Cutting ash in winter

[pmcleare]

Has anyone cut Ash in the winter. I know it's best to do it in the summer so the inner bark will peel off with the outer bark. I have read  that if you steam the stave you can scrape the inner bark off a winter cut stave? Anyone know how well this works. Just getting into self-bows. Cut some Black Locust but it had a lot of borer damage. May be able to salvage some of it.

Thanks for any advise!

[Pat B]

You can cut any wood at any time of the year and get good bow wood. With the whitewoods it is less work preparing the stave to become a bow if it is cut during the growing season but with a little work a winter cut whitewood stave make a good bow.
  It is more important that you cut a spicie of ash(or any wood) that is appropriate for bow building. Black or green ash are not good bow woods. The others are I believe but I don't use ash very much.

[pmcleare]

Thanks Pat B.

Yes,I am cutting white ash. Was wondering if anyone had steamed an ash stave to remove the inner bark and how that worked out for them? Been shooting a  Thunderhorn lately but am looking to take an additional step back in time. It was a good season but things are slowing down with the gun hunters in the woods and figured I'd split some staves before the snow blocks access to my hunting land. Picked out a nice looking tree on my way back from the stand yesturday. probably 10" and did not show grain twist in the bark. Thought I'd cut her down and throw her in the hayloft (empty) for now.
 
Pat C.