When is everyone going to start putting in some taps??? and where?
When is everyone going to start putting in some taps??? and where?
Up here by Bemidji, I usually tap around the 10th of March but with 30" of snow in my woods and the 14 day forecast only showing a couple of days just touching the 32 degree mark, I don't foresee me putting my taps in until the 17th or maybe later. I am thinking if the snow sticks around this may be the perfect excuse for buying those tracks for my 4-wheeler! I have all my bags on their holders, batteries charged for my drill, sap tanks all ready to go...... getting pretty anxious! I tried to go out and put my tubing up but the snow is just too deep so I will wait a week or so and hope the snow settles some more. We went most of the winter with very little snow and now in the last two weeks we have had snowfalls of 11", 4", 4", 15", 2" good for the drought if it doesn't just run off but bad for the sapping!
2009 12 taps - think I see if I can make syrup
2016 350 taps - I've turned into the Mad Sapper!
Hi, I am near Aitkin, we also have a lot of snow but it has been spread out and I have been able to keep my trails open for the JD Trail Buck. I will probably tap about March 10th (depending on the weather). I am going to 250 bags this year. Made 150 Bag holders and have them ready go with bags attached. Got a new drill charged and ready to go.
Good Luck.
Leo.
Concrete block arch
34" X 64" flat pan with warming pan
110 taps for 2012 with drop lines to 5 gallon buckets
Adding 100 taps on bags for 2013.
John Deere Trail Buck EXT sap hauler
42 acres of mixed hardwoods with Sugar Maples
One German Wire Haired Pointer (little help, but good company)
My test tree produced 2 cups of sap today and it looks like decent sap running weather here until Thursday. (isanti) Don't want to tap too early but I'm really itching to boil!
we are up to 1400 taps this year and we are going to try and put some of them in this coming friday (mar 1st). The weather does not look good till the 9-10th but last year I waited and missed some great runs. We are north east of Duluth by 65 miles ( Finland )
I put a test tap in this morning, checked his evening and it had about a tablespoonor so. Looks like a couple of warm days and then back to below freezing for awhile. I'm thinking around the 10th, but maybe later depending on the forecast at the time. I am only doing probably 150 taps though so I can wait, although I am chomping at the bit to try out my modifications to my evaporator.
Hello, I don't put much faith in long range forecasts seems that anything out more then a few days changes quite a bit..I did put out a few taps with check valves, i know its early but the checks should help and all i tap is soft maples so their season is short anyways....Hope everyone has a great season.
I tapped some of my best producing trees last week just for fun (my indicator trees). We had a long hard freeze this winter without snow cover, so I don't expect to get an "early" run even if the weather forecast indicates nice sap flow conditions. Don't expect to tap many tree as all this week (may get anxious toward the end of the week).
Sugaring season: the real signal of the New Year!
2005-2010: 300 taps on jugs
2011: 100 on gravity tubing
2012: 650 on vaccuum tubing
2013: 650 vaccuum, 1000 gravity, 1000 jugs
Iam in northern anoka county and am guessing about the 10th. last year put in my first tap on the 4th BUT it was a VERY warm year as we all know.... 70+ degrees a week or so later. but definitly chomping at the bit here too.
First generation Sapper!!
2010- Looked at that Maple in the back yard and said HMMMM!!
2011- 25 taps, 125 gallons of sap. Barrel stove/open pan.
2012- 60 taps, 80 gallons of sap. New divided pan and new homemade Oil Barrel arch.
2013- 100 taps and 1005 gals of sap. What a year!!
I am tapping this week-end March 2nd. My calender over the yrs shows March 15 give or take a week either way.
I would say that is right on track for the Sandstone area.
Scarlet Jewell Sugar Shack LLC
Sandstone, MN 55072
16 x 24 sugar shack
crescendo auto drawoff,
Home built ro with a Dow xle 4040 membrane.
1 1/2 hp motor on 220 drawing 8 amps
Gravity feed
300 taps on vacuum
2 x 6 Smokey Lake Corsair arch with blower and pans and preheater
1529 Massey Ferguson, Yamaha Wolverine
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