Storing self bows outside

[stringstretcher]

I have been reading a lot about storing self bows and how to do it properly. Just reading another post, I noticed about RH.  What happens to self bows when lets say you have a shed, non heated, with self bows hung up against the rafters on a rack laying horizontal and that's where they stay spring, summer, winter, and fall?

And after reading some other post, what happens when you store your self bows in a controlled environment, go out on a hunt for a week in cold rainy/hot days all with different Humidity, and the let the bow sit.  Should there be a time frame for it to re-hydrate back in a controlled environment?

What is the best way to store/use/store/use self bows to maintain there integrity for longer life bows?

[John Scifres]

I think we overthink things.  Keep your bows dry and in the best conditions you can and enjoy them.

I'd say to carve out a place in one of your closets if you are worried about storing them in a shed.

[Pat B]

Charlie, I keep most of my bows I'm not using in the utility room hanging vertically from a peg board.  The bows I am using I keep either hanging near my work bench in the sun room or laying horizontal across between two open drawn of my work bench.
 The more constant you can keep them the better. A bit of cold, hot or wet won't hurt a selfbow if proper care is taken with them otherwise.

[Walt Francis]

2X What both John and Pat said.

[stringstretcher]

Thanks Pat, Walt and John.  I was not trying to over think this John by any means.  I was just wondering what long term effect it might have on bows stored in different RH like that.  The man I know that does this, has stored a bow in his house as I know of, but has only wood heat and he says it will dry them out too much.  Point well taken.  But after laying in a rack for winter after winter and the changes in RH and other conditions, I was just wondering if that was just as bad on the bows.  

Mine stay in my house, in a controlled environment, but have no idea what the RH is but will know soon.

[No-sage]

My shooter always stays in my truck, summer, winter, spring and fall.

[D]

So is the top of a shed a bad idea?  I've got about twelve hickory staves in the top of my shed.  They were cut, shaved, and split this winter so they havent been exposed to summer temps.  I figued that would be a good place to cure them out. haha but I've been wrong before

[Pat B]

The rafters of a shead is a good place to store bow wood if you keep an eye on it for bugs but not for bows because of the same bugs and rodents, etc.

[Art B]

Not a perfect world out there Charles. Think in terms of best bow woods for the conditions you mentioned. Hot and damp days, probably nothing performs better than a an Ipe bow IMO. Really low humidity days I only take out a hickory bow. My one yew bow, I'm very picky about the days I take it out. And almost everyone knows that Osage is probably our best all-around choice    ....Art

[stringstretcher]

Thanks for all the help guys.