Northeast Wisconsin

[jenigl12]

hey ya'll, started tapping today, most trees are running, still about a foot and half of snow in the woods in Egg Harbor, got the tractor stuck a couple of times...is anyone else in the area tapping yet?

[Sugar Daddy]

I tapped Saturday and have collected 38 gallons so far. Some trees are flowing well and others haven't started yet - pretty common for the start of the season. Hope to have enough sap by the weekend to start boiling.

[jfroe939]

I'm tapping up by Shawano,... we tapped a few short of 200 and only have about 250+ gallons of sap. It is indeed too warm. But help is on the way. All ya need is temps closer to 20 to prime the trees. You'd think that you'd need temps close to 45, but if you can just get something around 20 overnight and then 38-42 during the day and let the sun hit the trees a little bit, that does the trick. Of course, I'm not telling anybody here anything new. We also noticed that sugar content has been pretty low. For instance, last year we had our trees consistently pushing 3 % or higher for the majority of the year, but so far we're seeing only 2.2-2.4 % sugar. I'm guessing the next run will bring us a little higher sugar content. (hoping)

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

if we can get the cooler nights, the sugar % will rise some. something about it freezing makes it happen.

[ovoutdor]

I have a few test taps in. Got a quart or so from each tree last Saturday, nothing since. I am waiting until the weather cools to put the rest in. Its too warm. Drove to Mpls along Hwy 29. I pass three producers along the way, and didn't see any smoke rising from their sugar houses either.

[Sugar Daddy]

Collected nearly a gallon per tap each of the past 3 days, and boiled 140 gallons over the past 2 nights. Looks like similar weather for next week, so it looks like I may be boiling again next week.

[yooper]

Pulling taps tomorrow, weather doesn't look very cooperative for sap this coming week. Made 10 gallons this year, but boiled over about a gallon (or more) onto the ground tonight while finishing the last 3 gallons of 80 gallons of sap on the propane burner. Boiled 7 hours for 5 pints, what a bummer.

[jtcinv]

Although taps weren't producing yesterday in Northern Oconto County, I'm hoping for one more weekend of boiling next weekend. Have already made more than last year, but would like to eke out another litre or two. Will probably have to yield to budding trees soon. I have not yet heard the frogs singing and hope we get a couple of cold nights this week to jump start sap production for one last push!

[Bear Paw Shack Sleeper]

Northren Oconto Co. We put out the rest of the buckets on Friday. The sap was running out of every tree. While putting out more tubing the the lines filled and were running quick. Work on the new shack is moving along. We will be all set to start boiling next weekend.

[Sugar Daddy]

Just got in from emptying bags - more than a gallon per tap. (It seemed like a better idea in the dark tonight than in the daylight in the morning with 50 mph wind gusts!) This run likely related to the strong Low pressure system (poor man's vacuum system) moving through - 29.47". With temps forecast to be below 20 the next couple of days I should be able to remove some ice from the storage containers (poor man's RO system). Hey I'll take all the help that Ma Nature provides!

[HowSweetItIs]

We've been holding off for awhile even though there has been some warm weather. Not enough good days in a row to justify tapping. Our experience has shown it doesn't pay unless to tap early unless you have 3 consecutive good running days. We tap about 60 sugar maple trees on the Door / Kewaunee county line.

[w9dwg]

Everything is tapped.
Thursday 1400 buckets.
Friday 1800 buckets.
Saturday 300 buckets and 742 taps on tubing.