Quick question for you survivalist gurus

**RRfarms** · 09-23-2015, 02:26 AM

Hello everyone, I've a quick question for y'all. Id like to know what plant native to SE Louisiana could be compared to the yucca plants properties and uses? (Fire-bow strings, binding, snares, etc).
Also another completely unrelated question

, I'm a traditional bow hunter and I'm slowly diving more and more into building my own equipment, my next quest will be to create my own arrow shafts (obviously they aren't going to be as good as fiber or aluminum, at least it won't cost me $45/doz shafts) but id like to know if there are any native species that can be used. Thanks
(I hope this was in the right forum)

**TXyakr** · 09-23-2015, 07:28 AM

Making your own cordage is very time consuming but can be done and is a skill I know I should practice much more often. Try Dogbane I believe you may be able to find it, here are some links:

http://www.rnr.lsu.edu/plantid/speci.../cldogbane.htm

http://www.primitiveways.com/hemp_dogbane.html

Making Cordage from Dogbane:
http://www.primitiveways.com/cordage_video.html

I have never tried making cordage from cattail leaves but heard that it does not work well for fire drill and takes several days to dry out. Milk weed plants should be better. Most of these take time so best to have some cordage on you or be well practiced with a hand drill. I have ferro rod tied to my person and am collecting dry tinder long before it rains.

For arrow shafts try River Cane it can be straightened while it is green with a little heat from coals or a candle there are many videos on youtube etc.

Also search here at Wilderness-Survival for some threads on this and cordage as well.
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...er-cane-arrows

Possible you could use lighter weight river reeds but they might not last as long.

There are also some primitive hunting forums online. They are mostly about stone knapping but also about bows and arrow shafts etc. Have fun.

**kyratshooter** · 09-23-2015, 10:52 AM

I can't help you with the Louisiana foliage but I can give you a tip on the arrows.

First tip is that if this is for the regression to traditional gear do not use your home made arrows with a modern compound bow. They are balanced for spine and flex of the modern arrow and may shatter a traditional natural shaft arrow at the bow and injure you.

Natural arrow materials are plentiful but they will need serious attention and modifications before you will recognize them as arrows. That is a skill set into itself and was at one time known as the art of fletching.

There is river cane in the south, but choke berry was also used as well as wild rose. Dogwood was a favorite as well as viburnum which has a subspecies known as "Arrow Wood" as well as boxwood. You can buy Arrow Wood as a decorative shrub, plant it in your yard as a hedge and grow your own arrows, it is sold at most lawn and garden centers.

It does seem like you have not yet sought out the resources available on the internet. Most have already been over to the Tradgang site and to Primitive Archer to get these tidbits of information. Both sites have a decade of archives to search.

**RRfarms** · 09-23-2015, 12:50 PM

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. I'm aware of the spine and flex

I always get one or two arrows in a bundle that need adjusting to compensate for my bow, I don't use compound

I'm traditional with a 65# draw cougar recurve

. So far I've tinkered with making my own fletching from hawks and turkey and my own heads, I'd just like to be able to make my own shafts. I'm also a member of Tradgang (awesome awesome site with tons of information btw) but not a whole lot of them are from LA or familiar with harvesting their own arrows that I've noticed. Thank y'all for all your help, I certainly got the answer I was looking for, now I just need some trial and error

I figured this would be the place to get what I'm looking for