Texas bow wood?

Elkstalker Jr. · March 05, 2010, 09:05:00 PM

My dad and I had just started making our own bows back home in Virginia until I moved down to south Texas to go to graduate school. I was wondering if there are any trees down here that would make a good hunting bow. I figure it would be a pretty cool souvenir to take back. Is mesquite or Texas persimmon worth messing with, or will I have to venture north to find something else? Thanks in advance for the posts.

sulphur · March 05, 2010, 09:10:00 PM

persimmon will do fine. mesquite works well with a good backing of sinew. how far south are you?? seen any osage around? should have some hackberry also.

Elkstalker Jr. · March 05, 2010, 09:47:00 PM

The ranches we work on are near Carrizo Springs, and I live in Corpus Christi. One of the other students has a ranch near Tilden, I think. May find some different wood up that way. Mesquite and persimmon are all that's down here, though. Hard to find one big enough (or straight enough) to make a bow out of... Thanks for the info.

WestTexan · March 06, 2010, 10:58:00 PM

You might try and find some Hackberry...It will work. I made a 48" out of some last November just to see how I liked it and I'm impressed with it. I've got a nice big tree picked out to make several more but these will be closer to 66" this time.

Loren Holland · March 08, 2010, 05:42:00 PM

Don't forget that pecan is in the hickory family, and works well, especially when backed.

I myself an looking for the right live oak. i read that it was the hardest oak here in TX, although it may not have the interlocking fibers like white oak that you buy.

Roy Steele · March 09, 2010, 09:07:00 AM

Sence these woods don't grow straight for very long.Try billets.

Elkstalker Jr. · March 11, 2010, 09:36:00 PM

Are you referring to sugar hackberry or spiny hackberry (a.k.a. granjeno)? Thanks again.

WestTexan · March 11, 2010, 10:58:00 PM

Hmm never even thought about that.....It's Sugar Hackberry or Palo Blanco is what the hands at work call it. The better ones seem to grow in a creek bottom or a brush thicket.If you do find one and after you split it you can get the bark off with a small hammer...you don't have to hit real hard just enough to loosen the bark and it'll come right off.