I am going to attempt to make my own arrows this winter. I need a bit of help.
Is Multiflora Rose the same "rose" that the Ferret and others have posted about? Other than rose what should I attempt to make shafts from that grows in Missouri?

I do appreciate any help.

Sanderlin III

ttt   am interested in the answers to this myself.

Tom

Grey dogwood makes an awful nice shaft, better than rose IMO, and should be available to you locally. Hard toget rid of the wartiness in Rose.

http://groups.msn.com/ferretsarcherywebpage/roseshootarows.msnw

http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/shoots.html

You can also make split timber shafting arrows from boards like hickory, oak, maple, white pine etc. Cut into 3/8" squares. plane off the four corners, plane off the 8 corners and it's basically round.

We also have Rivercane in Missouri.  Especially in southern missouri.  Some along Missouri River in St. Louis Area also.

Dan Raney

Anything is better than rose.  I have made shafts from lots of materials and I would say cane would be at the top end and rose at the bottom, with everything else in the middle.

is there a better time of yr to cut the cane. I have a place to get some in nw ar. I wanted to wait till the ticks died off a little before I went through the fields to get to it.

I prefer to cut any arrow shoots, cane or hardwood, in the winter after they have gone dormant. Also, I like to be sure they, cane or hardwood shoots, are at least 2 years old.
  River and switch cane have a 3 year growth cycle. The first year the culm(cane) grows to its ultimate height. The second year it matures(fills out) and the third year it starts going down hill. Ideally, you want to harvest the culms the winter after its 2nd year and on until it starts to dye.  Pat

thanks to all.

John