(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v42/keyman/bows/CIMG3016.jpg)
3 logs 80" long and at least 10" in dia.
I bet you will get a few bows out of that one.
Had to leave them there until we can get a tractor across the creek. I sealed the ends with shellac as soon as they hit the ground.
Not sure how many bows are in these three logs including belly splits. A lot! There are some more trees nearby that are larger. I think this will be enough wood for quite a while though. No sense cutting more when I have a ton of work ahead of me already.
I love that section where the grain is almost flat!
Looks like some good rings. Have fun with it.
Every time i see osage on the ground I shed a tear.....only because it does not grow near me. :-(
Have fun with your haul!
I feel like I need to get the logs up off of the damp ground soon.
Cut and not field dressed? :scared:
Get'em sealed, get'em split, get'em treated and get'em off the ground!
Nice score there Jim. You should try to get em split and sprayed for bugs asap. Especially this time of year. Due to bad planning on my part, I've left osage on the ground in the woods for over a year before and it was still good for bows, just had to go down a few extra rings to get below the bug holes. I try to plan ahead a little better now though.
Nice haul.I also wish that it grew around here.
I'll go out there and get them up off the ground and sprayed really good. Unsure when I'll be able to haul them out. Creek bank is pretty steep! Going to need some tractor work to get through.
Jim,
In those tough hard to get to logs, don't try and get the log out just split them where they lay and pack em out one at a time as staves. I know you can do that and it will help you get in shape for your elk hunt!
Mike
Wow! Look at those rings! Nice haul Jim! You are gonna be busy for a while!
My buddy who owns the land has a john deere with a for adapter on the front. I was planning on saving my energy for the splitting! LOL!
It is hard to imagine how Native Americans made their bows with little more than stone tools!
I bet bows were passed down for several generations. My 1st selfbow was Osage and I only used hand tools on it and it was very difficult! It must have taken many weeks or even months for them start to finish.
Here is a view of the 1st cut. The trunk was very straight for at least 18'.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v42/keyman/bows/CIMG3010.jpg)
Chainsaw and flip-flops!!! You're scaring the hell out of me, man!
Great haul!
Flip-Flops and chainsaws NO NO NO.
Nice looking Osage. That should keep You busy for a while.
Must be an okie thing Jim, I do all my loggin in flip flops too. :D
Thats not me. I had jeans , steel toed boots etc.. lol. He paid for it when he got hung up in the briars!
Dang Jim, I'd feel much better if he kept both hands on that chain saw. And had a good pair of boots on.. :)
Flip flops and one hand chainsaw cutting. Yikes!
Doesn't look like you first cut a wedge, might help the splitting of that one side when tree drops
Got them sprayed today. I found a bad spot on the 1st log where theheart wood was exposed and the wood wasps got to it. I think the rest of the log should be good though.
:( logs still out there. Creek is flooded again.
That's a ton of bows for sure !!
Sweet!!!
I would say float'em out, but osage is too heavy for that!
The Osage has landed! I have all three logs at my house. One split into 6 staves. By myself!
Sadly there is one spot on each log where the sap wood was exposed in the past and the wood bees got to it.
I think this tree was on its way out so I'm glad I cut it. At least I can salvage the rest
Good news, and nice save!
Well... there are some issues with these logs. Each one has the wood bee damage and they all have some rot. Some of the best rings are un usable. I'll salvage what I can. I have three staves roughed to outside bow dimensionsso they will dry faster.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v42/keyman/bows/CIMG3317.jpg)
Here is one of the better staves.
Other end.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v42/keyman/bows/CIMG3318.jpg)
I'm so jealous I live in southern california and we have crap for good trees
If you can not get full length staves, can you cut and get good billet wood out of some of the damaged trees?