One of my pet peeves for the last few years has been that all the monopod shooting sticks I have seen have been expensive and are not strong enough for us old half-cripples who need a sturdy walking stick in the field. Most are limited to about 30 pounds of weight then collapse. Nature has come to the rescue. A recent storm pushed over some small vine maples and red alder saplings on the edge of our yard. On closer inspection, two of the 1-1-1/2" diameter trunks were straight (almost) and had healthy forks about 6-7 feet up from the ground.
I already make walking sticks from driftwood as gifts for visitors so I cut these new "green" posts to mapmnopod length and will leave them out in the rain and cold to weather. In three to four months I will bring them in to dry. I am pretty sure the vine maple will work well but haven't done green alder before.
If the project goes well, I will have them finished with spar varnish plus decoration and ready to pass on at NCBS next June for some other old geezer who needs a 5-6 foot stick to hold up his rifle or pistol.