has anyone ever tapped a oak by mistake ?

[cavescott]

Its my first year I thought I new one tree from the next. Actually took a forestry course about 27 years ago. I have came across several trees that look like maple to me, but they have red in parts of the bark never really noticed this before and there are no leaves. Sort of has me confused any coments or suggestions.

[Russell Lampron]

Post some pics of the trees in question. Someone will be able to help you then.

[adk1]

nope, havent done that but there are several nice oaks I star at wishing their were maples!

[cavescott]

i have tapped a couple trees that i now question. i look back at them and say are they maple. i was sure they were when i tapped them

[GramaCindy]

Its my first year I thought I new one tree from the next. Actually took a forestry course about 27 years ago. I have came across several trees that look like maple to me, but they have red in parts of the bark never really noticed this before and there are no leaves. Sort of has me confused any coments or suggestions.

I swear to you cavescott, I had an almost indentical post just last year, my first!

[jmayerl]

I always look up after last year. I was on a roll and drilled two white oaks. Funny thing is that someone built a nice new sugar shack near town and I stopped by to say hi on Monday. No one was around but they had about 50 trees tapped, half oak and half maple. Best part was all the trees were marked with ground utilities flags.

[cavescott]

how do you tell by looking up. what is the difference between a maple and a oak up there

[Yeserday]

how do you tell by looking up. what is the difference between a maple and a oak up there

Maples as well as Ash, Dogwood and Horsechestnut are the only trees i know that have opposite branching. Oaks have alternate branching.

[happy thoughts]

And just in case opposite branching is martian to you :)- The buds and branches will be paired and form a V with each other. Definitely unmistakable on twigs and their buds, and usually seen on many if not most branches. (The V is also there on large branches but sometimes isn't always apparent because a bud or branch may have died or broken sometime in it's growth. You should still see enough large paired branches displaying the V of an opposite growth pattern to help narrow your ID down.) Just think of a flock of geese flying and look for it.

If you can look at a twig up close, you can further narrow it down with the help of a good tree field guide. The appearance of the bark can also help in your identification.

Oaks and other trees not mentioned by yeserday will have alternate branching meaning the buds and branches are staggered, one bud a distance away from the next one. They are not paired directly opposite each other as in maples but occur individually along the branch in a side to side pattern.

Once you recognize the difference between opposite and alternate growth patterns you'll never mistake an oak for a maple or ash again.

[BoarsNest]

So last weekend I went out to the outhouse after breakfast and I saw this whole thing happen. One of my help went to show a visitor how to tap a tree. Well the tree has a bright pink survey ribbon on it so you don't tap the oak next to it. He was so busy explaining how to tap he didn't pay attention what tree he was suppose to tap. I waited to holler at him until he was ready to tap the spile in the hole. The visitor said, I wondered what kind of maple that tree was, it looked like a white oak to me.

[cavescott]

thats what i've been looking for. always loved looking at V's. thats something i wont forget. paired buds and branches.
OK YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!

[ennismaple]

There have been basswood, elm and butternut accidently tapped in our woods!

[cavescott]

well heading out to pull taps back out of trees that arent maple :lol:

[cavescott]

ok when i went to the bush I still had a hard time telling the maple. Or i should say was still unsure of some of the trees. Any other sugestions how to tell them apart. when i went to the oak with alot of leaves still on the tree there were twigs growing straigh across form each other. and the ones i was sure were maple had stagard groth of twigs and limbs. still confused
scott

[happy thoughts]

Find a small twig and look at the buds. The buds will be opposite on maple and ash (and horse chestnut) Leaves still on the tree are a good sign it's oak which tends to hold onto its leaves into winter. The shape of the oak leaves themselves will give it away.

For the best ID, do it during the growing season, the leaves and any flowers and fruits (like maple helicopters) will help you really narrow it down. When you're sure of your ID, mark the trees in some manner so you can find them easily next year. Get a tree field guide you can take into the woods with you or bring your laptop. There are several online guides like this simple one at cornell which has good pictures of the parts you want to look at of the most common species of maple used for sugaring.

http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/kids/tree_index.htm

Check the links on all the different species pages where you will find closeups of all the parts you want to look for.

also look at this pictorial glossary that illustrates the different growth patterns you're looking for.

http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/kids/barkglos.htm

Hope this helps and best of luck to you:)

[cavescott]

thank you for that web site it will help me out alot. this winter will be my best guess and look at the leaves in the summer to see how acurate i am.

[spud]

Its my first year I thought I new one tree from the next. Actually took a forestry course about 27 years ago. I have came across several trees that look like maple to me, but they have red in parts of the bark never really noticed this before and there are no leaves. Sort of has me confused any coments or suggestions.

I have 5000 taps set up this year and all I can do is hope half of them are Maple. :lol::lol:

Spud

[4th.gen]

Yup...kind of a funny story. After my father and grandfather passed away, and my brother-in-law and I took over the operation, one of us (still an on-going debate) did in fact tap an oak. We argued about it until spring when I proved it's an Oak. Well, the next couple years we continued to tap it as a joke. The darn thing never produced much! We still laugh about it to this day.

[cavescott]

Ok I figured out why I was having problems figuring out if they were maple trees or not.
The problem is that I have gotten a really good bush and there are very few other trees in it that arent maple. I was just to worried about tapping the wrong ones. After hours of staring into the tops of the trees and probably getting a sore neck I have realized that Im doing pretty well. I removed 3 taps just because I was unsure. I have heard some funny storys by putting this on and got some great help thanks again.

[happy thoughts]

hi cavescott- Sounds like things are really looking up for you:) I'm glad to hear you did well and wish you a fun and productive season. I love this forum for it's humor. When you find your first dead furry floater, come back all worried and tell us about it. We'll give you funny, I promise!

have a great one!

[ennismaple]

Add hickory to our list of non-maples we've tapped! Also found another basswood that had been tapped for a few years.

I'd blame someone for this screwup but I'd have to look in the mirror!

[Asthepotthickens]

I tapped one oak last year. This year I went around in the fall and put a wee spray of orange paints on every maple.

[thorquabbin]

One of the best 'tree ID' phrases I ever heard was to remember "MAD HORSE".
Maple
Ash
Dogwood
Horse Chestnut
Those are the only 4 trees in this part of the world with opposing branches.

Wassail!
-Rick

[johnallin]

Tapping an oak tree will give your syrup a "nutty" flavor....but only if you can get it to offer up some nutty sap..

[sjdoyon]

I posted an image on the outdoor gallery section of a rock maple growing with a yellow birch (split personality). Tapped the rock maple and had to make a double take when the other side was a yellow birch.

[Redmaple]

Tapped my first oak yesterday:evil:. I looked up to admire her and saw oak leaves.

[Yeserday]

Two tall trees, a birch and a beech, are growing in the woods. A small tree begins to grow between them, and the beech says to the birch, "Is that a son of a beech or a son of a birch?" The birch says he cannot tell.

Just then a woodpecker lands on the sapling. The birch says, "Woodpecker, you are a tree expert. Can you tell if that is a son of a beech or a son of a birch?"

The woodpecker takes a taste of the small tree. He replies, "It is neither a son of a beech nor a son of a birch. It is, however, the best piece of ash I have ever put my pecker in.:lol:

[spud]

Two tall trees, a birch and a beech, are growing in the woods. A small tree begins to grow between them, and the beech says to the birch, "Is that a son of a beech or a son of a birch?" The birch says he cannot tell.

Just then a woodpecker lands on the sapling. The birch says, "Woodpecker, you are a tree expert. Can you tell if that is a son of a beech or a son of a birch?"

The woodpecker takes a taste of the small tree. He replies, "It is neither a son of a beech nor a son of a birch. It is, however, the best piece of ash I have ever put my pecker in.:lol:

No that is real funny.:lol:

Spud

[rookie]

haven't laughed like that in a while....

[FDA]

That is funny, quite surprised that this will " fly " here.:o

[halladaymaple]

Are you kidding me. Thats just good humor. I was having a sappy day until i read that, they dont dare remove. Finaly someone not talking about ray gingrich and his RO's lol

[twitch]

Nice joke i liked that a lot laughed my ash off!!!

[Galena]

I almost tapped an old-school poplar tree growing in the corner of my lot, its branches intertwine with my #7 sugar maple. It was only when I noticed the bark and lack of previous sap holes that I got suspicious and didn't set any taps :-)

[shane hickey]

MIll ambit i have first year a rookie mistake and now i tap my
Telephone pole in the yard make good conversation piece.

[adk1]

I just extended a lateral to another 5 big maples. I did however have to stare at one of them awhile to make sure it wasent an oak