how many staves do you keep?

[Eric Krewson]

Once you can recognize an osage tree you can spot one from a distance, I can spot one on a fence line 1/4 mile away across a field as I drive down a hwy. Osage likes bottomland better than hilltops, in the bottom land they tend to be several in a group, it might be one acre or 40 populated with them.

[Jim Davis]

Driving a secondary  road  in the northwest corner of Kentucky I saw a long fence row  that looked to be all huge Osage trees. I would not want to tackle those giants  with anything  less  than an equally huge  hydraulic splitter.  Those trees would be  better for a sawmill than or  making bow  staves.

Watch upcoming Primitive Archer magazine issues for a different approach to the stave supply. Don't know when the article is scheduled.