I wanted to get the "Boyers Bench" attention with this post because I know from experience that Mullberry is a Real close second or maybe better? To Osage. Well, I've got one HUGE Historical Mullberry tree in my front yard that has run it's course and it's starting to split in the middle of the stump. It's going to come down no matter what, whether the storms and wind bring it down or if somebody want's to take it down? Either way it will come down soon.
Myself, and thinking of you all.....I don't want to waste good "bow making wood" I don't want to see this 100+ year old tree end it's days in the back of a wood chipper. So here's the deal.
If anybody in the Missouri area want's this tree for staves and wouldn't mind working out some kinda deal with me so I can get some clean shaven staves out of the arrangement, you can have this HUGE tree for free. Email me at Carnivore6868@gmail.com or you can call my cell and leave a message at 636-=288-7221
I would take this tree down myself, but I had shoulder surgery less than a month ago and I just can't do that kind of work anymore. I live in SE Mo. near Farmington if you want to Google my area.
More info on request and I have pics of the tree that I will upload when I can, or I can send them by text.

Thanks, MO

Welcome back!  Wish I could help out, but I'm in NE Wisconsin.

Gooooooood booooow woooood!

Just think of all the good staves a guy could have sitting around the shop this winter to keep himself busy.  

So jelous I'm not down there. I would be sitting in your front yard with a axe lol

Long drive from New York or my chainsaw would already be in the car.

Half of this big tree is on the ground now, the other half is sagging badly. In the next weekend or two I plan to get out there and salvage what "bow wood" I can out of it, bad shoulder permitting. I'm not letting this 100+ year old tree go to waste, at least not until I get some good staves out of it to put back for future use when the urge hits me to make a BooBerry Hammer. LOL

If it's too rotted or nasty for staves I bet a 100 year old mulberry would make a wicked live edge table ..... Hmmmm

It's not rotted at all, just near the stump which split in half and the inside of the stump is decayed. Everything away from that is awesome quality stave material. I'll let you know what the stump side of each good part of the tree looks like once I take a chainsaw to it. Any special prep needed if I were to saw off a "edge table" sized portion? I normally debark and remove the sap wood from the staves, then seal the back and ends leaving the belly open so it can dehydrate with minimal splitting, but I've never saved a piece of stump for making furniture.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm going to save as much of this poor old tree that I grew up with as a kid as I possibly can. Me and my older brother used to climb this tree when we were kids and pick berries to eat as we went higher and higher. It was a huge tree way back when I was about 8 yrs. old, I'm 47 now. My mom even remarked that this Mullberry tree was big when she was a kid, and she's 67 years old, so that tells you how old this ancient tree is. Thanks for the input y'all. Always welcomed!  

Man I wish I could fly down and get some wood man I would have fun splitting them staves. would love to buy a stave or two off you shipping to cali would be the killer.

If you made the drive and brought a big trailer you could cut all the staves you want for free. I'm leaving the tree "as is" for now because it's still getting nourishment from the stump, but once it dies then it's harvest time, otherwise it's just firewood.

Let's try some pics from Photobucket, I'm doing this for a friend on TG. He doesn't know how to post pics so bear with me and I'll see what I can do.

http://s1369.photobucket.com/user/chris_banks4/story

Evidently Tg No longer allows posting of pics? I've tried every link available and it still does not show up in my post. Hmmmm

That is a HUGE mulberry

Thank you Sir.!

Mudd, how long will it be before we shoot together?

Any time you want S. H., you're more than welcome at "Casa De Mudd".

That tree looks as old as semo_punter.