Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Don Case on March 26, 2014, 09:54:23 pm

Title: Bark loose yet?
Post by: Don Case on March 26, 2014, 09:54:23 pm
 The leaves on the Doug Maple and Pacific Crabapple are about to open here. When will the bark be loose enough for easy removal?
Don
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: WhitefeatherFout on March 26, 2014, 10:32:50 pm
Don, I'd say you are good to go if you are getting buds or leaves.  Sap has been running here in Ohio the last few weeks and the bark is coming off fairly nice.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: osage outlaw on March 26, 2014, 11:00:01 pm
I'm cutting a hackberry tomorrow.  I hope the sap is up on it.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: Fred Arnold on March 27, 2014, 06:40:52 am
I took down a black walnut 2 days ago. The bark and cambium layer didn't come off as easily as I'd hoped. 2 years ago in early May on a similar tree the bark peeled off in long even layers. I'm going to wait a few more weeks before cutting down any more.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: TRACY on March 27, 2014, 06:58:44 am
I'm cutting a hackberry tomorrow.  I hope the sap is up on it.
I'm guessing it will peel off. If not , let Ozzy make short work out of it  :o

Tracy
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: Gsulfridge on March 27, 2014, 07:52:01 am
Sounds like I better pack the drawknives with me to Moon Tree.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on March 27, 2014, 09:10:58 am
Heck, we are still waiting for the ice to get loose.....
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: Pat B on March 27, 2014, 09:24:51 am
I prefer to wait until the leaves have come out and I read somewhere to wait until the leaves come out about 2/3 before cutting hickories. 
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on March 27, 2014, 09:32:31 am
Id agree with that hickory comment Pat. I cut some elm, hickory and ash a few years back in April and all the bark fell off all of it except the hickory. I worked hard on that stuff.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: skarhand on March 27, 2014, 10:04:35 am
I plan to take a couple ash trees down this spring. Any advice on when/how to do in ash?
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: PatM on March 27, 2014, 10:20:59 am
Up in Ontario I swear there hasn't been a hint of Spring yet.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on March 27, 2014, 10:31:32 am
Im with you PatM........plenty of snow, frozen solid lakes and 20 deg temps for me in Michigan.

skar- ash is super easy. Cut it when the leaves start to come out, peel the bark off (easy), split it (very easy), and seal the whole back and ends with glue, paint, deck sealer, shellac, spray poly or anything else you can find.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: WhitefeatherFout on March 27, 2014, 11:01:31 am
If you get three or four days where the temp is swinging 30 degrees or so from night to day the sap will be running pretty good and the bark should be loosening up.  It's been off and on here in southern Ohio, winter again this week!  Was up in Michigan a week or so ago, you guys can keep that stuff!  They were shoveling snow from around the tops of the road signs so you could read em!  Nah!
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: NeolithicMan on March 27, 2014, 12:18:36 pm
I have cut down a few trees in every season because I just cant stop heading to the woods with an ax and bow saw! I think the easiest time to get white wood bark off is the day after a really good rain in early summer/ late spring. At this time, I can run a cut the entire length of a hickory or oak tree freshly cut down and take it off In a solid piece. Makes a cool little quiver if you add a bottom plug and string! Im in central NY so thats the only reference I have
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: Peacebow_Coos on March 29, 2014, 04:24:55 am
We just tried peeling some cedar and maple bark this weekend and it was hit and miss, some pulled great some not so...I'd wait another week but it seems to be the area as well, try peeling a small section off, it won't kill the tree as long as it's a quarter or less than the circumference.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: Pat B on March 29, 2014, 10:22:48 am
Its only the matter of a couple of weeks now so why not wait. I'd rather wait a few weeks to be sure the bark will peel rather than cut now and find out it won't peel.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: Buckeye Guy on March 29, 2014, 11:01:20 am
The buds are starting to swell up so we are getting closer even if there is to much snow to get to the woods .
Wait till you have leaves , and for t he Hickorys that will be at least a month around here , they are one of the last trees to wake up from winter
Have patience it is coming !
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: Josh B on March 29, 2014, 12:43:27 pm
I just cut a couple hackberrys yesterday.  I had to draw knife the bark off.  Its loosening up some, but it will be a couple weeks before it comes off easy here in my part of KS.  Josh
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: vinemaplebows on March 29, 2014, 02:49:54 pm
Middle to end of may in the upper northwest region.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: PrimitiveTim on March 29, 2014, 03:02:36 pm
I just cut some hackberry this week and the bark didn't peel very easy.  It would separate but I had to jar it loose.  I'm just going to wait another month or so before I start cutting.  I'm in Florida too.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: Pat B on March 29, 2014, 03:11:52 pm
The only living part of a tree in a thin layer of cells between the wood and the bark(except for branch tip buds). Until it develops in the spring the bark will hold tight. Once that layer begins to develop for this year the bark will slip.
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: JW_Halverson on March 29, 2014, 04:00:47 pm
I'm starting to wonder if spring will ever come?  We have temps in the mid-60's today, but rain turning to snow with up to 8 inches accumulation tomorrow/Monday.  To make things worse, a friend that watches Game of Thrones with me just texted "winter is coming..."
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: DuBois on March 30, 2014, 12:42:24 pm
Me too JW, finally gonna hit 50's and I can see the ground instead of snow but it is supposed to get cold again tomorrow. I am planning to get HHB, maple, ash, elm, buckthorn, and ERC.

I might be getting carried away cause I have in the past harvested more wood than I was ready to debark, split, and seal so I had firewood instead.

I guess I can stretch these out over a couple months without any harm as long as I can get the bark off OK?
Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: dmenzies1950 on March 30, 2014, 08:20:32 pm
I harvested some yew two weeks ago and the bark almost fell off. I live western Washington. Deciduous trees may be different than conifers like yew, but I think when the leaves are out most trees can be debarked easily.
Dale   

Title: Re: Bark loose yet?
Post by: Don Case on April 01, 2014, 05:34:26 pm
Thanks guys, the crocus and daffodils are out here. Temp is 50f at the moment. Beautiful day for a walk. I'll go scout out some stuff to cut in a few weeks.
Don