Hey guys, I'm a fan of fancy woods as the next guy, but I was wondering which bowyers make an effort to use wood that has been sustainably harvested. We all like to talk about the nature of being in the woods, the connection with nature, the encroaching of humans on our wild spaces. How about making sure those spaces remain wild, when buying something like a bow or arrows? Any names? Thanks, Marco
Great question. I'd like to see a list woods that are known to come from endangered habitats. I'd wage most north american species are pretty safe bets as far as sustainability goes. There are several certification programs that give some assurance that wood was harvested sustainably.
I like bowhunting with wood/glass bows. What is the definition of sustainably harvested wood?
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/keeping-forests-green-sustainably-harvested-wood.html
Hi Marco..... :wavey:
Ciao Forester, I'm asking around. It matters to me...
Matters to me too. If I learn any more I will be sure to let you know.
What about all the Trad Gang sponsors who use cocobolo, bocote, bubinga, etc?
Almost any domestic wood is sustainably managed. Unless there are other reasons to take land out of production, like development, which does not fall under this discussion, its a rare landholder that does not expect to continue harvesting lumber on land that already yields product. While some are more "actively" managed than others, the general aim is to be able to continue harvests.
Its worthwhile to ask about exotic woods because sustainabilty practices usually benefit the smaller land holder and/or workers in 3rd world countries for the same reason it benefits those in the US. Land can yield product but also be used recreationally (think hunting lease) is but one example.
Joshua, who with his Dad managed 200 acres of woodland for saw and veneer logs, habitat, focusing on specialty markets, like woodworking - carvers, furniture makers, turners and probably bowyers too.
QuoteAlmost any domestic wood is sustainably managed. Unless there are other reasons to take land out of production, like development, which does not fall under this discussion, its a rare landholder that does not expect to contiue harvesting lumber on land that already yields product. While some are more "actively" managed than others, the general aim is to be able to continue harvests.
Oh how I wish this were true.
Not knocking you at all Joshua. From the tone of your post I would bet you did a great job in your management. And you are correct that many people with a long term management goal practice good forestry. But there are still too many operations out there that just cut down trees for money and offer nothing for sustainability to the unknowing and trusting landowner. High-grading timber is still practiced in too many places and it would be nice to know that we're not promoting the practice when carrying a wooden bow.
Great Northern's bows are built with al indigenous woods -- osage, maple, birch, hickory, elm, etc. No rainforest woods, etc.
QuoteOriginally posted by Forester:
But there are still too many operations out there that just cut down trees for money and offer nothing for sustainability to the unknowing and trusting landowner. ...
Oh I know, I know. We did a lot of educational outreach stuff, even demonstrating how it would make the owner more money in the long run. I wish I could walk everyone through a truely healthy forest- its so obvious to even the untrained eye. The place just throbs with life- the trees add serious mass every year, the animals/birds are plentiful. We took a property that had been "hammered" and in 15 years had a pretty nice woodlot that was a lot of joy to hunt in and work in. Hell, it was nice just to walk through...
J-
Joshua, great to know and you have my respect for that, we're lucky that there are and were people like you who try.
As someone who has seen woods ruined by unsustainable management, I want to know my bow wood did not contribute to that. I feel that the bow, as an object and a symbol, should represent my respect for the places I spend so much time in, and take so much enjoyment from. Marco
jhg - :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Shifting Shadow -
QuoteWhat about all the Trad Gang sponsors who use cocobolo, bocote, bubinga, etc?
I think that is part of the question on the table. Not questioning the sponsors in any critical way, but curious to know who provides the option of woods from proven well managed forests.
Yes, mine is not an abstract question. It's about buying a bow that reflects my concern for keeping the woods for the next generation. Period.
Maybe some of the sponsors already do it but never thought of advertising it. This would be the time to chime in.
Thank you,
Marco
That came out way too harsh.
You could probably do more for sustainability by reading an ebook than by worrying about all of you archery equipment combined. The amount of wood, even including waste, used in a bow and arrows is almost ridiculously small. Also consider that the most popular wood arrow material is only harvested from downed lumber and the impact gets even smaller.
Great question. I'd like to see a list woods that are known to come from endangered habitats. I'd wage most north american species are pretty safe bets as far as sustainability goes. There are several certification programs that give some assurance that wood was harvested sustainably.
Jeff, I suppose one could buy and ebook AND use sustainable wood in their bow. Your argument is akin to a vegetarian who eats chicken wings and Assuages their guilt by convincing themselves that they only ate a teeny tiny part of the bird. I doubt they are merely trimming branches off the trees in the forests we should be worried about. I probably have some wood in my shop I shouldn't. Just think it's something we should alll be aware of.
Jeff, the "period" in my post may have been harsh, but I was smiling when I wrote it. ;)
It's not about quantity, but about principle for me.
I'm just trying to find out if anyone is taking that step.
Steve, that's exactly my point, thank you.
QuoteOriginally posted by Steve Kendrot:
Jeff, I suppose one could buy and ebook AND use sustainable wood in their bow. Your argument is akin to a vegetarian who eats chicken wings and Assuages their guilt by convincing themselves that they only ate a teeny tiny part of the bird. I doubt they are merely trimming branches off the trees in the forests we should be worried about. I probably have some wood in my shop I shouldn't. Just think it's something we should alll be aware of.
That wasn't my point, Steve. I did a really lousy job of getting this across...
Why worry about the match in your hand when you're standing in a brush fire? Sustainability is a great goal, but worrying about the wood used in archery...
Trad, I didn't mean your post was harsh, I meant my first try came out completely unacceptable for a public forum. It was harsh and sniping and not something that should have been posted here.
Plant a tree and you can do more for sustainability than chasing down every bowyer to ever sell a bow. It's that small an amount of wood.
Wow great topic. I would like to see better access to Australian woods they have a similar science behind there timber management. There are several domestics that could be called exotic (Mesquite, Madrone, Ebanyo, Texas Persimmon, Bay Laurel, Mountain Mahogany to name a few) we as consumers should look into their use as a more sustainable practice.
Lucas
There are also a lot of non-natives here in NA that make beautiful bow woods. I have a Thunderstick Moab with eucalyptus laminations on the limbs. Ab least in the Bay Area there are a ton of eucalyptus that are actually reaching old age and will be dying and falling in droves over the next decade or two from what I hear. There are even lot of urban trees cut each year to reduce the risk of them falling on houses or that come down in storms. In Californias central valley there are a lot almond orchards and I believe almond could make a very pretty bow. Just some thoughts. If I had the time to try making my own bow I think I would give some of these woods a try.
Che
I am all for sustainable wood use, but you can throw out cocabolo, zebrawood, ebony, etc.... None of them are sustainably harvested. South American forests are being destroyed at record rates. If every American refused to use those woods the forest will still get destroyed. It would just mean all the other countries would get the wood for a bit cheaper prices.
I agree that local woods are the best option and my next Wes Wallace is going to be all myrtlewood which is a west coast wood.
I'm gonna have my next bow buit will woods from the mainland US.
Actually, I worry more about the sustainability of our sport rather than the bow woods we're using up.
Unbelieveable!
Jim
Watch what you mean by sustainability....a tree farm is about as far from a functioning forest ecosystem as a corn field is a prairie.
Depends on the "tree farm" but know what you mean by your comment. However...
There are woodlots that are managed not only for timber production or whatever AND for habitat for wildlife, esthetic appeal for hikers and hunters etc. Its not that hard to do when you understand what they need.
On our woodlot we couldn't afford to let the land just sit there and didn't want to anyway. It was very satisfying to work the forest.
We chose to do it in a way that satisfyed a lot of criteria- like great hunting and a beautiful place to be. Also, there are more examples of habitat ruined by no management than those that are managed.
Lets not get the mindset because there are poor examples of timber management that we decide NO mangement is the solution.
Its isn't and never has been.
The more landholders understand what they can do to enhance their property and get some returns on the(investment) they will usually come around. Its really a question of ignorance. Many just don't know there are options.
I certainly think its a worthwhile converstation in terms of the bows we buy because we might learn some things that apply to larger issues or understand some more about wood management. I don't agree with the mindset that because bow making is such a small aspect of wood consumption that the discussion is not worthwhile.
I think we do have to understand its a pretty hard way to make a living for bowyers already without mandating what woods they can offer. Letting them know it is something we care about is a good approach IMO.
Joshua
I don't think anybody's intent is to chase down and admonish bowyers or even be critical of anyone in bowhunting using a wood product. An individual bowyer's wood use, or an individual archer's wood use, is a little drop in the bucket. The question has been posed in a positive manner to try and find any source of bows being created from wood positively identified as produced from sustainably managed forests.
The bucket gets filled somehow, drop by drop. The option of "certified" wood products allows market access to small landowners and to operations that manage in a positive manner, domestically and internationally. When people see me chasing down bowyers in order to give them extra money for such a bow, maybe a few more will offer that option. Drop by drop....
Domestic vs. international is not the deciding factor in this question either. There is a lot of mismanaged and un-managed forest in the U.S. And there are quite a number of wood dealers that offer cocobolo, ebony, zebrawood, purpleheart, goncola, etc... from well managed forests that provide for conservation and economic development.
It is all subjective to what the individual person wants. If you look at Adirondack National Park you will see a forest to beuatiful trees but not a lot of deer, bear or moose. We don't let fire rejuvenate the forest so it becomes lessable to sustain wildlife. Take the Catskill mountains were people are allowed to harvest lumber and you are seeing a lot more game and wildlife. There is an area where I go that they planted pine trees in the 30's. That area was dead and nothing was living in that part of the forest. They went in last year and harvested all the pines and within a couple of years the brush will help sustain a lot of wildlfe. I think arereal enemy is the population expanding at such a rapid pace and urban sprawl.
Het guys, Forester is right, if you read my initial question, I don't wish to put an obstacle in front of anyone, especially bowyers.
All I did was ask if anyone did it, as I would like to support them. Put my money where my mouth is.
Thanks, Marco
I have read this thread 3 times and would like to commend all of you for such an intelligent discussion of an issue that pertains to all. I believe that Trad is on to something and feel that maybe if we as archers would just ask the question about sustainable wood we could do this old planet a lot of good. Perhaps the bowyers would hear our voice and work with us to leave a legacy of good. Please go on with this thread!! :archer: :clapper:
Does this mean we can't cut down any more Phenolic trees??? :saywhat:
I used old growth plastic once...