Sounds like you may have verticillium wilt.

Cut into the bark somewhere and if under the bark the cambium (green area) is streaked, brown, or black, then that's probably it.

Common side effects are leaves wilting and eventually turning brown as the root system is diseased and cannot bring the water to the leaves fast enough causing a loss in transpirataion (the leaves transpire more water than the root system can pump to the leaves).

Other common wilting and browning is not enough water as well as too much water. There actually is a fine line and this isn't an answer that nurseries, just say to customers.

Gardening takes time to learn.

Anyway, if you have verticillium wilt after you've cut into the bark to check, you're screwed big-time.

A thick trunk like you have also suggests you're simply not watering enough and could very easily be the case. You say you're watering 'pretty well' or whatever. Hopefully this is your problem. In any event, good luck to you.

Dax

A 3-4" caliper tree is a pretty mature one to try and transplant. It is quite possible you didn't get enough of the root system to support the top growth and the tree is undergoing transpirational stress. This was likely compounded by transplanting the tree once it had already emerged from its dormant period, a risky proposition for a deciduous tree of any size. It is simply just too unnecessarily stressful to attempt this type of move during the growing season.

The only solution to this is time and adequate water. What exactly do you mean by "pretty well watered"?

Verticillium could be a reason but most probably an unlikely one unless the wilting has been quite rapid. VW often occurs as a response to severe stress as well as root damage/disturbance but its onset typically takes more time than a couple of months. Most often you won't see evidence of it until the next growing season.

I think GG is probably right not enough roots are there... that is a big tree to move ..."early spring" though implies it may have been dormant and not bud broke yet ... Two things #1 how was it moved ..if by clam shell digger done by a pro then enough roots should be there. #2 Also how early is "early spring" in Wisc.
Whether disease or otherwise the problem likely is the result of stress... and proper watering is the biggest necessity the first year of a move ... I personally think late fall after leaf fall or winter is the best time to move any large tree in OUR area...and doing it in spring you definitly take more of a chance especially with maples since the tree is likely "alive" with sap a running thus causing more stress. David

I might add I had two sugar maples about the size of yours pro moved and clam shell dug .I did it in nov. or dec ... one important thing to remember is to securly stake your tree . not much root growth will happen right away and it will be just a sittn' in the hole top heavy .. I speak from experience from having to go out in 38 degee weather in a driving rain storm whem my wife and I noticed one of the trees listing at a 45 degree angle ... we had to drive heavy fence posts and wire it up with old hose and hoist it back up straight ...I get cold and wet just thinking about it...just some info if not for you for others reading this thread Also if it does survive don't expect too much growth for a couple of years ...it took several for ours to really show growth I think much of the trees effort was going into rejuvenating the root system to feed the large tree since even with as much as we took probably as much or more was left behind ;>) David