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hickory in high humidity
WhistlingBadger:
Hey, all. I'm going to be traveling to Nebraska and Michigan next month, and I'll be bringing one or two of my hickory flatbows to sample the local 3d ranges. I'm a little worried about the bows turning into wet noodles with all the humidity. Any tips to prevent this?
I waterproof my bows with a lard/beeswax/pine pitch mixture, and I'll keep them in air conditioned spaces as much as possible...but we're tent camping for much of the trip, so that won't be an option.
Aaron1726:
I'm definately not an expert here, and working with hickory for the first time I am understanding your fears about the winpiness of it in high humidity. That said, if you are tent camping, do you keep a fire going, or at least coals through the night? If so, maybe a rack near the fire might be the best bet, something in the smoke but not necessarily the heat. I've read that native Americans would do this, thought I've never tried it myself. Hope you have a great trip, though! Sounds like a good time.
superdav95:
Yes I’ve heard this too about the native Americans keeping their bows dry. I’ve noticed with my heat treated hickory bows that are sealed well still lose a little speed in high humidity. Not nearly as bad as non heat treated bows but still some. There is only so much that can be done to combat moisture. I think that the heat treatment does make the bow less susceptible to moisture but still has an affect. The other thing I’m gonna try this year is a 2 part epoxy coating on my hickory bows to see the difference. Even if it’s marginal improvement over other sealants and waterproofing methods it would be worth it.
WhistlingBadger:
--- Quote from: Aaron1726 on May 26, 2023, 11:22:16 pm ---I'm definately not an expert here, and working with hickory for the first time I am understanding your fears about the winpiness of it in high humidity. That said, if you are tent camping, do you keep a fire going, or at least coals through the night? If so, maybe a rack near the fire might be the best bet, something in the smoke but not necessarily the heat. I've read that native Americans would do this, thought I've never tried it myself. Hope you have a great trip, though! Sounds like a good time.
--- End quote ---
We're staying at KOA campgrounds and such, so keeping a fire going through the night won't be an option, either. I guess I'll just seal it the best I can and hope for the best...
Pat B:
It takes a few days for moisture to overtake a hickory bow. I think heat treating helps but even that will only be temporary. I've hunted in rain with a hickory bow here in the southeast with little or no bad affects. Maybe wipe down with your grease/bees wax/pitch before and after use and keep it is as dry an area as possible.
One of the main bow woods of the Eastern Woodland culture was hickory and the eastern woodlands were quite humid in the summers. Somehow hickory worked quite well for them.
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