Author Topic: How Old is your Osage?  (Read 2440 times)

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Offline gstoneberg

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How Old is your Osage?
« on: August 03, 2011, 09:46:57 pm »
With the recent talk about growing osage or planting osage seedlings, I got to thinking.  How old is a usable osage tree in your area?  I just walked out and counted the rings in a log that was roughly 6" at the base, a little less than 5" at the top.  31 rings, so here in Texas it took roughly 30 years to get a 6" osage tree.  Anybody else have osage they can count the rings on?

George
St Paul, TX

Offline Dvshunter

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Re: How Old is your Osage?
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2011, 11:33:18 pm »
MOst of the stuff I have is around 40 or so and roughly 14in. in diameter
"There is a natural mystic blowing through the air; if you listen carefully now you will hear." Robert Nesta Marley

Offline mullet

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Re: How Old is your Osage?
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2011, 12:00:53 am »
 I have what I think is the only two Osage trees in Central Florida. They are 5 years old, 36" high, 2" inch trunk, and at this rate I'll be worm food before you could make a bend in the handle bow. In contrast, my Ipe tree is 35' tall in 13 years
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?

Offline FlintWalker

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Re: How Old is your Osage?
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2011, 12:13:48 am »
About 10-12 years around here. They grow fast in the first few years then usually slow down a lot as it gets older. 
Be thankfull for all you have, because no matter how bad you think it is...it can always be worse.

Offline medic336

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Re: How Old is your Osage?
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2011, 01:36:48 am »
cutting a smaller one soon I'll let you know... Keep in mind though that this one grew in a rocky area on the side of a mountain. Figuring on a high ring count.

Offline osage outlaw

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Re: How Old is your Osage?
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2011, 10:00:50 am »
I don't know about a young tree, but the second growth grows really fast around here.  Stumps that were cut 10 years ago have 4-6" second growth on them.
I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline Pat B

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Re: How Old is your Osage?
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2011, 11:28:37 am »
I have made good, hunting weight bows from 5 to 6 year old second growth suckers.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: How Old is your Osage?
« Reply #7 on: August 04, 2011, 11:40:44 am »
So, the key to quick osage growth appears to be to find an old one, cut it down and then persuade the landowner to let it grow up from the stump.  So far nobody in Texas has let me do that.  I have plenty of people asking me to cut them as close to the ground as I can. :(

George
St Paul, TX