In Maine, it is illegal both to cut and transport evergreen boughs without permission, and in some cases — if a suspect has two prior theft convictions, for example — an illegal tipper can be charged with a felony and even sent to jail. But with brush prices climbing — some tip gatherers made 50 cents a pound this year — tipping provides cash that is welcome in this county with the state’s highest poverty rate.

Starting in early November, workers head into the woods to snap off 12- to 18-inch balsam tree branches, stacking them high on poles, their hands sometimes sticky with pitch. There is nothing high-tech about it; it is a process virtually unchanged here for generations.

Most of this is legal, with tippers getting permission from landowners, usually involving some sort of payment. But for others less scrupulous, it is a Christmas caper, a way of making a little extra money, if you don’t get caught.

One afternoon in mid-December, Mr. Hammond noticed a minivan pulled over just off the road here in Deblois — population 57 — and stopped to do a quick inspection. Before long, the vehicle’s owner, Dennis Figueroa of Machias, emerged from the woods, wearing bright orange as protection against hunters and carrying a bushel of tips under each arm.