My childhood memories of going blueberry picking are generally pretty good. Dad used to take my siblings and I a few times each summer, usually somewhere north of Kenora, and we would go for the day, picking berries and maybe getting in a little bit of swimming or fishing somewhere along the way. They were always good outings, with the exception of a few trips where there were dumped buckets and crying kids.
As I’ve grown older, I think I appreciate blueberry picking more than I did in my earlier years. They are so good for us and the wild berries that we have taste SO MUCH better than store bought berries. They are sweeter, juicier and just have a lot more flavour.
One of the aspects of going picking that I enjoy the most is just getting to spend time in the woods. It’s quiet, except for the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and birds chirping here and there. It’s usually not too difficult to find a place to pick where you aren’t going to run into other people, however, there are a lot of good spots out there that are well-known and will be busier than others.
For those of you who haven’t been blueberry picking before, it is prime time for picking, now through the next few weeks. My wife and I have been out a couple of times over the past week and while they will still grow a little bit bigger, they are ready to pick.
When it comes to finding the best places to pick, there are a few types of areas where you’ll have the most chance for success. The easiest hotspots to find are areas that have been recently cut by loggers or even better, areas that have been burned by forest fires. Blueberries sprout up in the open landscape where they receive a lot of sun.
Many of the pine covered hillsides across the region have great blueberry patches as well. You’ll know when you get in a good area when you can kneel down and grab multiple handfuls in one sitting. If you’re just finding a few berries here and there, you should keep moving until you find good patches where you can grab at bushels of berries.
When I tell people that I’m blueberry picking, one of the common responses that I get is “do you see any bears while you’re out there”? We certainly have a great population of black bears across the Sunset Country region but like most wildlife, they generally don’t want anything to do with people. When we have years with good blueberries like we do this year, bears can feed heavily on them and their interactions with humans are rare.
If you’re worried about bears, you can take a few precautions to avoid any interactions with them. Pick with a friend or a group of people. If you are talking back and forth, you’re almost certain not to see any bears. You could consider packing some bear spray or a loud horn if that will make you feel better.
Wild blueberries taste so good and they’re good for you. Get out there and take advantage of this unique season that we have across the region.
