Howdy, I happen to be proud of how dark my favorite bow has turned. Proof of a lot of use! My dad was a wood turner and he always said wood turners would apply sun tan lotion to osage in order to slow the color change. So, you can slow the color change by using a finish with UV protectors and then topping off with your favorite sun tan lotion . I wonder what deer think about the smell of coconut oil? Ron