2014 Season West Virginia Mapler

[maple flats]

Brandon,
For your deer hunting you need to spend less time keeping statistics and more time looking for deer! Well, maybe that won't help. In the past 3 years I've gotten 5 deer, but no bucks. We have far too many deer here and I shoot does but hold off on bucks until I see a nice one. That hasn't happened.
Before the last 3 seasons I went 4 yrs. without any deer. I would only go sit on stand for 30-45 minutes and then go work on something maple related.
Nice to see you back, I also enjoy your posts.

[Yankeeman]

Ok guys......... We tapped around 120 on Friday and another 80 on Saturday. Collected mid day on Saturday, about 75 gallons. Sap tested around 1%, but we have very few large trees.

Question? It is supposed to drop down to mid teens later in the week. If I boil today, will I have to drain the sap in the pans, or will it not freeze due to the sugar content? Thanks.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Dave,

I just keep mental tab in my mind. I don't write it down. I normally pack in Lone Wolf sit and climb, gear, food, drink and clothes which amounts to somewhere around 40 lbs and walk anywhere from 1 to 2.5 miles before daylight with a lot of it being steep climbing and sit all day and then pack it all out after dark. Too much work and effort to hunt a couple hours. Why they call it hunting and not killing. Could have killed many bucks and a lot more does the last couple years with bow but chose to pass. Too much work to backpack out a pack full of meat and the cape to check in unless it is huge. I did kill a good doe to eat Dec 27th in my mother in law's back yard. LOL

[Russell Lampron]

Ok guys......... We tapped around 120 on Friday and another 80 on Saturday. Collected mid day on Saturday, about 75 gallons. Sap tested around 1%, but we have very few large trees.

Question? It is supposed to drop down to mid teens later in the week. If I boil today, will I have to drain the sap in the pans, or will it not freeze due to the sugar content? Thanks.

You don't have to drain the pans. It will freeze but not hard enough to damage anything. I've had the sweet in my evaporator freeze and not cause any damage when the temps have been below zero here.

[pdr]

Mark, et al: Hope the ice storm spares you major damage. Let me know if I can help. I'm all tapped. Next run is at least a week away. Have chainsaw, will travel. Paul

[Yankeeman]

We boiled last Sunday. Had around 140 gallons, but didn't make any syrup. Boiled again today, with about 75 gallon of sap. Made 3 and half quarts of medium amber syrup. Supposed to stay cold here until next weekend. Hope everyone has a good season!

[Sugarmaker]

Nice to hear that folks are actually getting and boiling sap. Seems like its been forever We are at least a week away may be 10 days if you can believe the forecasts?
Worked changing 150 drops today.
Regards,
Chris

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Boiled 363 gallon of sap on Wed 02/05 and 281 on Thurs 02/06. No sap since then and no sap for next 10 days in forecast, too cold. Season usually over here by around March 21st and I don't normally tap until Feb 7th. Made aprox 20 gallons this year before I would have normally tapped or there wouldn't be any syrup. Hope it warms up soon as history has proved here if it stays cold throughout February we normally have a bad season.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Picked up 525 gallons this afternoon and hope to boil that off tomorrow and hope to pick up that much more again tomorrow afternoon to boil on friday. Looks like some sap every day until Monday and then cold all week next week.

[Sugarmaker]

Brandon,
That will be a good boil. Sounds like the same weather as we are going to get. Hows the grade?
Regards,
Chris