Check Valve Spouts.

[spud]

I am wondering what harm would or could be done if i decided to tap my woods in mid January using Dr. Tim's CV Spouts? My thought is if i could tap the trees before the snow gets to deep it sure would help me and my back. I have read PMRC studies showing very good results even tapping the first of January. I have also noticed that the month of January sometimes can have a warm spell lasting 3-7 days where sap would run if the trees were tapped. Is there anyone in the north or Canada doing this? The only two reasons for wanting to do this would be to catch an early run or two and also to save my back in the real deep snow that might come in Feb-Mar. I do realize that i will still need to be in the woods everyday checking for leaks and falling limbs so would tapping early even be worth doing. Feel free to call me insane.

Spud

[maple flats]

Go for it. Should not be too early based on tapping dates many post.

[Thad Blaisdell]

There is no need at your size to tap that early. You are just asking for trouble. Lets say you do get an early run in January..... then what happens is your lines will be full of frozen sap. You risk breaking your manifolds if the weather gets really cold which it does. For your size mid February start. Buy bigger snowshoes if necessary it is not that difficult if you tap 3-500 per day it still wont take long.

[red maples]

Have to agree. You will get sap with the CV's hole don't dry up !!! but that seems too early. if you wanna start erly I would say 2 week in Feb. Depending on the weather I tap on or near the 15th of feb. but then again I am in southern, NH and I have only 300 taps. but I break it up into 2 days to tap!!!