Tapping

[Bonlander15]

So here's the big question.........Anyone tapping ? Looks like a warm up in the extended forecast. Week of 18th thru 22nd in 40's.

[WI Sugarpop]

I think we're still in hibernation. We usually wait till the first week in March.

[Ridgeville]

I went to the Roth Sugar Bush open house on Thursday. Two fairly large producers said they will start tapping in two weeks no matter what the weather is. They have too, with 1,000s of taps to go in they follow the calendar instead of the weather like I do. I was told that cold winters leads to sweeter sap. This years sap should be super sweet if that's true!

[TIMIKE]

A little early yet. We will be putting taps in about 2weeks due to the amount of taps we have.

[Irish Ridge]

Nope. Snow too deep for me yet. I have been using my skid steer all week just to break a trail in to my woods. However I did cut a huge oak down today for a head start on next year's woodpile. Itching to build a fire but have a lot to do first.

[Bonlander15]

Do any of you use 5/16 on gravity?? I have a few runs that I am going to do that on this year. Probably 20 to 30 taps each run 150 to 200 ft length. With great slope. Any pointers?

[Jeff E]

I am watching the forecast close now. With 3+ ft of snow on the ground, it would be nice if it would settle a bit before we have to tap.
Right now, I dont see sap running for at least 10 days in NW Wisconsin, but there is very little frost, so when it starts, I think it will be show time, no easing into it.

I will probably plan on being tapped by March 5, and adjust that based on the forecasts that come in.

[gouldjs]

Just checked the 10 day forecast for Polk Cty in northwest wisconsin, no sap weather in the future. Looking like we will be boiling in April again.

[motowbrowne]

The twelve inches of snow we got on Thursday isn't going to make anything easy this year. I guess everyone who went out and bought tracks for their quads are feeling pretty happy, personally I'm not looking forward to packing trails in my snowshoes.

[Cindee]

I am in Mountain. We have 4 feet of snow in the woods yet. Greg rode through the woods for the past month on the snowmobile packing down the trails BUT when you step off and go to the trees you are up over your knees to your thigh and the snow takes your boot hostage...LOL..I looked at the 30 day outlook and they say the 3rd week of March we are suppose to be in the 40's and below zero at night. Perfect weather but if you can not get to the trees we need to figure something out. How does everyone else get to the trees off their main paths?

[Mikeh]

If it's that deep, snowshoes are your best bet...

[Rhino]

Few years back i picked up a John Deere 420 crawler, These are small and narrow bulldozers, So....... When the time comes (which is soon) i will just drive all over the areas we bag tap, and drive in between the trees with the blade up and smash down walking trails to make it alot easier to collect and also tap. Without that i think we would have to wait for the snow to go down alot and i wouldn't want to miss any of the season. With no frost i think the trees will weep on those warm sunny days (whenever that will be????).

[matty andraschko]

We have two 600 gallon zero tanks, would like to sell 1dollar a gal. If interested call 715-556-0842 Matty

[sweeteffinsyrup]

I'm no expert, but the 10 day doesn't look like tappin and sappin weather down here in Walworth County. Think we need our days to be just a bit warmer

[gouldjs]

I borrowed a friends mountain snowmobile to take the 1/2 mile journey back to my primary sugar bush. I was hoping to get a trail packed down so that I could haul sap with my junkie old snowmobile. I got back there barely and fell of the trail several times on my return voyage. It was like trying to walk on a narrow balance beam. Lots of shoveling and pushing with a wing man with me. Unless the snowpack is reduced by 1/2 I don't think I will be able to head back to my primary trees. I was over waste deep in snow in several spots. Even with a machine made for these conditions it was darn near impossible. Last year I did the same routine but the snow cover was no where near what we have right now in Polk County.

[motowbrowne]

You need a set of big ole wood snowshoes. like 13x48s, or 10x56s. I'm a big guy, and my 13x48s work pretty good. It's slow going the first time down the trail, but then it's easy walking.

[1arch]

I went out and blazed the trails yesterday with my tracked mini excavator dragging the blade behind. Then still struggled to get through with the Polaris ranger. The consistency of this snow doesn't work well for wheeled vehicles.
If the extended forcast isnt too far off we may be tapping Friday/Saturday.

[flying squirrel maple]

Snow is too deep and old for my ATV with tracks just sinks in. **** snow is rotten no traction with a layer of ice about ten inches down. 😭


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[gouldjs]

I made a return trip to the sugar bush today. My path from yesterday was hard as a rock. Did lots of shoveling and used the mountain machine to widen the trail a little. I feel better today than yesterday, but will be a different game with my 92 ski doo and a sled full of sap.

[Brad W Wi]

We usually tap around the 10th of March. Start collecting a week later or so. At least a week to 10 days behind that. Too much snow.

[markcasper]

The snow as everyone said is terrible! I'm really weighing the odds of just forgetting it this year. Trying to install part of a new install has been virtually impossible this winter. I picked up a pair of snowshoes after 30 years of never having any, will see how much they help. Had to blow roads to the woods out with the tractor and snowblower 3 times this February after filling in every time. What a joke! 4 wheeler went back pretty good with the rain from 2 weeks ago helping firm it up. One you get in the woods, its knee to ash deep all over. Any crest of a north south hill has neck deep drifts along the entire ridge. At best, I am going to be seriously down on taps if I tap at all.

[Rhino]

Mark, you are not alone with (maybe) pulling the pin or tapping less this year. I am hearing that others are throwing in the towel, or they are going to wait for the snow to go down. In our situation with our sugar shack in the "boonies", we are going to just stick with tapping woods we own that are on blacktop roads and easier to deal with. We won't cook this year, we will just sell the sap. We were keeping the sugar shack roads open but those last snow storms with wind, pretty much shut us down. No where to put it anymore.

[dseis1105]

I'm just a hobbyist and I was originally hoping to tap this coming weekend because I've got to make some syrup before my c-section in 5 weeks. It seemed like that would be a good idea at first, but they keep dropping the temp in the forecast! I can't believe they'd dry up if I did it this weekend though?

[spud]

I'm just a hobbyist and I was originally hoping to tap this coming weekend because I've got to make some syrup before my c-section in 5 weeks. It seemed like that would be a good idea at first, but they keep dropping the temp in the forecast! I can't believe they'd dry up if I did it this weekend though?

With just 17 taps you might want to wait right up until it warms up. This will allow your tap holes to be as fresh as can be giving you the best production. Good luck on your new baby.

Spud

[markcasper]

Boy I'll tell you, rough going. Got out in the woods and started looking at things that need to be fixed with all that snow on top, just makes you shake your head and wish you never got out of bed. Pretty negative I know, but that is the reality of it, it sucks! I did shovel snow to do a frost check and came up with 8" in the ground on the south slope and a solid 12" on the north slope. With 2 - 3 feet of snow all over, there won't be much sap til April. There is some time yet, but will be impossible to make up all the lost days of work in the woods because of the extreme cold this winter. I just heard on the news that the Eau Claire area has broke the all time record for the coldest Dec., Jan, Feb since records were ever recorded. And then they tell us in the next segment that the cold weather is most likely because of global warming. What a load of crap! Do they really think that the general public is to believe such BS?

[Mark]

Boy I'll tell you, rough going. Got out in the woods and started looking at things that need to be fixed with all that snow on top, just makes you shake your head and wish you never got out of bed. Pretty negative I know, but that is the reality of it, it sucks! I did shovel snow to do a frost check and came up with 8" in the ground on the south slope and a solid 12" on the north slope. With 2 - 3 feet of snow all over, there won't be much sap til April. There is some time yet, but will be impossible to make up all the lost days of work in the woods because of the extreme cold this winter. I just heard on the news that the Eau Claire area has broke the all time record for the coldest Dec., Jan, Feb since records were ever recorded. And then they tell us in the next segment that the cold weather is most likely because of global warming. What a load of crap! Do they really think that the general public is to believe such BS?

That is what I call a shovel ready job. We have 5000 in and 15,000 to go with lots under the snow.

[Pete S]

With the few 40* numbers shown in the next week'r so on the Milwaukee weather (we're about an hour north) I can not wait.

Is this the best decision? Maybe~

We only put in about 50+/- taps,...........BUT part of this is an "itch" to get out as we've been trapped inside for months essentially. We are SO behind on all kinds of "stuff" that you can normally get done during warmer winter days.

The other reason is just to thumb our noses at this Siberian-esque winter we've had!

[WI Sugarpop]

Now you're talking.:D

[Bonlander15]

I'm going to start tapping this afternoon. Snow around here isn't bad. I have plowed paths through the woods a few times already with the 4 wheeler this winter to keep the mains open. Going to put in about 50 and then about 75 next weekend.

[WI Sugarpop]

We're going for it tomorrow. Can't wait any longer either.

[Diesel Pro]

I think I'll start clearing snow. I'm keeping everything closeby this season so not much snow to clear for the most part. Last year I tried the Ranger on the main trails, but it got muddy fast and I don't like to make a mess of the woods so we did a lot of walking.

I don't see this year being any further ahead than last year and the first couple weeks were slow for us.

[Super Sapper]

Put in 152 bags today. The holes were pretty dry when I started but there was an inch or two in some of the bags when I got done.

[Sweet Shady Lane]

Well all 50 taps are in, Tapped 39 or 40 or 41 or 42 trees, Kind of lost count of the number of trees. Will have to take a good tree count on Sunday. The pants where soaked from the knees down, lots of snow in the woods. Kicked up one deer in the woods that was nice to see, looked in shape.

[Pete S]

We put in almost all our taps today. Some of the tree were dripping right away but slow. Snow was deep. Some areas up to your hinder. First year to use a power drill to install the 60 taps. What was I thinking!?!?!

[jmayerl]

Went out to tap the southern exposure bush at noon. Packed the trails down til mid January and haven't been back there since. Got the wheeler stuck and said to heck with it. Went to my buddies place up the road and help get a few hundred in, 10% are dripping and ready to run. His plowed trails are way nice. Snowshoes are a must.

[syrup2make]

If you're going to tap, it looks like the forecast is perfect for it. Highs of 38, lows single digits. **** snow is too deep for me and no way to break trails this year. O how I'm going to miss it.

[WI Sugarpop]

Well, we just got back from tapping our bush. We put in 192 taps and some were running and most were not. The snow really got burned off yesterday by the sun and 45* weather. In most places it is down to 8-10 inches. Not as bad as the last 2 years.
Hope we can be boiling soon.

[kurlyschmoe]

Just put in 7 taps (5 trees), 6 metal buckets, and 1 plastic bucket suspended from a branch with twine. Excited to get the season started!

[OCHTO]

Going to Cedar Grove, WI Mon. to help my Dad tap. I plan on tapping in Winter, WI on Thurs. Last year I tapped on the 18th and waited 10 days for the sap to run good. That could change with the weather forecast. Brad, I'm not far from you off Old J. I should stop by and we'll have a tasting contest.

[treemonkey]

Put in a few taps today, all dry holes. Woods still pretty cold. Forecast looks good, will put in a bunch more tomorrow. Its time anyway.

[maplefool]

Tapped about 70 trees 40 miles South of LaCrosse.
All dry holes, but slightly North facing, so it was expected.
The next couple days look good,
but my legs feel less than good after tromping around thigh deep, heavy, wet snow.

[logboy]

Is anyone tapping around the Eau Claire area yet? With this amount of snow everywhere it feels too early. There is so much snow in the woods. I have lines buried under 15' deep drifts that wont thaw until June.

[Monroecheeseman]

Couldn't wait any longer, so tapped a few trees. But just like everyone else all dry. Hopefully this next week will wake up the trees.

[CliftonSap]

Tapped 60 trees today about a dozen of them are running. Hopefully we will finish tomorrow.

[motowbrowne]

Tapped 100 today in river falls. Some were running, most dry. Lots of snow, but the forecast looks good.

[Ridgeville]

We tapped 75 trees on Saturday, all dry. We have 10 more to go in on Saturday, saved a few for the rest of the family. We are just south of Tomah. I hope to be cooking on Thursday or Friday or Saturday or Sunday.

[markcasper]

It will be at least two weeks before anything of significance runs, we need a week of above freezing at night!

[Super Sapper]

I finished up tapping yesterday with 249 total.

[Diesel Pro]

It will be at least two weeks before anything of significance runs, we need a week of above freezing at night!

Works for me! I'm not ready and the snow is WAY too deep. Planning to tap Merrill on 3-16 if all goes well.

[kraemerp]

Got started tapping here on the stateline/south central Wisconsin yesterday...had some sap in the few buckets I checked, will check the others in the morning and finish tapping tomorrow or Wed.

[maplefool]

50's in SW Wisconsin all day and not a drop. I guess I got a little anxious .

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[inthewoods]

finished tapn my tubing section today, had vac on most of day and got 60 gal from 625 trees. not much happn here yet.

[Mr Sugar Maple]

I spent the weekend at our sugar bush, the snow was 18 inches deep. I did lots of snow shoveling by the sugar house,was quite a ride on my old snowmobile up our ridge road. Tapped 100 trees Sunday 10% dripping, still have 100 more to do. With Mondays 58 degrees snow will go fast.

[bison1973]

When you have basically a all-time record cold winter it's going to be a while before trees are thawed out enough to run... it could be awhile yet. Global warming my a...

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[Homestead Maple]

When you have basically a all-time record cold winter it's going to be a while before trees are thawed out enough to run... it could be awhile yet. Global warming my a...

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Global warming??? Climate change???? Polar vortex????? Just the way winter can be? Yup, more like that! :)

[jeep27]

200 taps in .. 25% slow drips. Sugar content is between 1-2 % .. Is this normal for the very first sap..??