My Biennial Yew Harvest

[OldBow]

Rode my bike 16 miles round trip on a "no-motorized vehicle" trail today and hauled out a decent  72" yew log. 
This is the first in several years where I won't have to billet pieces.
Growing about 200' from the log I got two years ago that Pat B created a very nice bow out of.
Have sealed up the ends and won't even start to envision a bow until next summer.
Gorgeous stream and canyon - very wild country - fun day.


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[Pat B]

Another nice, well earned yew stave, Don. I can state for a fact that good yew bow wood grows in that area of Montana.    Don't you get chaffed on the 8 mile ride back home with that log riding where it does?     Nice haul.     Pat

[Badbill]

That was my first thought.  How does he get that wood home?  Ouch!  That is dedication.

[koan]

Don, you got more gumpshin than most of us...I cant imagine the bike ride, let alone the ride back with the bow wood .....Brian

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

nice haul. how do you ride the bike with the log hangin off there? you sure you're not Lance Armstrong in disguise?

nice high ring count too. good find youve got there.

Phil

[radius]

What makes me curious are those dark rays emanating out from the pith...did the thing check on your way home?  Or did you glue the ends right after you felled it?  Or are those transverse rays?  The rays is softwoods (conifers) are not usually pronounced...

You got big kahonies for that trek, amigo!

[Marc St Louis]

Nice Yew Don.  You must be happy.

I was down in Ottawa last month and while my wife was having lunch with her mother I went looking for wood.  I found a very nice stand of wild Plum.  Harvested 3 nice logs

[shamus]

those dark rays could be burn marks from the saw. They don't look like windshake as the marks appear superficial.

 

[OldBow]

I had knee surgery a year ago. But it was that knee that did most of the work getting home. My other leg was bowed out to straddle the log. And the bike is really unstable with the high-mounted weight and the abandoned road is one of the most rocky around here.
Still fun though with gorgeous scenery.  Moose in the area ..wish I could have got a picture of one.

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[Keenan]

 Yew are da Man Oldbow Nice stave. Sweet looking place

[ricktrojanowski]

 Man I love it.  Combining two of my favorite things bows and bikes. 

[nathan elliot]

I love log hunting on my bike! Feels like you have earned the bow by the time you get home. Great stuff, thanks for posting.

Nat

[Blacktail]

holy cow,if i move back to  hamilton this is what i have to do to get yew  .....i would have to hike into bitter root wilderness to find yew down there....i  havnt used my back board for hualing out wood but will now....nice hual and great photos thanks for sharing.john

[TRACY]

Nice find! Wonder if you could rig a yoke to the seat post to drag it out where the distal end is protected by some cushioning sleeve? Hauled any deer with your bike?

Tracy

[OldBow]

Blacktail - the BOM winner for Sept 2003 got his yew out of the Bitterroots not far from Hamilton. Carried it out. No bicycles allowed in the willderness and trails too steep anyway. 
I didn't know yew was common where I am now getting it until I helped a high school student build her bow and she had carried a log out.

Tracy F - I used a small bike trailer to haul out a big mule deer buck years ago before mountain bikes were even available.  But lots of people now use mountain bikes for hunting.  Can travel fast and no noise!