arrow material ID

[boughnut]

Ok so my wife asked me to teacher how to make a hunting bow and arrow set up just off what we can gather in the woods.  this is my first attempt at making arrows but so far so good they are looking nice I am just not sure if I have good material here or not.  It seems hard and was easy to get straight but still not sure.  any suggestions as to what these shoots are and if they are good or not will be great.  There are two different types here I hope the pics help one has very small leafes and the other are much larger about 3 inch in length or so.

thanks

[boughnut]

more pics

[Nifty]

The first one looks like Ligustrum. Not sure on the second one with bigger leaves.

[boughnut]

The second one had Identical bark to some wild cherry trees i harvisted about a year ago for staves.  but could not remember if the leafs matched.  Is the one you mentioned any good for arrows The are very dry now and seem to have a pretty high spine weight.

[Pat B]

The first is privet(Ligustrum) and the second looks like cherry. Both will make arrows. If the cherry is black cherry they are hard to keep straight in my experience.

[crooketarrow]

  First 2 pic's. are ALTERNET (GRAY) DOG WOOD.
 Not sure about the last one but it's not wild cherry. The bark look like hazzel nut the grows here in WV. DOSE IT GROW IN A STAND AND THE SHOOTS ARE 6 TO 8 FEET TALL. Hazzel dos'nt have limbs that big growing into the stalk like that.

[boughnut]

The last pic of bark is the one with the big leaves.  I found these on the powerline that runs behind my house.  They had already been cut.  I had been eyeballing them for a while and then the power company cam back there and brush hoged like they do every 5 years and cut all small trees and tossed them to the side.  these where trees at one time that they had cut down to about a foot tall with about 1.5inch diameter bases.  after they cut them down short about 10 to 15 shoots sprouted of them so the tree could live on.  The shoots are from 3/8 to 1/2 inch at the thick ends and where about 4 foot to 5 foot tall.  I still think it is cherry but I have never seen hazle or not known it when I did.  I live in GA if that helps.  The Cherry or what I think is cherry is a bit more flexable and lighter weight than the other if that helps to.  Thanks for the replys I am still learning tree ID, I have been a board and bamboo bow maker for a long time but just a year ago or so I got into the self bow side of things which I have to say is alot more fun that board and bamboo and Have been trying to learn tree id sence.  I can look at a board and tell ya what it is but some of these trees stump me so any help is greatly apreciated.

[boughnut]

if they are dog wood I will be a very happy camper after seeing Iowa's dog wood build along.

[Josh B]

I would have to agree with Pat, privet and some sort of cherry.  Josh

[Pat B]

Both are different, one has opposite leaves and the other alternate. Neither are dogwood of any kind.

[crooketarrow]

  THE PIC'S WITH THE LITTLE LIGHTER COLOR DIMPLES STICKING OUT ON THE BARK IS GRAY DOG WOOD I'VE CUT 1000'S OF THEM. I've never seen any other shoots that have thosE dimples sticking out. That first pic. of leaves ar'nt dog wood. P  That last pic no cherry tree bark I've ever seen around here. All cherry barks is a lot darked with that deep purplesh color..

[boughnut]

the first set of leaves belong the to the pic with the little lighter color dimples sticking out.  The last pic of bark goes with the other leaves it also has little lighter color dimples just like all the wild cherry trees around here and the pic did not come out showing just how dark it is.  the bark is very dark on that last one.  Thanks for the input crooketarrow I appreciate everyone's opinions and I hope that helps to clear things up about what bark goes to what leaf. 

[boughnut]

well thanks every one I think the majority rules here thanks for all the input I will go with privit and chery hope the chery stays straight as I have lots of it around my place.

[Josh B]

Don't give up on finding the dogwood. That stuff is everywhere. Drive down the backroads  and look for thickets at the edges of clearings and in the ditches.  I don't know about your area right now, but the northern patches of dogwood from Western PA to Western KS are loaded with berries at the moment.  The clusters of the fruit are a sure identifier.  Josh