Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: Gus on April 25, 2012, 07:01:42 pm
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Thought I would post this for a few assenting Haroom Ha's, as I only get "The Look" from my wife... :)
Also thought it would be instructive to some of the newer stave hunters out there looking for wood sources.
I work out of my house these days and look after my two youngsters, 1 and 3 year old boys.
They go to school part time, which gives me some daylight hours to call on clients as not all are up to after hours work.
So anytime I'm out running the boys around or to and from work calls I drive the neighborhood.
Three weeks ago after a humdinger of a storm front moved through I came across a beautiful sight, to me as a wood hunter at least.
Sticking out of a Smashed down chainlink fence was some beautiful Yella Wood.
We done have much Osage around this area so I figured it as Mulberry, correctly.
After a week of dropping back by a couple times a day trying to catch the land owner at home I left a note.
In the note I offered to cut up the tree for free to his specifications and stack it out for heavy trash pickup.
And that I would like to take the straight stuff of a certain length for use in making Wooden Bows.
The property owner called me back after about a week and a half.
He said he was intrigued by my note, and that he was an Old Archer, now reduced to using a crossbow to hunt, by age and wear and tear on his person.
We talked for a while about Archery and the tree and made a date to cut her up.
We got her cut and most of the tree hauled out, leaving 2 seven foot trunk sections to deal with.
He asked me how I would get the Trunks out and was dubious when I told him I would split them on site with a sledge, three wedges and a couple of hatchet heads.
It took me about an hour to split the upper trunk section into eights.
I'll be doing the same with the lower trunk early next week.
So far I got five billet sections 20" to 30" in diameter.
The two Trunk sections range from 24" to 33" in diameter.
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/P4140007.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/P4140008.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/P4140011.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/P4140014.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/P4140014.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh547/augustus1967/P4140015.jpg)
Thanks for looking!
-gus
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nice haul , we had a tornado come through on fri 13th :-\ a couple of blocks from me ,there is some nice logs stacked up on peoples lawns for trash pickup but most is either junk or straight and HUGE. i need to find a way to pick some up ;)
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Losts of work but a great haul! Well down.
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Nice work! I have a neighbor a few houses away that had an osage tree that I'd always look at while on walks. I'd been meaning to talk to them about it, then, you guessed it, I saw it cut up in 2 1/2 foot pieces.
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Dang it Adam, that is a sad tale...
Chalk it to experience... if you see it laying out don't put off tracking down the land owner...
I saw a Black Walnut that went that way last year... wasn't gonna miss out on this Mulberry!
:)
-gus
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Super nice haul Gus.. I did read in the in the news that a "chainsaw wielding mad man was cutting trees down in vacant houses."
:) Cipriano
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Nice haul ;)
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Sweet haul Gus... Those are some very nice staves!!!
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Yes Sir...
They are still pretty massive, having been split into eighths.
Should be able to take a belly split and then split the outer portion of several of the eighths.
Then the remaining pieces will be split normally.
Haven't had a chance to lay them out and study them yet. :)
-gus
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Nice Haul Gus. :D
Are you sure that is not Hickory? Just Asking.
David
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Thank You RidgeRunner...
No Sir, I was eating the Mulberries off the limbs while I was cutting her up... :)
-gus
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I guess that is proof enough. ;D
That next log looks real nice. ;)
Thanks
David
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I hear ya...
It looks promissing, but there is a bit of Nasty in the lower heart, as is the case with many old trees.
But there should be some nice staves in there too.
Hope to get it out this week.
I'll post pics when I get her split.
-gus