Archive for the ‘Picking Wild Huckleberries’ Category

One of the most common questions I get is, “Where can I go to find huckleberries to pick?”

Of course, that is a tough question, one that might get you in a fist fight… or attract vague answers like, “No Telum Ridge” or somewhere “between Canada and Nevada”!

Favorite huckleberry pickin’ spots are probably a more closely guarded secret than favorite trophy elk hunting, or trout fly-fishing, locations. And of course, huckleberry hounds are more prone to exaggeration about the size and numbers in their favorite patch, than anglers about their favorite hole, if you can believe that!

Most species of western huckleberries in the Pacific Northwest — Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and even Alaska and northern California in the US, and Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, grow exclusively in rich, mid- to high-elevation forest zones. Closer to the sea coasts, they will grow lower, even much lower, in elevation – including right on the sea shore, but still in forested zones.

When trying to find good huckleberry picking country, there ARE some general things you can do. Here are some of the tactics I recommend:

1)      Try to find people you know well who are avid huckleberry hounds, and might trust you enough to take you out… This is the best way, but could end up destroying a friendship, so be careful! Most people will not be shy about telling you NO!, but might also make alternative suggestions about where to go (to pick berries, I mean…).

2)      Ask around in your social groups, church, school, workplace, or even the grocery store, for good “general” locations… be careful not to pin people down for specifics… unless you can duck fast!

3)      Augment the general location information you got, by contacting the local ranger district of the US Forest Service, or state forestry agency. Ask them  for suggestions about finding huckleberries, and the best areas and appropriate access roads to traverse. Buying one of their maps is often a good idea.

4)      Spend some time looking at pictures of huckleberry bushes and habitat (like some of the photos on this web site) so you will know what huckleberry country and bushes look like when you drive over the top of them.

5)      Keep your ear to the wind, until you begin hearing reports about huckleberries being ripe (usually July, August, and well into September, depending upon elevation, winter snow depth, and if the spring weather came early or late).

6)      Make your exploratory trips on the weekend, when more berry pickers will be out and about. Drive around until you find vehicles parked along the side of the road, with no one around. If you are in good huckleberry habitat, this probably indicates they are out picking!

7)      Drive a little ways, until you see some huckleberry plants (check out photos on this blog site, so you know what to look for), and start hiking around. Don’t be afraid to hoof it for a ways (but be careful not to get lost!). Most people pick close to the road, and above the road, so hiking downhill or a considerable distance uphill, might allow you to locate YOUR OWN secret patch, on “No Telum Mountain!”.

Most huckleberry species (not all) prefer openings, from full sunlight to partial shade. So, when driving around, look for brushy, old clearcuts, burns, or heavily logged areas. Trees of various sizes might be popping up, but in good huckleberry habitat, do not form a solid or dense canopy. Generally, the tree cover should be light to sporadic.

University research indicates that our huckleberries here in Idaho and Montana, will grow and produce well up to 30% shade, and are mostly gone or seriously declining by 60% shade. I have found very productive patches in 100% sunlight, although in hot, dry years, the berries completely in the open tend to dry up fast, and are generally smaller. In cooler, wetter years, they can be fantastic in full sun. But generally, a little bit of shade tends to create more berries, and good berry size.

Huckleberries often share habitat with other, often taller, brush species. Over time, young trees and brush such as maple, willow, alder, and mountain-ash, will take over and shade out the hucks… but in the meantime, you might get five, ten, twenty (or more) years of good picking before the huckleberry plants seriously decline.

When you find a good general area, make a mental note about current logging operations or burns (or combinations, where the forestry agency or company burned after logging). Unfortunately, many agencies SPRAY their clearcuts after logging, to aid in the replanting of conifers, which completely wipes out the huckleberries.

However, where they do not herbicide the forest, within five to ten years these areas often start producing berries. Since you may need to replace your existing favorite patch someday — as the vegetation changes, keep a map or mental note of locations, and enjoy your purple huckleberries patches for years to come!

Happy Huckleberry!

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Malcolm and his friends, Roy and Emory, took some great pictures while huckleberry hunting and picking last weekend.  Some of the pictures are detailed close ups of the huckleberries and plants as well as a few pictures of the huckleberry stands where they were picking.

My favorite is the picture of Nick in the huckleberry patch:

Nick in the huckleberry patch!

Check out the Photo Gallery to view all the photos!

NOTE:  We have updated the photo gallery page.  You can also view the new pictures of Alaska huckleberries taken by Hans Porter.

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Unsolicited comments from our huckleberry rake customers

I purchased your rake at the General Store in Spokane, WA last week and headed up behind Wallace,ID to do some picking. We love going to Idaho because its so beautiful and the people are always friendly. I have to tell you first that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis in my hands along with other places. The rake was a life saver allowing me to pick for a longer period of time with out much pain in my hands. I also picked three times as much! I recommend this to anyone with arthritis in their hands to make picking berries more enjoyable and ALOT quicker. Plus in does no damage to the bush! You have perfected this product ten fold. Thank you!

Angela Ordway
Spokane, Washington

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Every year a group of ladies and I take a annual camping trip to the mountains to pick huckleberry’s when they get ripe. We took that trip a week before we could order our huckleberry rakes. Each of us working 6 to 7 hours for 2 1/2 days brought home a little over a gallon of berry each.
I oredered and received our rakes the week after we returned from our trip. The rakes came in on a Friday we met to pick on a Sunday. During that approx six hours of picking we took home approx 2 gallons of berrys each. I can only imagine how many more we could have brought home during our camping trip. Next year.
Thanks for this wonderful product and thank you for the lip balm you included. It is yummy and works well to protect the lips.
If I have any complaints about this tool is it can be difficult to use in the middle of a bush, and you have a few extra stems to pick off the berrys, but that is something we usually do when we are sitting around camp.

Tammala Froman
Lebanon, Oregon

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Summer Huckleberries: NW Tribes Celebrate Sacred Foods that are …
KPLU – Seattle,WA,USA
Linda Jones, left, and her sister, prepare fry bread for nearly 200 guests at the Umatilla tribes’ annual huckleberry feast near Pendleton, Oregon. …

Obama Foodorama: Lots of Obama Birthday Cake–And of Course, Pie …
By Eddie Gehman Kohan
There were Huckleberry, Coconut Creme, Key Lime, and Peach pies. The President even refers to Chef Yosses as “the Crust Master.” The photo, above, is from Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in Washington, where the wax President and First Lady were also celebrating President Obama’s … A
Obama Foodorama – http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/

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HUCKLEBERRY PICKERS OF THE MOUNTAIN WILDS; Their Mysterious Camp, to Which They Travel Each Year, When the Berry Season Is On.

New York Times, July 2, 1916

The Huckleberry Pickers.

New York Times, July 31, 1871, Wednesday

The Nature Conservancy in New York – Sam’s Point: The Huckleberry …

Sam’s Point: The Huckleberry Pickers. … Huckleberry pickers lived at Sam’s Point during the summer months in simple shacks or tents. …

File:Huckleberry pickers at Larch Mt.jpg – Wikimedia Commons

Description, Huckleberry pickers at Larch Mt.jpg. Huckleberry pickers at Larch Mt. getting full pails from the luscious, bountiful crop. …

Letters and Stories of Van Buren Co.

BEAR CREATES A PANIC AMONG A LOT OF HUCKLEBERRY PICKERS. By S. C. Turnbo From: The Turnbo Manuscripts, by Silas Claiborne Turnbo, 1844-1925 …

Photos of Huckleberry Picker’s Shacks, Sam’s Point, New York

R Richard Hobbs, Flickr Photos

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In case you have missed it, there has been a very interesting discussion going on about the use of huckleberry rakes.  Historically, opinions on this issue are strong on both sides and  the discussions here are no different!  Click on the following links to read the posts and/or to post comments of your own!

Original post by Katie:

From katie g on New Huckleberry Rakes In Stock!

Raping the huckleberry plant with a “Huckleberry Rake” should be illegal as these plants are difficult enough to find and …

Response post by “Mr. Huckleberry”:

From Mr. Huckleberry on New Huckleberry Rakes In Stock!

Greetings, Katie, I appreciate your passion for the huckleberry resource! However, if you had ever seen a huckleberry rake used, you would …

After reading the discussions, what are your thoughts?

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Our new shipment of huckleberry rakes are currently in stock!

Huckleberry rake with wire tines

Received out pallet load of huckleberry rakes on Monday.  Since we are right on the edge on huckleberry season, we were anxious to get this pallet load ready for delivery to our customers.  But, low and behold, we opened the first case to label and deliver and realized the sent us the WRONG RAKES!!  The pickers we are selling have wire tines whereas the new ones have plastic tines.

NOTE: Huckleberry rake with wire tines that we have been selling is pictured on the left.  The Huckleberry rake with the plastic tines is pictured on the right.

The plastic in the “new” model is very thick, stiff and durable, and yet very pliable, so the rakes are well engineered. Spacing between tines is identical to the metal tines.

Both models were field tested two years ago, and any difference in performance with the metal toothed verses the plastic toothed was negligible.

So, since this was not the rakes we ordered, we received a great deal on this pallet load that we are extending to all of our customers.

Check out our website for details … and happy huckleberry picking!!

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