Hi Trail Walker.
I'm originally from Castle Dale. Graduated from Emery High in '97. Haven't been back to Emery County for years, but I still have some family living there. My nephew lives out there, and apparently is really into Mtn. Lion hunting, so I've been wanting to get back there and get him to take me out one of these winters. It's amazing who you'll run into on these forums.
Well, I'm definitely familiar with the climate out there, but all my bow-building experience has been in Pennsylvania, and more recently, in Houston. I have the opposite problem here in Houston, so I'll defer to the advice of others to answer your questions. And I'll listen to their every word, because eventually I want to make the move back home. What I will say, is that Hickory is a great wood to work with. I've made a few hickory bows, mostly from boards, but I do have one from a stave. It's a great wood for a beginner, because as others have hinted at, it's difficult to break. One of my first bows was a bamboo-backed hickory, which only cost me maybe $30 for the materials, and is still one of my favorite bows.
The only other thing I can add is just don't give up. Once you get that good bow, and then get out and get that first harvest with your own hand-made bow, it's the most rewarding experience ever! I'm going on 3 years into this hobby, and have turned out some good bows, but I'm still learning. Just this last weekend I totally messed up a beautiful sinew-backed Osage bow because I got in too much of a hurry when tillering and created a hinge. By the time I got it worked out, the draw weight was in the 20's. I may have even cried a little, but I won't admit it. My first two bows broke. One of them I was actually shooting well and decided to take it hunting. It exploded gloriously in my tree stand. I understand the frustration, but persevere, take the good advice everyone is giving you in here, and I bet the next bow turns out beautifully, and then you'll be hopelessly addicted like the rest of us.
Eric
