I have always made my arrows out of cedar shafts but I want to try making some arrows out of something similar to river cane. I live in Michigan so am too far north to find rivercane. Is there anything aroung these parts similar that I could experiment with?

You might find some red willow or osier as its called in some parts.

Sometimes the big home improvement stores carry bamboo in the garden dept. they use it for plant supports, it's know as Martha Stewart shafts. I would look for bigger than 1/4" at the nock end.

what dano said

I'm sure you have red osier dogwood. It makes excellent arrows and was a preferred shafting for some Native Americans. Once the leaves drop it is easy to see because of its red bark and it grows as a clump type shrub and usually in large colonies in wet areas.
 Do a Google search for Red Osier dogwood.(Cornus sericea).

The garden stakes work very well i have made a few and they work great will be trying to take a deer with some i got at Lowes this year. You mite get some funny looks as you are sorting throught them though.

There's shoots (tiny trees) growing everywhere. More info on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/