clearing in the bush

[ericjeeper]

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..

[heus]

How do you like that carport? I plan to buy one in the future for wood storage?

[ericjeeper]

Love it. 41537 dollars, and They put it up in just a couple of hours.. best money I ever spent. heck they even built it over my wood stack.. I did have a bit of trouble making them understand I did not want it level from end to end.. I wanted to make sure all the rain water ran off the downhill end, as opposed to half running off the uphill end, then running on the ground through my wood.. There was a "Language barrier" But I managed to get the two Mexicans to understand..

I need another one to park my boats under so I can have my 2 car attached garage back.

Not to mention it sure is handy for sugaring out of the rain.

[adk1]

$41,537 is allot of money for that! haha

[spencer11]

I got a 12x20 one for my sugar house and love it so far! Ours was about 1,600

[ericjeeper]

$41,537 is allot of money for that! haha I reckon I should proof read.. LOL $1537

[ericjeeper]

My son, Jake and I have spent several hours out in the woods. Locating maple clusters. Using bright colored fishing line we have laid out several good runs to install tubing. We will still have over 100 sap saks, as well as close to 100 on tubing. I know for a lot of producers this is small potatoes, But for us it is way more than our 30 taps of previous years.
I found out today why my dad always preaches about not using the bushhog in reverse. Evidently a root was sticking up. I manged to bend the back vertical part forward into the blade.. Talking about something making some serious racket until I could get it shut down. I did not have a chain with me so I had to take it back to the barn and chain it to another tractor that was parked, managed to get it most of the way back to straight.. Oh well, maybe dad won't see it?LOL
We both are pretty stoked about making syrup this year.I am pretty sure I am more into it than he is..LOL Oh well life goes on..