2019: tapped 2/20/19, 92 taps on buckets
2018: tapped 2/11/18, pulled 3/27/18 75 taps on same buckets 'Optimizer' inverted filter rack =30.5 gallons finished syrup
2017: tapped 2/5/17 fuel oil tank evaporator two 18"x28" flat pans, 50 taps on drop lines/Buckets, Small scale RO =11 gallon syrup
2016: tapped 1/25/16 1st year, 25 taps on buckets, copper kettle over a fire =4.5 gallon syrup
6x4 gator sap collector and kid hauler
I think you're better off learning to ID the maples without marking them. Right now ID from leaves and then observe the bark. In sugar maples it changes quite a bit from a 6" tree to a mature tree, look at those changes.
One thing, once you sort of learn the bark on the main tapable maples (sugar maple, Red maple, Silver maple and if it grows in your area Black maple), realize that all maples send out opposite branches, but most of the opposites get broken off, thus, use a good pair of binoculars to search the outer limbs on the upper portion of the tree, if the bark looks like it might be a maple and you see some opposite branches out towards the ends of the limbs, it is a maple. It may help to keep a gallery of barks and leaves on your phone until you master it. Once you get good at it, you will usually be able to ID a maple from 20-40' away and even more. Not just bark and leaves, but the way branches attach to the tree (typical growth patterns). On mature sugar maples the bark will start to peal vertically, the older the tree the larger the pealed plates will be.
I spent a summer marking a bunch of sugar maples my first year, by the time I had marked about 100-150 or so, I no longer needed the markings and I actually removed them (I used plastic surveyors tape). I no longer needed that crutch.
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.
I went through the same scenario in 06 when I first started tapping. I tied a green tape - surveyor's tape - wrapped around the trees at eye height. It made it simple to see trees from any angle which, to me anyway, made more sense than a tag. I swear that some of that tape is still hanging on, although most of it burst apart as the tree grew.
I agree with Dave Klish. After the second year it became fairly simple. In the late fall, I started looking for opposing twigs and generally what leaves were laying around the base. This woods has mostly maple, a few oak, some remaining black cherry, a few sassafras, a handful of dead standing ash and locust. Once you get it narrowed down it becomes second nature. I too had pictures of bark in the gator to help, but it was more trouble than it was worth. The proof was in the spring when I'd start collecting....sure I hit some oak - but it didn't take long to figure out why those taps were dry.... Also after collecting the same "route" each year I find myself waking right up to some without even thinking and finding some new trees that had grown to tappable size.
John Allin
14x18 Hemlock Timber Frame Sugar House 2009
Leader 2x6 w/Patriot Raised Flue Pan 2009
Leader Steam Hood 2014 - Clear Filter Press 2015
Leader Revolution Pan and SS Pre-Heater 2016
CDL Hobby RO & Air Tech L25 Hi Vac Pump 2019
06' Gator HPX to collect wood & sap
14' Ski-Doo Tundra for winter work in the woods
Great Family 3 grown kids+spouses and 7 grand kids who like the woods
7th Gen Born in Canada - Raised in Chardon Ohio - Maple Capital of the World..<grin>.
There are different grades of flagging tape, if you buy the better grade it will last much longer on the tree.
Brandon
CDL dealer for All of West Virginia & Virginia
3x10 CDL Deluxe oil fired
Kubota M7040 4x4 Tractor w/ 1153 Loader hauling sap
2,400+ taps on 3/16 CDL natural vacuum on 9 properties
24x56 sugarhouse
CDL 1,000 2 post RO
WEBSITE: http://danielsmaple.com
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
Commonly referred to as "arctic flagging tape" http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/pr...&itemnum=58045
Should last at least 2-3 years. Don't tie it really tight or tree growth will snap it.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
Brandon
CDL dealer for All of West Virginia & Virginia
3x10 CDL Deluxe oil fired
Kubota M7040 4x4 Tractor w/ 1153 Loader hauling sap
2,400+ taps on 3/16 CDL natural vacuum on 9 properties
24x56 sugarhouse
CDL 1,000 2 post RO
WEBSITE: http://danielsmaple.com
Because I'm not always available to look at the trees, I put deer hunters thumbtacks that have reflective tap on them. We do the majority of our tapping after work in the night time. Seeing that the tack is only in the bark it basically stays in for ever. Just don't try following it to a deer stand.
1960 - 1970s 70 taps on galvanized buckets with Dad and Grandpa.
1970s - 1985 Acted crazy!
1986 - 2005 20-30 buckets.
2006- 2017 70 buckets and bags
2017-2019 100 bags and buckets
2020 Finally retired!!! 75 buckets, 50-75 on tubing. RO Bucket, New 12 X 16 Shack and a 42X42 flat pan.
2021-Adding another 125 taps along with a second RO bucket.
2022- Shooting for 350 taps, with 100 on lines.
Lots of Family and Friends and dogs named Skyy and Nessy!
3rd year tapping in southern CT, today i went out and marked a new bush with bright orange flimsy thin plastic ribbon. The property owner had it, and it worked perfectly. Like others have mentioned, take the time to recognize the branch patterns. I did this in my first year over several weeks, now it's easier to identify. I marked them today, because in case of severe cold or snow when i tap, i don't want to be toting a sack fumbling with equipment (drill, taps, rope, spile, bags, etc trying to figure out where the trees are.
While I agree that it's not hard to identify maples once you get to know them, I still use tape. I only tap a small fraction of my trees, and I'm still working out which are the best and worst. So any tree I tap I give a number to, and then keep track of the sugar content from that tree. And to keep track of the trees, they need to be marked in some way. Writing on the bark with sharpie wears off very quickly. Of course some are obvious landmark trees, but others may have one in a stand that has better sugar content than the rest. Others may be terrible, and never get much over 1%. I need to be able to track that and be able to go back the next season and tap the good ones and skip the junk.
Make sense?
Gabe
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
2024: 17 taps, 5.3 gals
All on buckets