Found Some Cane for Arrows

[dmills]

I have been experimenting with Home Depot tomato stakes for cane arrows.  I have not been impressed, but have turned out a couple of usable ones from those.  I was considering "trespassing" on my parent's old farm site and raiding a stand of cane growing there.  

Then this evening I spotted my neighbor from across the street dragging a huge stack of cane to the curb to be picked up tomorrow by the city on our monthly "heavy trash pick-up day."  I quickly pulled a large number of usable canes from the stack and offered to help her trim for the next monthly pickup.  These are green and just need to be dried in the attic of my little barn for a few weeks before using.  

Of course, I might still need to trespass on the old farmstead and trim some of the orange osage trees growing there, before the developers clear cut the site.  

[greyhunter]

When you finish those arrows post a picture and tell us how you made em from start to finish!

[greggholmes]

Anyone have access to canes?

[mario]

As an aside:

Maurice Thompson was a Indiana-born, Georgia boy who hunted with a bow in the post Civil War era. Made trips down into Florida quite often.

"Speaking of these reed arrows, we used them a great deal in the South. Williams recommended them for killing fish; but we tried feathering them for birding-arrows, retaining the length of 38 inches. The reed is cut when green, held in a flame till hot and straightened, one end nocked and feathered, the other end sharpened and charred in the fire to harden it; then, lo! the arrow- a missile not to be excelled for any range inside of fifty yards. A man can make ready for feathering 200 of them in a day. The reeds when dried are very rigid and extremly light. Narrow feathers must be used on them. No heads are needed."

The Witchery of Archery, 1878

Mario

[Eric Krewson]

As a long time osage bow maker I am a big proponent of getting permission to cut osage instead of stealing it, there is bad JU-JU in stolen wood.

That said, almost all my osage, more than a lifetime supply, has been cut in front of a developers bulldozer. I have found that if you ask, they develop a respect for you over the all to present common thieves and trespassers and will often give you permission to cut on other property they own or are developing. I always ask in person, face to face, and have an osage bow to show them, I have never been turned down in 20 years of asking.

I scored this tree recently, with permission from the city crew that pushed it over of course.



Nice haul!