excited new guy!

[Catnapper]

Hi all,
      I've been lurking on this site as a guest trying to learn as much as I can and I finally decided to become a member. I'm very new to bow making but I have managed to turn out a couple hickory bows and a Osage flat bow. I'm very interested in primitive archery and am excited to learn from all you experienced guys! I live in Northeastern Wyoming which is a bow wood desert but thankfully I can order osage online! I also hunt, fish, and trap so I'm interested in primitive tools and techniques for those hobbies as well. I am a fairly young guy (early twenties) so I'm hoping if I plant some osage trees in our field I will be able to turn them into a bow one day!

[Cameroo]

Welcome to the club!

[Wolf Watcher]

Welcome to the family!  Not many of us from the Cowboy state.  I live in the mountains out of Meeteetse.  Hawk Huston lives in the breaks out of Clark.  JW Halverson lives in Rapid City, SD. and he is a great builder of bows.  One thing we do have is a place to hunt with the bows we make.  If you like to trade, staves are no problem as many of the members are willing to offer up most any kind of wood you may need!  A/Ho Joe

[Catnapper]

Thanks for the welcome guys. And its cool there are bowyers in my own state! I live in Gillette so I'm not to far from Rapid City either. I do however spend most of my time in the bighorn mts. Fly fishing or scouting for elk.  Joe have you tried any of the wood native to Wyoming for bow wood yet? I have heard juniper makes a functional bow but I have not tried it yet. I think when this rain quits I might go look for a good tree. If anyone has used juniper, what design works well? And should I use sapwood or heartwood? I usually try to shoot for a 50#@28in draw. Any help is much appreciated!.........Keith

[Wolf Watcher]

I am not a great builder of bows, but have made some from the wood I got from the folks at the Classic and some from bamboo backed IPE that were already glued up for a couple of classes I took there.  One wood that we have lots of that makes a good bow is Russian Olive.  Most ranches want to get rid of it.  It is very hard on tools and takes some time to season unless you have a hot box.  Getting a piece straight enough to handle can also be a problem.   I hunt off a mule, so a short bow is necessary, but they are much harder to be accurate with.  There is a really talented bowyer that lives in Casper and owns Pronghorn Archery and is one of PA's advertisers.  He builds glass backed bows which are really fround upon here, but I carry one as my backup bow in cold weather.  Woke up to several inches of new snow this morning and have had a griz in the mountain pasture where I have some horses.  Lots of elk scattered around.  If you are a flint knapper the Big Horns have some of the very finest jasper.   A/Ho Joe 

[Catnapper]

We haven't gotten any snow lately just rain everyday for the last two weeks. I got an osage stave in the mail yesterday so I have a piece of wood to whittle on while it rains. It's pretty twisted and gnarly so hopefully I can coax a bow out of it. Next trapping season I'm thinking about seeing if anyone on this site would be willing to trade a few nice osage staves for a bobcat pelt. They make perdy quivers. I sold all of the ones I caught this year to the fur buyer but  I have a spot that is full of cats. When you hunt off your mule do you shoot from mounted position?

[Catnapper]

We haven't gotten any snow lately just rain everyday for the last two weeks. I got an osage stave in the mail yesterday so I have a piece of wood to whittle on while it rains. It's pretty twisted and gnarly so hopefully I can coax a bow out of it. Next trapping season I'm thinking about seeing if anyone on this site would be willing to trade a few nice osage staves for a bobcat pelt. They make perdy quivers. I sold all of the ones I caught this year to the fur buyer but  I have a spot that is full of cats. When you hunt off your mule do you shoot from mounted position?

[Wolf Watcher]

Would like to trade something for a bobcat hide.  Don't shoot off the mule!  This is such a big country rough country a bow hunter needs  to be able to get in the back country.  The elk are getting ready to calf and we are seeing lone cows from the house.  Good luck with the stave!  A/Ho Joe

[stickbender]

     Welcome Catnapper;
      You will find a superb class of people on here, and a huge wealth of knowledge.  As for Juniper, it was preferred by Ishi.  Juniper Junkie makes bows out of it, and I think Keenan has made some from it also.  They can help you for sure.  They are in Oregon.  If you Knapp, or don't, if you can get that jasper, you have some nice trading material there.  Go to the bow section, and ask for Juniper Junkie, or Keenan, and they will help you on info for Juniper.  In fact just ask any of the bowyers on here, I am sure they can help you., or point you in the right direction.  Supposedly, if the tree has fruit, or thorns, it will make a bow.   I have a cousin from Thermopolis, and the Widow of one in Riverton.  Been through Wyoming a few times, but never hunted there.  Looks like some rough country, in the Bear tooth, and Big Horn ranges.  I can certainly see the need for a Mule!   Beautiful country though.  When I see those ranges, and the ranges like the ones in Utah.  Whew!
I just marvel at the Indians, and early explorers who wandered those mountain ranges.  Unbelievably rough country!   But contact Juniper Junkie, and Keenan, and they will be a huge help to you.  Again Welcome.

                                                                Wayne

[JW_Halverson]

Hey Cat!  I was in Gillette today...didja see me wave?!?!?!

We got a new guy in Sundance, too.  Sounds like we need to have a Rendezvous!  In fact, the Prairie States Traditional Bowhunters are having a shoot coming up some time soon.  I better find out the dates and post them!