics today, snow and ice storm here

[sailordad]

your getting what we just had,enjoy it,its nice HEAVY wet snow.

[richpierce]

Leave a bunch of smaller shoots in each clump still growing and you'll be able to harvest shafts for years and years.

[DanaM]

Here's a picture of red osier I lifted from michbowguy, thanks jamie

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x74/michbowguy/100_1950.jpg

[sailordad]

yup,thats exactly what i've been seeing.going to get some this weekend.

thanx for the pic dana,appreciate it.

                                                                                                   TIM

[DanaM]

Thank jamie2 I stole it from him

[sailordad]

thanks to you also for the pic jamie,i appreciate it.

[Otoe Bow]

I think I've even seen that stuff down here.  Thanks for the info.

Mike

[Drew]

Any one got any pics?  I was going to cut some before the leaves started....just new to this.

[richpierce]

Look it up on Google.  It grows in bunches of shoots going straight up and the shafts are a deep der/maroon color except at the base where they will be gray.  The leaf buds are opposite each other on the shafts.  It's normally found in moist places in the open, like brushy swampy fields.