Normal tapping dates?

[buck3m]

Hi Folks,

When do your first good sap runs start, and when do you usually pull your taps? Also, what area of Minnesota are you in?

I guess I've had about a ten years of sugaring over the last 40 years so. I'd say in my area, East Central Minnesota, the first good runs are usually in mid-March and it ends about mid-April.

I'm heading back to Minnesota March 2 to get ready!

[mntapper]

I was told march 10th is the average startdate here in Minnesota, this is my 2nd year, i plan on 200 taps on buckets and plan on tapping the weekend of march 7th - 8th.Where in Minnesota are you at? I'm in Cloquet Mn.

[benchmark]

Hi guys,

last season I didn't tap until the 25th of March, and didn't get enough sap to boil until April 1st. The heaviest runs weren't until mid April, right after a good snowstorm. I pulled my taps in the beginning of May, even then the hard maples were still running a little bit and didn't taste buddy at all.

Usually Mid March is normal tapping date around here. Sounds a little early mntapper for cloquet area, probably sightly colder then were I'm at. Have to watch the weather and hang some test buckets up before you go tapping 'em, wouldn't want your taps to dry up early.

[BriJack]

hey guys

I tapped first tree's in March 11, with good degrees (high 38) lows 20s. We really didn't get good sap till almost the 24th. Then in April it ran like crazy and we got two snow storms in April (16'' and 12''). We finally quit sapping about the 21st of April since we were starting to see buds and started hearing the frogs in the swamps.

Really getting the itch to do it again, will only be our second year and got bit pretty hard by the Maple bug.

BriJack

[buck3m]

Where in Minnesota are you at?

Near Rush City.

I guess the bottom line is something I knew already: you never really know when the start and end are going to be until you're there!