Harvesting Hickory

[woodswalker]

I am looking to harvest a few hickory trees I have growing to make myself a few bows. My question is 'after I fell the tree ,split and seal the ends how soon till I will be able to strip the bark easily. I have been told that if I harvest now (end of May) that it will be seasoned in about 6 months but as for as removing bark. Do I remove it at harvest or after it has seasoned well. Thanks for the help. I cannt wait to sling an arrow through a bow that I have harvested the tree myself.

[KHalverson]

i believe in most of the u.s.a the sap should be up and the bark should peel easily at time of felling
seal the ends and the back and season 

[Joec123able]

Peel the bark off right after its cut i cut a big walnut tree last month the bark pealed off easily so if you live in the US where it's almost summer the bark should peal easily seal the ends and you should be good to go

[twisted hickory]

Don't wait it is a pain after it drys. Be sure and cover the ends  and back good with 2 coats of urthane. Place in 45 to 50 humidity till this fall.

Greg

[Don]

Take the bark off after cutting and splitting. I cut some 2 weeks ago. Bark came off almost in one piece.
Like everyone else says, seal the ends and back then wait.

[Scallorn]

I'm the same as everyone else, I cut a good hickory sapling just the other day and the bark peeled off super easy. you can cut and strip it now.

[TRACY]

Leave the bark on only if you want the cambium layer to decorate the back of your bows, otherwise peel it now.


Tracy

[George Tsoukalas]

Pop off the bark asap. I don't seal the backs of whitewood bows. I do seal the ends. But I never had access to hickory trees so I never cut any.

[crooketarrow]

  I'VE CUT LOTS and built lots of HICKORY BOWS my favoret white wood by far. I DO CUT IN THE WINTERT I can't say it matters just my down time from buck hunting before gobber season. I'd surpose it be more moisture (sap) cut in the summer take longer to season. Take the bark off as soon as posable. And seal the whole bow I use white glue or spray poly,varfane, spay paint JUST ABOUT ANYTHING I HAVE. You really don't have to have the stave completely sealed just slow down the moisture loss. just slowing down the moisture lose will stop it from wind checking.  But I seal completly but have just used spray paint a few times.
     As far as seasoning I leave mine at least a year or 2. sealed out of the wether I had personal staves I've had for 9,10 years before I got around to useing it. But 6 months in a warm place is ok I surpose. Build a hot box. Use a low wattage bulbs you can get. But don't heat up hot fase it will make your staves brittle.
    I use''ly cut and split way more than I have time to take the bark off. So here as soon as I cut it I spary it with pestaside IF I'M LEAVEING THE BARK ON. Here we have wood boarers bad and they love white woods. Osage you can get awy with them. White woods will rise up a splinter every time. The won't eat live woods but start on dead woods as soon as in starts it's dead. NOT SURE BUT THEY MUST ALL READY LAY EGGS IN THE BARK WHILE ALIVE.
     I reflex my staves now so I don't have to use heat later to do so. So the greener, sooner this is done the easer they are to do. I also cut my staves 80 inchs. Longer beens easyer also. I cut to lenth later went I sell it or use it.
  I just cut and split 3 smooth bark 18, 20 inch logs and a 24,25 inch shag bark HICKORY this winter . I got 21 staves and a few belly staves just from it (shag bark). Sled and wadges are killer. I quartered and took to the barn and split a quarter on my own time.I got to find more helpers. My son BRIER 13 BUT DONE IN 1/2 HOUR.

[richardzane]

while cutting hickory for bows,
cut a slit down the length of the hickory pole/log and peel it off in one piece...scrape and sand off the rough outer bark,
let it dry or shape it while its wet.    good for making all kinds of things including quivers, rattles,boxes,etc..

[crooketarrow]

  My friend CROOKETARROW would make what looked like a short moose call the same way.  But he could gobbler and yelp with his voice. He could use his voice like no one I've ever heard. He'd gobble into one of those short hickory bark horns when he want to sound like  MATURE GOBBLER and yelp into it to carry across fields or if he wanted to sound like a older hen. Both were loud if he wanted louder than a box call. He'd also make pots for slate calls out of inter hickory bark like yours. I had one for years traded it to my brother for a couple of granddady old calls he's made.
      The told me of makeing hickory bark quivers but he talked of them but with the bark on. He also talked about the IROQIOUS useing hickory bark for makeing fire tenter boxs with a lead. Made from hickory bark like yours.
      He'd use any enter bark of most any tree's soaked in heated pine pitch. Let dry in the sun. No better materal for adding to your tenter bundle after you see a flame. It's water proff almost like adding gas. HE WAS NEVER WITH OUT SOME WHEN WE'D CAMP.
  When ever we'd camp to hunt,fish or just get away. Lots of times his wife say he's out camping somewhere he just tells me he's going. Never when he'll be back. I'd have to go find him (sometimes) He'd never take matchs or a lighter I try to convence him to but it never worked .
   I use to say I know your pulling out your bick when your along. He look at me like I was stupit never chageing exspression. I'd bet he never owned a bick in his life. I

[JW_Halverson]

while cutting hickory for bows,
cut a slit down the length of the hickory pole/log and peel it off in one piece...scrape and sand off the rough outer bark,
let it dry or shape it while its wet.    good for making all kinds of things including quivers, rattles,boxes,etc..

That rattle would make a nice shot bottle for my smoothbore flintlock!  Nice!

[richardzane]

it probably would! On the few I've made I skive down the edges so when it shrinks, it shrink tightly into itself.
they are very tough. One of our ceremonial songs we use the rattle and pound a blanket covered bench
with it.
i'll bet if you pitched the seams the sucker would even hold water....though hickory be a little strong tasting
here's another:

[Buffalo John]

Cut one yesterday bark peeled right off. So wet I had to wipe it down before I sealed it. Split some more today I think Im done. Second section up had a little twist. Got enough for at least 10 bows maybe more if I split it right.

[woodswalker]

Just felled the tree yesterday. Splitting it and removing the bark was the easiest parts. Used a camp axe to fell it. Looks like I may have enough for about for staves. Will post some pics soon to get some opinions. Thanks so much for the help so far. Once they are seasoned will keep posting the progress of the build. Oh and the rattles are super cool. Once my wife saw those she started thinking of all kinds of things she can use the bark for. Have you ever heard of anyone using it to make baskets??   Thanks again guys.