Need help locating an Osage tree for first selfbow

[Wildboy]

Hello, my name is Michael and I'm preparing to build my first Osage self bow... I've been reading and studying for several years but I've really wanted to do this since I was a teenager. I spent most of the last 7 years overseas in the Middle East and just got back to the good 'ol U.S. of A last week so I need some help to get started. I would like to follow the path laid out by Dean Torges in Hunting the Osage Bow. So, I need to start with a tree... Does anyone out there know of someone that is willing and able to help me in my search?

I'm currently in Pensacola, Florida but expect to be traveling to Texas in a week or two and I could go anywhere in the Southeast or Midwest in search of that special tree like Dean talked about. My hope is to get a log and reduce it to splits on the first day and if possible reduce the splits to bow blanks on the 2nd or 3rd day of the operation... Anyone able to help a new comer along on this adventure?

All assistance will be much appreciated, you can email me directly at [email protected]

[LittleBen]

Wish I could help ... But I'm about 1000 miles away and there's no Osage here.

[takefive]

I'm also in The Land of No Osage but good luck on your quest  

[Wildboy]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. This might be a longer term project that will take a while to get started. I still think it would be a great weekend project to get a small group of guys maybe 4-5, that want to follow Dean Torges methods, harvest 2-3 Osage logs, then reduce them to bow blanks. It might take two weekends to do it depending on how many guys were in on the project.... We could then divide the blanks among the group...

I'm willing to travel and spend a weekend or two on this project... Yea, Dean's book has really inspired me to do what I started thinking about all those years ago...

If anyone out there in Osage land is willing to help and participate maybe we can get enough guys interested to make it happen...

[Msturm]

I think they have Guava in Florida. I know here in Hawaii Guava makes a mean bow!  You could possibly reduce your travel costs and find some great character bow wood close to home.   Just an idea.

Oddly enough I just finished Hunting the Osage Bow last night and the little town (Soldotna) where he caught the plane that put him on caribou is where I grew up. I have seen that herd via float plane!  

Cool book. I hope your adventure goes well. I will begin mine very soon but using some Strawberry Guava to make my bow.

Best wishes!

Sturm

[Wildboy]

Thanks Sturm, I'll keep that in mind for future projects. I've got a guy from another forum sending me a stave to start with. After I get some experience I might venture into other woods and character challenges. I'm hoping to start with a clean piece of straight wood for this first bow....  

[vampire]

I know the feeling I looked all over Georgia for osage. There is a little but poor quality for bows.
  I resorted to buying an osage bow blank from Gary Davis of Rattlestick bows for my first bow. It made a nice hunting bow. Another option is to go up to Clarksville, TN the end of April for a four day bow build at the Twin Oaks Bow Shoot. You can buy an Osage stave and get help building or starting the process there. Osage staves range from $40 to $15 on the last day. I went last year and had a great time, check it out on line. I have also built a couple of good bows from Hickory. I'm on my fifth bow now so I'm no professional, but I love it.