ericjeeper
12-12-2012, 08:52 PM
Spent my day working out in the woods. We had the farm logged about 5 years ago. The back section has quite a few maples in it.. But the undergrowth has really taken off. Lots of briars and crap sassafras saplings and such. We had a good freeze last night, so I jumped on the tractor at daybreak and went to bush hogging. This gave me a chance to see just how bad it really is.I mainly made loops in and out of each ridge top. I gain access to this section on the high flat side. So unfortunately all collection points on any tubing runs will be at the far end of each ridge. So I need to make access. There are still several tops laying out there from the timbering that never got utilized for firewood, most are pithy,beyond use.So my goal while we have good weather is to get out there and make as much access to my maples as I can. The 6 foot bush hog is not ideal as I am trying not to damage any new young maples in the process. We do have a 5 footer, but no tractor that is narrower than the six..
Why do we have the 5 footer, you ask.. Well it came in a deal with a used tractor we bought. So it has set everyday of its life inside our barn taking up space.LOL
I bucked up a beech top today that was blown out. I gained a little over a face cord of good firewood. I tossed the limbs into a pile tomorrow I will take the tractor with the 6 foot bucket with manure teeth and push all the limbs over into a holler. Then I can run the bush hog and gain really good access to about 20 maples on this particular ridge. I will probably run tube on half of them to a barrel, for a central collection point.
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/222273_10200167580375870_1744301661_n.jpg
This is a picture of the sugar shack/woodshed. It is really an 18 x 31 foot steel carport I had built over my existing wood pile. We heat our home with an outdoor boiler.
I did make a test notch in a small maple today with my pocket knife.. The sap was flowing like mad.. If our winter is like last year.. I should be pulling sap now..
Why do we have the 5 footer, you ask.. Well it came in a deal with a used tractor we bought. So it has set everyday of its life inside our barn taking up space.LOL
I bucked up a beech top today that was blown out. I gained a little over a face cord of good firewood. I tossed the limbs into a pile tomorrow I will take the tractor with the 6 foot bucket with manure teeth and push all the limbs over into a holler. Then I can run the bush hog and gain really good access to about 20 maples on this particular ridge. I will probably run tube on half of them to a barrel, for a central collection point.
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/222273_10200167580375870_1744301661_n.jpg
This is a picture of the sugar shack/woodshed. It is really an 18 x 31 foot steel carport I had built over my existing wood pile. We heat our home with an outdoor boiler.
I did make a test notch in a small maple today with my pocket knife.. The sap was flowing like mad.. If our winter is like last year.. I should be pulling sap now..