Questions about some trees!

[Trooper]

Hello everyone,
I am new at this and need some opinions about some different types of wood. The work I do now provides me with opportunities to get my hands on some various types of wood. In the next day or so we Will be taking down a yellow poplar and was wondering if anyone has used this to make bows. We also take ALOT! of green ash and a number of sweet gums. I have read that the sweet gum has a tendencies to twist or warp. Any info on these would be helpful. Thanks!

[roofus]

Welcome to the site. I'm pretty new here too so I'm just passing on info I've heard here.

Woods that work. That I can remember.
Hickory
Oak
Maple
Hedge Apple (Osage)
Ipe
Yew
Bamboo
Walnut
Lemon Wood
Cherry

I think alot of people prefer Osage. I've built two red oak bows that work great and I'm working on Hickory currently.
And I know there are a ton more woods that work. The guys on this site are full of information, you will have more woods to choose from when they start chiming in.

[Hillbilly]

Yellow poplar makes good arrows, not a good bow wood. Green ash will make a bow, but it's not nearly as good as white ash. I've seen some nice sweetgum bows-it apparantly makes a good bow but isn't used much, probably because it's so hard to split. Keep an eye out for osage orange, black locust, elm, black walnut, hackberry, flowering dogwood, persimmon, hickory, and white oak. There are a lot of good bow woods out there waiting to be discovered. In general, most of the better bow woods are hard, dense, and heavy.

[Trooper]

Thanks for the info, the poplar tree went through the chipper because it had some rotted spots in it. I wasnt there but they said the chipper ate it without a problem. 
Thanks again.

[George Tsoukalas]

I'll add hop hornbeam as a good bow  wood. Jawge

[M-P]

Hi Trooper,   I'm not from Missouri but I'm guessing you'll find osage, hickory, mulberry, elm and black locust if you keep your eyes open.  All of these are proven bow woods and worth the trouble to split and season.  Just look for sound wood with straight grain.  Others on this site have more experience with each wood and can help you with the nitty gritty of how to handle each wood for best results.  Ron

[Stringman]

Osage in my opinion is the easiest. Black locust and Mulberry are in the same "yellow wood" family, but both take a little more experience than hedge. Walnut, elm, hickory, hackberry, oak, are all in the "white wood" family and tend to be stringy and less dense. just means you need a different mind set. I've made bows from all of them and have enjoyed some more than others, but I would quickly become bored with this if all bows were easy and looked the same.  Enjoy the process!!

d:^)

[Hrothgar]

Welcome Trooper, its always good to find another member from MO. I'm from north cental part of the state and am fortunate to have access to quite a few good hardwoods.  Ash is easy to work, usually straight and makes decent bows, as mentioned above, white ash is preferred but green ash can be used. If you live north of the Missouri river you shouldn't have any trouble finding osage orange or some type of hickory. We live in a blessed state.
Good luck

[Trooper]

Thanks for the welcomes!
Hrothgar, your right, we are very fortunate. It will be a while before I have the approved time (promissed my wife I would put a bathroom in the basement) to make a bow but I am looking forward to it. Looks like I have found the right place for advise, seems to be a wealth of knowledge here.

[stickbender]

   
     You can add just about any fruit tree to the list also.  There is a" Plethora " of bow woods out there.  If you have Osage, by all means go for it.  You don't even have to bother to chase a ring, just back it with some boo.  The people on here can tell you from experience, what the plus and minus factors are of any of the afore mentioned woods.  Every time I bring up this site, I find new woods, that are being used.  You will not have any trouble finding expert, and experienced advice here.   Any questions I have I can get an answer, simply by asking it.  Welcome and enjoy PA, it is like no other archery site.  Everyone here is eager to learn, and share, from bows, arrows, knapping, knives, hunting, tanning hides, making strings, showing techniques that they use, and just about anything primitive, that you've ever wanted to know about.

                                                                                Wayne