Is dead standing ERC ok to use?

[Yellowstave]

I found this eastern red cedar that looks really goodto me so i cut it. I plan on a sinew backing. Will the fact that it was dead without bark keep this wood from becoming a bow?

[PatM]

  ERC is very rot resistant in the heartwood.   It won't hurt to try.

[Jim Davis]

  ERC is very rot resistant in the heartwood. ...

But not the sap wood. Plan to remove the sap wood and back the bow.

[PatM]

  ERC is very rot resistant in the heartwood. ...

But not the sap wood. Plan to remove the sap wood and back the bow.

  Yep, that's what I was  getting at with him mentioning sinew.

[Jim Davis]

Oops. Read right over the sinew.

[Eric Krewson]

I made a hickory backed ERC form a tree that had been dead on the ground for 30+ years, the heart wood was pristine. The bow failed but it was the hickory backing that went first.

[rkeltner]

Around here, the biggest problem I’ve run into with things like that is bugs. I’m not sure what variety of bug it is but they go all the way through side to side and totally ruin the Cedar.

[Springbuck]

  I'd try it, unless it looked really bad.  Conditions matter, but ERC heartwood does take a long time to rot.