Michigan self bow

[Mic W]

I am interested in making my own bow and wonder if you know some good to excellent bow woods available in Michigan.

[ordcorpdw]

Hmmmm what's available in michigan....what started my belief in the ability to make a bow for myself was this crazy guy Sam Harper and his web site poor folks bows....with simplicity he shows the reader how to make a bow from what's available at the local hardware store...that'll get you hooked. Where I was from in AZ the only way to hunt without a lottery was archery and he made it possible for my budget....I started there a And then started digging in to what was available in my area....now I'm I'm Georgia and have some woods available to me from the wild....look for Osage, hickory, mulberry (Osage family), and I've even heard of yew growing on people's property.....don't know about michigan but you have options.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Michigan is covered in good to excellent woods.

Elms
hickorys
hop hornbeam
osage (some)
walnut
white oak
hackberry
erc


What part of the state are you in? Central is the best for variety.

[John Scifres]

Good to Excellent?  Hickory would be my first choice unless you have some osage around.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Second to osage, HHB would easily take my vote for #2. Humidity has very little effect on it. I haven't noticed any actually. Hickory can vary 15# in draw weight through out a calendar year up here. Yuck.

[Mic W]

HHB! There is the magic.

I have heard a lot about HHB from a couple of guys I have talked to in my area but no body had or made a bow with it, so wasn't sure how good it is.

So I will focus my search on HHB and hope it works out. Thank you Pearl Drums for verifying HHB and the rest of you for solid sugestions.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Watch that bark pattern VERY close when you choose a tree to cut. Most of it spirals slowly as it reaches upward, the wood will spiral as well and be no good. The bark is scaly, look at the gaps between the scales as they climb up, be sure they don't twist more than a few degrees over 6 feet in length. Also, wait until May to cut any. The sap is down now and getting bark off clean is a total pain in the boot. In the spring you can peel it off clean with your hands.

[LittleBen]

x2 what pearldrums said. I ahve lots of HHB at my parents' place in upstate NY (very similar woods there as in michigan) and I've looked at dozens of trees and they're all too twisted to use. So look carefully ...

I like hickory, but like PD said, it can vary so much in draw wiehgt throughout the year it's ridiculous. Even if you say ... so what ... I'l make it 60lbs and it'll always be between 50lbs and 70lbs ... good for deer .... you'd be right, except you'll spend the rest of your life spining arrows for it because everytime the draw weight changes, your arrows will be off in spine ...