Sap content in stave harvesting

[sleek]

Id like to know what time of year is the sap the highest in a tree, and what do people want, high or low sap in a stave and why exactly?

[bownarra]

I prefer to harvest my staves in the autumn. you get an nice late wood ring for the back then and the moisture content is lower.

[Hamish]

I prefer autumn /winter for cutting bow wood. Safer to dry without degrade or insects, because its colder, and the sap is down.
You also won't have any risk of developing bluestain in the sapwood.

Yes it is harder to remove bark, than in summer, but still possible if you do it soon after cutting. I generally use a blunt tipped screwdriver the lift the bark, and lever it off.

[Eric Krewson]

Where I live (N/W Alabama) it doesn't matter, you can cut osage in the dead of the winter and the latex like sap will run out of the cut just like in the summer.

For white woods cutting in the spring is preferable so the bark will slip off.

[Pat B]

Whenever it's available is the best time to cut bow wood. Like Eric said, whitewood is easier to work and you'll get a more pristine back by cutting during the growing season and peel the bark off and seal the back well. With woods like osage, locust, mulberry where you usually use only the heartwood cut anytime. You usually remove the sapwood to achieve a pristine back so if you stop removing wood a ring or 2 above the heartwood ring you chose for the back and seal the back ring well for seasoning. If you are going to use the top most heartwood ring remove all the sapwood then seal the hardwood back.

[stuckinthemud]

Late Winter when the brambles (briars?) are down and its easier to get to the tree.