Had a guy tell me to cut tulip poplar saplings in July for beaver hoops, said they'd bend better that time of year.
Cut a few the other day, couple sweet gum too, as they were growing right there.
Peeled, tried to bend, split and snap.
Tried to.benf around a drum, split and snapped.

Guess I could steam, etc, but starting to sound like work.

Suggestions?
thanks

I cut red willow from along a local stream in March. Scraped off bark, and bent them into hoop shape and held them together with wire. After a few weeks, they were dry, and you couldn’t have unbent them if you tried.

I've had the best luck with sweet gums. Cut during the height of summer they seemed to bend best.

I bend a little at a time and tie it off, then do more each day until you have to shape. Takes 2-3 days to get them bent good. I also don't strip the bark off

I don't know what red willow is but i suspect it is the bush type willow common to PA, the silky willow. It likes to grow in wet areas and around beaver dams.

I do the same as you except I don't remove the bark.

Thanks.
No shortage of them out back.
Will cut a few more Saturday and take it SLOW this time.

Tamarack is used here.Tamarack grows very thick as a sapling in certain places.it will be 10-12 feet long and the same thickness all the way up-3/4 to 1 inch.
Bark is left on and two are used for each hoop to get a perfect oval

SWAMP WILLOW FOR ME CUT THEM IN MONTHS WITHOUT A " R" IN THE SPELLING WILL PEEL RIGHT OFF AND WILL NOT BREAK TAKE YOUR TIME BENDING THEM . LOOK AT MY POST TODAY HOOPED A MARTEN

Thanks to all, will give it another go.

A thing to add, I had previously said I always use sweet gum.. I also always cut a lot more than what I actually need because I still have them snap and crack, and just sometimes they won't end up bending into the desired shape.

But to connect the ends together and secure the hoop, I'll put a screw into it to hold it together, cut any remaining screw that may remain, and then cover the screw with a wrapping of sinew to make it look like sinew is what's doing the securing

"What" and "How" are two different questions...