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Finally found some

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osage outlaw:
RIVER CANE!!! 

After looking all summer, I noticed some growing in someones back yard about 3 miles from my house.  I saw the guy working in his yard on the way home the other day.  I dropped off the wife and grabbed my latest bow and went to talk to him.  I introduced myself and explained why I had stopped.  I showed him by bow and he was really interested.  He was an older gentleman and was super nice.  He took me to the patch of cane and told me to cut what I wanted.  Now, what I wanted was to cut about 200 pieces since I have had a hard time finding it.  So, I cut around 2 dozen and grabbed a few dry pieces that he had trimmed back.  He invited me back and offered to help me dig up some shoots in the spring so I can try to get some started on my property.  I plan on stopping back in and showing him the finished product.

Now, I have read the chapters on making arrows in the TBB's and Bows and Arrows of the Native Americans, and I haven't found much information.  I stripped all of the leaves and small limbs off of them.  But now what?

How long should I let them dry?
What Diameter should the nock and tip end be?

cracker:
Bundle them together with rubber bands or string keep in a dry place for six or eight weeks to dry heat and straighten then measure spine weight sort out and you got arrow material. Lots of info on this sight. Ron

Pat B:
Nice find. Most folks will allow you to cut cane in their yards if you ask nicely.
It looks to me that you cut mostly immature culms. Some of the ones on the right look more like the mature ones especially the ones that the paper sheath has come off. You will be ably to tell for sure as they dry. If immature they will wrinkle lengthwise. They will still make arrows but will be light in physical weight and in spine.
  I would be leery of the ones he cut that were laying on the ground. Fungi may have already set in. It doesn't take long. 

osage outlaw:
So I should cut some of the bigger more mature pieces?  I didn't want to thin out his patch so I was trying to cut some smaller ones that I thought would be big enough to make arrows.  And you were right about the ones that were already cut.  I tried to straighten them with the heat gun and they folded.  They seemed to have very thin walls, and there were small white worms inside.  I could hear them clicking.

LEGIONNAIRE:
Hey there osage outlaw, just to point you in the right direction, you dont wanna thin cane because its thin and because the strenght like in bamboo lies in the outer wall. the thicker side I make about 3/8 of an inch sometimes a little larger. If there was worms then they wont work, they ate most of the inside, I hope its only on the dry ones. Good luck OO

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