http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/fz4vgq/Ritchey%20P20/20130202_102507.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/fz4vgq/Ritchey%20P20/20130202_102521.jpg


Thanks,
Chad

Nope, looks like elm to me.

Does it have thorns on the small branches?

Not Osage.

Maybe ash.

Nosage

Thanks all.

Tree is set to be cut down due to wind damage. I thought if it was osage I would pick a few pieces. Oh well.

It still might be good bow wood even if its not osage.

:D

Bark looks very much like ash.  Any leaves, dead or alive, to look at?  Break a small branch off to see what it looks like inside.

Easy way to tell ash if there's no leaves is to look at the limbs.  Ash had opposing limbs, meaning if a limb is growing off one side, there will be one on the other mirroring it (or in absence of a limb, a knot).  Even if it is ash, it's still a good bow wood, and maybe a little easier to work with.  You can use the ring right under the bark, no reason to chase one.  Makes a good shooter too, from what I've heard.

Sure looks like what refer to here in Nebraska as piss elm.

it looks like some kind of bow wood  

i dont think it is ash - might be elm? the ONLY scientific way to tell is to send a stave to everyone who responds to this post and then ask their opinion!          

QuoteOriginally posted by heartlandbowyer:
Sure looks like what refer to here in Nebraska as piss elm.

Good to know someone else calls it pis elm too. What most people call pis elm around here is actually winged elm and it is extremely tough wood to work with.

QuoteOriginally posted by talkingcabbage:
Easy way to tell ash if there's no leaves is to look at the limbs.  Ash had opposing limbs, meaning if a limb is growing off one side, there will be one on the other mirroring it (or in absence of a limb, a knot).  Even if it is ash, it's still a good bow wood, and maybe a little easier to work with.  You can use the ring right under the bark, no reason to chase one.  Makes a good shooter too, from what I've heard.

'Round here we have Modesto Ash (Fraxus Veluntina) and it usually doesn't have the opposing limbs.  It does have a relatively short trunk and long main limbs of 10-18" diameter.  Trunk height of 5-8 feet for a 30-40 foot tall tree.  Almond shaped leaves in clusters of 5 or 7.  They're seeded here right now.

Step back and take a picture of the trees crown from about 40 feet away. No other tree has the tortured limb configuration of osage, easily recognizable.

Piss elm. Can see the small tuft of branches coming off the side. They call witch brooming.

Heres what Eric is talking about, it should look something like this.