You could be running sap in the last half of Jan. and as late as past mid April. I'm similar to you in climate and I have tapped by Jan 20 the last 3 seasons. As long as you use new check valve taps or anti microbial taps to keep the tap hole clean you should be good. When I pull my taps in late April and early May, after the season has ended, most taps are still quite wet. The exception might be if you are on buckets, then you should wait until the weather tells you it is maple season.
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.