Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: HickoryBill on February 01, 2011, 09:54:10 pm
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I have an uncle who owns some hunting property. I've noticed a type of tree growing on his property that I'm not sure of the species. The bark looks like a young hickory, but has short sharp spines all over. There it quite a few of them and they seem to range from 2" to 6"diameter, And get about 20 to 30 feet high and straight with few limbs at the bottom.The property is in western Pennsylvania if that helps. I can't seem to find anything on the web about it. I thought about cutting some and trying to make a bow from it? Thnks for any help.
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Short sharp spines sound like Black locust to me.
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I haven't seen a mature tree though. All the ones I found where 20-30 feet high and 2-6" diameter.
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And I mean the bark is covered in short spines!!!!!
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honey locust?
pics would realy help ;)
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Sorry the property is 50 miles away from me :-\ :-\ :-\ Might be able to get some this weekend tho.
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A honey locust(Gleditisia triacanthos) has clusters of long thin sharp spines on it's trunk with slick to slightly furrowed bark, Black locust(Robina pseudoacacia) has small single roselike thorns on the trunk of very young trees and the smaller branches of all size trees. One other possibility that comes to mind is "Devils-walkingstick(Aralia spinosa). It is a small tree to 30' and 8" diameter(generally 2" to 3"). Smooth bark and the trunk and branches are covered with small sharp thorns.
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Im in Pennsylvania too. Sounds like locust of some kind.
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PatB. Do you think it would make a bow?
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If it is the devils walkingstick it is too thorny for me to try. ;D I have never tested the wood. I know it doesn't take it long to rot once dead but bamboo is the same so you can't always go by that.
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Yep, sounds like devil's walking stick, not bow wood.
I cut some in my woods a few years ago. Walked down in the woods just now and took this picture of a sprout that grew up from the stump.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/devilswalkingstick.jpg)
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Thanks for the pic. But the spines on the tree I'm talking about aren't that long or thick, and some of the trees are bigger??? ??? ???
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I was also thinking it was some type of locust. The devils club I am use to seeing doesn't get very big in diameter and has black colored berrys on top, bear love em.
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Using Pats description, and without a pic...I'm goin with black locust
Ron
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I guess I'll just cut a piece and split it, and see what it looks like.I would be nice if it was black locust though. ;) ;)
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have you checked for hackberry resemblences?
J.B.
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No thorns on hackberry.