Our Adventure for Pacific Yew (lots of pics)

[nativenoobowyer86]

So jealous! Thats a great haul guys, and looks like a good time too

[portlandfire]

   Fantastic haul!   Some real straight staves.  Glad you guys had a good time and returned safe.  Thanks again for the nice BBQ last week. 
 Dave

[Weylin]

Thanks Dave, it was good to see you again.

Del, if it makes you feel any better, we were talking about you and your bows while we were splitting. We will definitely try our hand at some traditional ELB's.

[fishfinder401]

thats an amazing haul, i actually think you guy shave surpassed the amount of tight ringed yew you can have, but i think you will be fine if you send me about three ,  i really have to make the trip to somewhere where yew grows, the closest to me is decorative bushes , so out of curiosity, how many staves worth did you get?

[Will H]

What a great haul you guys! Well done 

[Weylin]

Fishfinder, We haven't finished splitting so it's a little hard to tell at this point. Some logs we thought would only give up one good bow ended up producing three and some that we thought would give several only produced one. I think a conservative estimate would be 30 good staves, a handful of marginal staves and a few billet sets. But, like I said, it's hard to tell right now.

[Wylden Freeborne]

Any idea from any of you more seasoned bowyers about removing bark on green yew? also, once we get the staves all prettied up and ready to split up amongst the lone wolves, i will be interested in trades. especially for soft, warm furs. my whole family is moving to a tipi in the woods this september and warm furs would be great.

[vinemaplebows]

Don't do it is my opinion.

[Keenan]

 Looks like you all had a great time and a severe panic went through my heart as I gazed at those beauties wondering if you found my secret area,,,LOL   I have the paperwork for my permits in hand and I'm getting ready to do a gathering as well. Hope I don't find all stumps,LOL    Those are some great looking staves. What elevation were you?
  Great to see familiar faces.

[Carson (CMB)]

Keenan, if your honey hole is in #### canyon, just passed **** creek, then yep, we found and raided it all 
Good luck with your upcoming haul! Elevation was about 3200 ft. Found some higher, but it was pretty sparse and trees were too scragly. 

Wylden,, Weylin, I thought of another one: "It is always about yew, isn't it"

[Del the cat]

Personally I just paint the ends, leave 'em 9 months (I think the bark helps slow down the drying, but then we don't get insect pests in the UK). Then start roughing 'em down a bit so they are down to approx size when they've had the full year. Bark comes off when I'm ready to make a bow, but if that sap wood is thin enough, I'd prob just let it fall off  as it's tillered... all the cracking noises as it pops off will just make tillering more exciting
Del

[DarkSoul]

I'm not jealous at all.  I have quite some yew myself. Not, no envious at all...
Seriously, not at all.

I repeat: I AM NOT JEALOUS!


I don't claim to be an expert in yew, but I've seasoned at least ten yew staves. My advice is to leave the bark ON.. Removing the bark is easy, but somehow those staves then always end up drying in deflex.

[blackhawk]

Good times right there 

So how many pm's have ya guys gotten saying "hey dude,can I get one of those staves"....lol

[Carson (CMB)]

We (I ) pulled the bark off two staves because I wanted to see for myself the difference in drying.  The only other time I harvested yew, it was winter and just peeling the bark off wasnt an option.  It was surprising when this time I could peel the bark right off in one continuous piece like some of the whitewoods. I sealed up the entire back with elmers (that has proved the best sealer for me on ocean spray, but I bet paint would work well too).  I like how removing that back reveals a pristine back with sapsucker holes and pin knots showing delicately on the cream white back. Hopefully, that elmers keeps those bare backs from checking.

This is what I call pest control:

[Gaur]

Looks like you had a great time.  Look forward to seeing some bows made from these in the next few years.