If you don't locate osage from someone else, I would recommend you find someone who owns a hardwood forest and see if you can find osage there. It would be a plus if the landowner will let you cut some of it. Offer to cut up the tops of the osage trees for the landowner for firewood to give to him/her.
You see, osage wants to grow into a bush with limbs and twigs growing out in all directions. So, when it's found growing in a field where it gets lots of light, it generally looks more like a bush than a tree. But, when found growing amongst other trees like in a forest environment, it must compete with other trees to survive, causing it to grow taller in order to get more light. Therefore, it more resembles a tree instead of a bush. Find osage in the latter setting and you'll get better, straighter osage.
Topic: osage bow staves (Read 401 times)
