Help sourcing osage

[Guyver]

Hello all-

Couple questions on sourcing Osage in Texas. Hope this is the correct forum.
I split a couple couple mesquite trunks and some sort of oak. now I'd like to move onto some Osage.

Does anyone know how far south Osage trees can be found? I'm in Houston and I'd like to not have to travel too terribly far. According to wiki it seems to be somewhere south of Waco, but would like to know if its been found any closer to Houston.

What are the best ways to go about finding non-milled Osage? Asking mills/hardwood suppliers?

How does one go about being in the proper position/getting permission to go cut down a tree on someone else's property?

Any help is appreciated
Thanks
Guy

[Hrothgar]

Without trying to sound like a smart a__, if you were driving through north Missouri you could probably stop at the first farm where you see some growing wild--likely in an old fence row--and ask the landowner and he might offer to lend you a chain saw to cut a couple trees. Probably the same could be said for parts of Oklahoma.

[Joec123able]

I live in Iowa Osage is rare here but last time I cut it I found it growing on the side of the road I stopped cut it right there lol most of the time you will see Osage growing along fence lines

[Newindian]

I've been told that there is Osage in the Houston area

[SLIMBOB]

Don't know about Houston proper, though I suspect there's plenty.  Just north of you there's bunches of it.  East as well.  You asked how far south.  I live near San Antone and I have it growing around me here.  Hedge row planting mostly.

[JackCrafty]

In Texas, osage grows mainly in central and east TX.  Houston has lots of it.

If you don't know any landowners, good luck with getting permission to cut trees.  Landowners in Texas get so many requests from strangers wanting to access their land it's ridiculous: real estate investors, deer hunters, artifact seekers, rock hounds, photographers, hikers, bikers, ATV riders, and on and on and on...

Your best bet is to wait until you find osage in a trash heap somewhere.  Construction sites are good places, for example.

[Guyver]

Thanks for all the info guys. Now I just need to find some!

Jack- yep I know exactly how land owners are round here. It seem like it may be better to ask for forgiveness than the other thing

[Eric Krewson]

We have a lot of osage around here in north Alabama. I collected most of mine by asking people clearing land if I could have it, never been turned down.

If I couldn't make contact with local clearing crews I had thought about posting and ad in the local paper stating"wanted, standing osage trees, will pay top dollar for the right tree". I suspect all the people who own small farms and could use a little extra cash would be ringing my phone off the wall. I don't know what a reasonable monetary offer would be per tree but I wouldn't hesitate to  pay $100 for a tree I could get 6 or 8 bow staves out of.

[StickMan47]

I live in the Beaumont area, east of Houston and have not spotted any Osage yet. If you guys know of any in this area let us know!! Me and Guyver can meet up one weekend and do some choppin!!!

Guyver, I got a chain saw, hammers, and wedges, we can do a 50/50 split!!

[osage outlaw]

Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to live where I do.  Posts like this help to remind me.  I answered a Craigslist ad today from a guy begging for someone to clear out his yard full of osage trees.  To bad they were all twisted and full of limbs.  I hope you find some good osage trees in your area.  Be persistant and good luck!