Peter,
Are there other producers near you? Keep and an eye on them, they probably started early, unfortunately the seasons have changed a lot in my 26 years! First year in 98 started after Valentine’s Day, that season we got lucky, weather was cold in March. The very next year we tapped the first warm day after Ground Hogs day, that worked for a couple years, now I go the third week of January, a producer near me went in the the first week of January, had a good season. So now if I’m still feeling good and have a reliable helper I will go earlier next year, call it what you want, I don’t vote that way I personally feel it is nothing but climate change. It will only get worse in my opinion! We will be out as the heat marches up the East coast for the next 25 years wiping maple operations one by one! Sorry that is my prediction.
Mark220maple