Best time to cut elm?

[DuBois]

I have a guy with an acre of buckthorn he will let me have at and he also has some elm I can get.
I cut elm once in summer and I screwed up the stave but I learned one thing, the bark peeled right off and the back would have been beautiful if I had worked it right.

Is there any advantage to winter cutting or would I be better to wait and get it in late spring?

[Pappy]

I prefer to cut most white woods in the spring/early summer because of the bark,I always get it up quick and dry and seal the back,no real problems. Don't know of any advantage to winter cutting except the heat and the bugs and the bark is much harder to get off without damaging the back off the bow.    But ha I cut it when I can.
  Pappy

[DuBois]

Allright, thanks Pappy. I'll just kill the heck out of some buckthorn for now and wait on the elm til May or June.

[Pat B]

You can cut whitewood any time after the leaves come out, during the growing season, and the bark will peel right off.

[dwardo]

I cut at any time of the year, more dictated by when people are not looking rather than season.

[DarkSoul]

You can cut whitewood any time

Period. No ifs and buts. If you cut the elm right now, the wood can be dry by the time other say the bark would be easy to peel off!

I cut at any time of the year, more dictated by when people are not looking rather than season.

Yup!

[youngbowyer]

i cut some on sunday, no problem getting the bark off and i've heard its easier to split when the temps are freezing, not sure if that is true but I did not have trouble splitting the elm.

[simson]

I like to cut my elms in late winter or early spring. But next time I would definitely don't leave it outside while freezing periods. I had some breaks between groth rings - perhaps it is from the frozen sap inbetween?

Cutting in late spring:
advantage: easy pealing of the bark
diaadvantage: when too late there is already the spongy earlywood on it