PNW bow wood harvest trip

[Kidder]

Hey wondering if anyone who is familiar with harvesting yew and/or vine maple in the Pacific Northwest would be interested in guiding me on such a hunt this spring? I’m located in Spokane and have a pickup, a chainsaw, a good attitude, and am willing to drive to the west side, but have no idea where to start. Anyone interested in teaming up?

[burtonridr]

Hi Kidder,

I'm not sure about Yew, but vine maple should be pretty easy to find. Something I've seen before, there are areas where roads wind along rivers through canyons and there are small strips of land between the road and the river. Sometimes vine maple will grow in these sections and road maintenance crews have to come through every couple years and cut them down to the ground. These areas make for GREAT places because there is a strong root system that will send up a fast growing sapling that tends to have few branches and grow fairly straight. You might use google earth street view to check areas of interest before you drive out. You can usually spot a maple tree even with the not so great photos due to the leaf shape.

I dont live out that way, but I'm up there almost every summer to visit family, or I would go with.

Also, I lived up in Spokane for a few years. There might be maples and yew up in the selkirks around newport, not sure though. You probably already know this, but you do have service berry, wild plume, and wild apples up there(all over the place), they make good bow wood. I could point you to a specific location if you are interested in apple wood.

[Kidder]

Thanks! That’s a good tip on the maple. I’ve heard their is yew in the selkirks but I haven’t seen it and don’t know where to start. I’ve got access to apple and plum, just finding a straight enough stave is the tough part.

[burtonridr]

Yea Yew has been illusive for me too, I've looked for it in the selkirks and out near the coast nearly every year. I cannot find the stuff, I'm blind to it and I'm probably looking for it in the wrong places.

[Del the cat]

If I was over there I'd join you! 
Del

[Kidder]

If I was over there I'd join you! 
Del

And I would take you up on that! Short hop over the pond is all...

[JW_Halverson]

Wouldn't be the first time we've tempted him over!

[BushiBow]

I have been lucky enough to find Pacific Yew on the western side of the cascades with trunks thicker than 3 inches in diameter. The tell tale sign for me is the deep red bark which contrasts against the hemlocks and doug firs. Then, I confirm the ID by the needles. And to be honest, I just stumble upon them while hiking through PNW forests.
I'm just not sure on the legality of cutting yew in WA, so I'm hesitant to touch them until I know for sure.

As for Vine maple, those are pretty common in western WA. Look for greenish bark. They tend to grow in patches. From my understanding, vine maple is way more sustainable to harvest, so I'd recommend it over yew.

[Hawkdancer]

Check with both the US Forest Service and Washington Dept of Forestry before you cut anything.  Saves a bunch of trouble!  Btw, sign me up for a vine maple stave, and a yew, too!
Hawkdancer

[Bryce]

Check in at the ranger station to which ever nation forest your cutting in. Grab your permits for yew and you’re good to go. In Oregon it’s $20 for like 20 staves. Either way the biologist there will write ya one if their in.

Here’s a list of PNW bow woods. If you can identify them, grab em. We definitely ain’t short of supply.

Yew
Cascara
Vine maple 0.67 SG
Rocky Mountain maple
Filbert/hazelnut
Oceanspray
Nine bark
Juniper
Serviceberry
Sitka spruce; often used for bows by the natives. Very old growth and tops of larger branches)
Osoberry/skunkbush
Pacific rhododendron
Oregon crabapple
Oregon white oak
Klamath plum
Douglas Fir: probably my last choice for a bow wood but will make a serviceable bow in a pinch. Needs to be VERY tight grain. Tips of old branches make for tight growth rings.
California nutmeg: been able to find some in southern oregon while hunting bear.
Cypress- Miwok natives made bows from this wood
Pacific dogwood
Hawthorn
Locust
Oregon white ash
Curleaf Mountain mahogany
Birch
Cherry: not a reliable wood. But serviceable when backed with sinew or rawhide.
Laurel
Myrtle
Currant
Elderberry
Gooseberry
Manzanita and scotch broom; if large enough sections can be found. Or big enough to splice.
Mulberry
Poison oak and sumac
Mock orange/syringa

[Kidder]

This is excellent information! Anyone want to team up?

[High-Desert]

Call or email the National forest headquarters before you go, you will waste a lot of driving if you just drop in. They will issue a permit for vine maple on the spot.....possibly, depending on the NF. Not one operates the same. Mount Hood NF requires that you find a tree and submit the location of the tree with your application, which can take a few weeks for approval, which you are allowed one tree. The Willamette is similar, but you can only cut limb, but are allowed 20. Permits are usually only good for a specific district as well. When you email them, ask the biologist where the recommend finding yew. One of the biologist send me a map highlighted where to find yew, and I’ve been cutting there for 12 years now. I would have never found the area without her help.

[High-Desert]

Oh yeah, one more thing. Now is the time to put in your application. They will mail out permits due to COVID. They have never done that, before it was always required to go in and pick up your permit. Which is a pain when you have to drive past your cutting area an hour to get the permit, then back. So it’s been more convenient in the last year to cut. See, good things do happen in bad time. At least one good thing has happened