Another osage...

[wapiti1997]

I finally finished peeling the bark off of my first tree's staves.  It had really close growth rings and many of you suggested a wider ringed tree would be easier for a newbie..

I walk by this one on the way to a stand frequently, decided it might work as the crown is in the canopy and not an understory tree like the first one.
 

It had nome nice rings, I cut the first log at 6 feet in length and got 6 feet from the second as well but a maor knot on one side.


 

It even had some snakey branches that might make a bow, and the way some folks seem to relish osage, I thought I'd grab them too...
 

Does this look like good bow wood for a beginner?
 

 

[Dan Landis]

Nice rings on that one, now comes the waiting for it to dry.

[razorback]

Nope! thats a piece of cr@p. Send it to me and I'll burn it for you.

Depending on the width of that stave, someone good with a wedge would get 3 great staves out of that piece. Looks like just about any of the first 10 rings would work. I would shoot for the 3rd or 4th ring. Though I have limited experience with Osage. I am sure others will chime in. Just remember I told you to send it to me first, before these other freeloaders chime in.  

[Black Mockingbird]

Looks good to me...there's def some pretty clean straight ones that'll be fairly easy to work for a novice...n not hard to chase small rings either for a rookie. Outta keep ya busy for awhile in another year or two as well.

[Pat B]

Its almost impossible to tell the ring count of a tree on the stump. Dean Torges, in Hunting The Osage Bow, talks about using a tennon plugger to take out a core to check the ring count. Other than that it is only a guess. The tree right next to this tree could have very thin or very wide growth rings.
  Don't get rid og the thin ringed stuff. A rawhide backing will give good protection if back rings are violated. I actually prefer thin rings because I think the wood makes a springier bow.

[wapiti1997]

I got 7 staves out of the tight ringed tree which was a much smaller tree than this.
The fact that this second tree was a canopy tree and not subdued would make it highly likely to be growing much faster than my first tree, and it was so.  Both are 40+ year old osages, one was a 12" diameter the other was 8".

I think I'll get around 20 good staves + snakey branches, from the second tree..

There is another high quality tree about 20 yards from where this one was.  I may cut it too, once I've finished peeling bark and sapwood and sealing these...

If I find that I'm void of talent as a bowyer, I'm sure I can find something to do with these....

[John Scifres]

You see how the rings are thinner on one side, that  is the tension side.  Bows will often be snappier with tension wood.  But it is harder to chase and some of it on that  log has a rally bad early:late wood ratio.  Still, you should split it and hold it back for a few years when you have more experience.  It'll probably dry with some serious reflex.

The compression, or thicker ringed side looks really good.  The tree wasn't leaning a lot so it should be great stuff.  My favorite wood is often the inner split from the compression side.  It takes less time to dry, is more stable and easy to work.  Watch for pin knots though.

Don't get that sap in your eyes.  It breaks me out bad even on my skin.

Great find.  Thanks for sharing.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Great looking wood.

[wapiti1997]

I already have more staves than I can work in many years.  I have several other trees I can cut as well..  The landowner tokd me to cut all the osage I want, and to kill the rest... lol

It truly is a beautiful wood, I look forward to making a hunting partner form one of them...

Thanks John for your insight!  Thanks everyone as I need all the help I can get!