Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Arthur.s.Pankratz on January 12, 2016, 10:44:27 am
-
the main thing that has kept me from making any thing but a few board bows is that the land that i have access to pretty much only has mesquite brush or grass and weeds
but there is a lot oak in the surrounding area that looks really nice and i have been tempted to stop and cut some in the area between the shoulder of the road the fence but i don't know if that would be legal (i live in Texas if that helps)
also how do you tend to approach land owners to ask if you can cut down one (or more) of the trees on their land?
-
Have a bow with ya.Show your enthusiasium about your hobby.Ask him if he does'nt mind.Chances are he'll let ya.
-
I'm also in Texas and have the same issue Arthur. The few times I have cut my own staves has been because I got lucky through existing connections. This seems to be the most fruitful approach but "getting lucky" isn't exactly sustainable.
Beadman, have you used this approach before? You just drive up to the person's house and ask?
-
You can get good staves on ebay for $40-50 and shipping. That's pretty fair if you have none and no access.
-
i just mention i make bows and stuff to folks i meet. youd be surprised at how many times im told " hey we have a small woods out back your more than welcome to couple small trees if you want" . or im driving around and notice a tree downed by a storm , i have a wood burner sooo, i knock on door hey did you plan on getting that tree removed? most times im answered with, depends on how much you charge" i say oh heck ill do it for 30 bucks. most folks jump on that. i get back my time and fuel. i get firewood, sometimes i end up with a stave or two.also when the city cuts down trees, i ask for them :) Tony
-
Talk to your local tree services. If they hook you up with a good tree give them a case of barley pop. I bet they will remember you in the future.
-
If I ever run out of osage (not likely) and have no where to cut, I will put an ad in the paper stating that I will pay top dollar for standing straight osage trees. I bet my phone will be ringing off the wall.
-
My bow wood hunting safaris always end up costing me more money than $50.00 per stave. Now I just keep my eyes open for free opportunities to harvest a tree comming down but for the most part I buy most of mine.
-
I've found what riverrat wrote above to be true.
I'm lucky to live near some woods and have 2.5 acres of wooded land of my own. I've learned to treat my property like a bow farm. I prune black locust, black cherry, walnut and erc as it grows. I try to always have a few tree per season to harvest.
-
Trading for them is viable option right here on PA.
-
I live in The land of hardwood, so maybe this doesn't apply, but I just keep my eyes peeled. Got a load of mulberry billets visiting a park one day with my wife. Park service had cut em and left hem neatly on the side of the trail 'for me'.
I think the other points made here are very good as well.
-
highways, powerlines, gaslines and other right of ways are frequently recleared.
find out where the projects are coming up, and make inquiries ahead of the crews.
many people are happy that some usefulness can be made from condemned timber that might otherwise be wasted
r.o.w reclears are especially productive if you are into sapling staves
-
Yes I honestly have,and they have let me.
-
You introduce yourself and tell them your intentions.Tell them the time and day you'll be there.Clean up afterwards.Come back later with a bow to give them from their own property.Chances are they'll remember you for sure.Be respectful,and appreciative.You are'nt begging here.Your showing a passion for something you like to do.
The only staves I trade for are wood that does'nt grow in my area.I've lived in the country all of my life.I'm a retired farmer.All of the other suggestions are good here previous too.Storm clean up,Tree service work etc.There is a lot of bow wood wasted all of the time.In this area osage posts are cut for fence lines all the time.Posts are for sale at elevator coop lots,sale barn lots,and all sorts of places.
-
I don't know about Texas, but up here(Pennsylvania) dairy farmers and ranchers use black locust(mainly) or osage(farther south) for fence posts because of the rot resistance. There's an Amish fellow near our camp that said I can go through his seasoned fence post supply to look for good staves if I need to. Locust is everywhere here, so I never really needed to.
Trading in the forum is a really good way to get wood out of your area. Most of the guys who live in the land of osage recognized the plight of those not so fortunate. They usually have a stave or two to part with if you have something desirable to trade, like Texas Chert for example.
-
Texas still has a lot of hardwoods in the river bottoms don't they? even if they are in state parks or something you may still be able to cut one. A few years back i contacted the Minnesota Parks department, told them my story and actually got permission to cut a few trees from a park, I was going to meet a worker at the park and we would choose the trees together. It ended up getting postponed and then I was in the middle of moving so the whole project was scrapped but i was encouraged to see that they would work with me. I think people are always more open to this type of stuff then we think they'll be.
Search on craigslist for terms like: firewood, timber, logs, tree cutting, etc. I once saw someone willing to pay a hundred bucks to come "take care of" a big black walnut, unfortunately someone beat me to it.
Once you start making connections and people know you are looking for logs, they'll come find you and you'll be wondering where you are going to store all these staves!
-
Careful about local laws when cutting certain species. I know in Ohio there are restrictions to cutting black walnut even on your own property.
-
There's a fence dealer near here who not only sells commercially milled and shipped in fencing, but also locally harvested black locust posts and rails, and piers, too. You might check local fence dealers for something similar.