Where do you all find wood?

[Frosty the Bowman]

Hey as some of ya know I had acrazy bow dream the other day.

I have had some people show me that they have some of the wood I would need. But i was wondering where do you guys look to find wood sources?

I have done the Google thing, with limited results, and most sponsors deal primarily with more trad-bow wood.

Lokking for the outside, or at least edge of the box stuff, like the apple, and plum I spoke about in the other thread, cherry is esay enough to find it seems, except in staves.

What about other fruit wood, any ideas?
(I'm good for apple as ol'Roy is cutting his tree down for me        

Let me know  and Thanks

[Ranger44]

Look for the smaller local sawmills.  Not sure what is native there but the little mills can be a real good source.  They also don't always show up in "Google" searches as the small guys don't always use the internet to advertise.

[mwosborn]

Pm sent frosty.

[scrub-buster]

I mostly look in the back yard.  I'm lucky enough to live on 75 acres of prime bow woods.

[Roy from Pa]

I find wood in the woods:)

[LittleBen]

I'm with Roy, I'm still working on the wood I cut when I was up in NY. I usually just cut some wood at my folks place, they have a goood size woodlot.

I've had really good luck at some sawmills too. They will have all the domestics and alot of exotics if you find a decent one.

Here's a thought, fin a sawmill that's near enough to a reasonably affluent/populous area that they might serve that area. They are likely to have Ipe etc. because its used for fairly high end flooring and decks. Get on the horn and talk to em.

[Eric Krewson]

When I first started out I looked for tree trimming/clearing operations for wood. I usually carried one of my bows with me to show the land owner when I asked for permission to haul off the above mentioned wood.

Here is the story of my first osage gathering trip.

I was walking in the woods around my subdivision one day in a swampy area of Muscle Shoals Al and noticed a few osage trees. I didn't know who owned the land so I didn't attempt to cut a any of the trees, just lusted after them for months.

One day, on one of my walks, I met an older gentleman, talked for him a while, told him I was a beginning bow maker and had noticed a few osage trees on the property. I explained the wonderful properties of osage when it came to making bows.

He said "why don't you just cut them, no one will ever know". I explained that being the honorable sort of fellow I was, that would be out of the question, I had to have the owners permission.

He then said "I like honest people, I happen to own this land, cut all the osage you want".

Turns out that day he was looking for the perps who had just done 30K worth of vandalism to a house he was constructing on the land. He was completely fed up with lowlife trespassers.

Over the years I asked a bunch of old guys if I could cut osage, pull osage out of burn piles or have a crack at it before the dozers got to it. I was never turned down and collected over 200 osage staves in the process.

Be honest(stolen wood is cursed), never leave a mess, show people what you intend to do with the wood and you will have more wood than you know what to do with.

[LittleBen]

Obviously Eric is on the straight and narrow path. We should all be as honest and forthright. I like to think everyone on TG is.

[Roy from Pa]

Yes you won't find a better person than Eric. And his bow knowledge and willingness to share it here is exceptional.

[Frosty the Bowman]

Thanks guys, awsome advice.

Eric, one of my teachers is a wood worker and does turning, he actually sent me a email that suggested the same thing, and passed on a name of another teacher who runs his own small mill on the side, kind as a hobby.

So yes you are right, be honest and it will pay for itself.

How long you been in Bama, lived in Mobile around 87-88 when I was a pup, wish I had known someone like you. Maybe I would have found a better hobby then I had and learned something usefull. All I got in was the usual teenage rebelion trouble. Besides at the time I thought all you southerners were so weird, so dang polite, Mr. and Mrs for everything.
Then came home to rude supprise, everyone back home is really rude, miss the south some days, but I love my mountains.

Thanks to all, you guys are great

Kevin